Is anyone giving welcome gifts vs. welcome bags?

[rodent]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KAMEYER70 We have decided against the OOT bags. The Fiesta Americana wants to charge $5 for bag delivery and $3 for simple letters (i.e., a welcome letter). I think it might still have the welcome letter delievered so everyone is aware of the weekend events and start times, but we have decided to skip the OOT bags. That being said, we are having custom coozies made and will give each guest one at our welcome/rehearsal dinner.

Wow, I would not want to pay a fee. If the hotel won't hand them out when guest check in, I'll give them to them. I guess it is extra work for the front desk, but $5 per person is a lot.

[brecluse]

We sort of doing both. We are taking all our guests on a day sail on a catamaran the day before the wedding, and we're considering that the main "gift" to them for coming.

 

We're also going to do custom koozies for each person with one of our logo's on it and we'll put those in their room along with the wedding itinerary, info on the catamaran trip and another excursion for those there Thursday.

 

Oh, and we have a favor for them for the dinner after the wedding, a little flip-flop picture frame that will be their place card holder.

 

That's it.

[michelle08]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brecluse We sort of doing both. We are taking all our guests on a day sail on a catamaran the day before the wedding, and we're considering that the main "gift" to them for coming. We're also going to do custom koozies for each person with one of our logo's on it and we'll put those in their room along with the wedding itinerary, info on the catamaran trip and another excursion for those there Thursday. Oh, and we have a favor for them for the dinner after the wedding, a little flip-flop picture frame that will be their place card holder. That's it.

That sounds like a good idea too...I'm so concerned now about bringing stuff into mexico and people likeing it etc...decisions, decisions...

[brecluse]

I know what you mean about packing, I don't want to have like 4 bags. I think the koozies and paper stuff will be easy to pack though so now I only have to worry about the frames!

[michelle08]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brecluse I know what you mean about packing, I don't want to have like 4 bags. I think the koozies and paper stuff will be easy to pack though so now I only have to worry about the frames!

Packing and customs!!! I read some red light/green light thread last night and it freaked me out! I don't want to have to tip the customs guy just to get my stuff through!

[jak27]

Quote:

Originally Posted by michelle08 Packing and customs!!! I read some red light/green light thread last night and it freaked me out! I don't want to have to tip the customs guy just to get my stuff through!

Michelle, you honestly crack me up! You think of everything! Customs isn't a big deal at all, and if you get red first, leave the majority of your bags for your FI to go through, and he'll get green.

But to pack, make sure and divide up all of your stuff among all of your bags. For example, I just shipped some pashminas to my WC who was in Austin, and she is going to divide them up between her luggage so they don't see 50 pashminas, instead they see a few mixed in with her clothes etc. All customs is looking for are items for resale...so if it has your logo or something wedding-related on it, you're fine, but for example, with my travel pepto & tylenol, etc I'm going to divide it all up among bags. It's a pain, but I don't want to worry about it when we land!

[jak27]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KAMEYER70 We have decided against the OOT bags. The Fiesta Americana wants to charge $5 for bag delivery and $3 for simple letters (i.e., a welcome letter). I think it might still have the welcome letter delievered so everyone is aware of the weekend events and start times, but we have decided to skip the OOT bags. That being said, we are having custom coozies made and will give each guest one at our welcome/rehearsal dinner.

KM, the FA quoted us $3 for the delivery of the bags, too. Which is just annoying. And they won't hand them out at check-in and they warned that if we get the room list of all of our guests and hang the bags on everyone's doors that they can't obviously guarantee that they won't get stolen! So annoying! And of course they won't let us put them in the rooms since that's a total privacy/liablity so I'm really annoyed!

I think we're just going to suck it up and pay the $3 delivery per bag, and just make sure and put the room numbers on them. For example, if I have two friends sharing a room, they should get two bags, but for a couple, they only need one. I wish there was a way to control this!!!!!

Let me know if you figure out another way to have them delivered, besides having someone man the lobby and hand them out as they arrive!

[michelle08]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jak27 Michelle, you honestly crack me up! You think of everything! Customs isn't a big deal at all, and if you get red first, leave the majority of your bags for your FI to go through, and he'll get green. But to pack, make sure and divide up all of your stuff among all of your bags. For example, I just shipped some pashminas to my WC who was in Austin, and she is going to divide them up between her luggage so they don't see 50 pashminas, instead they see a few mixed in with her clothes etc. All customs is looking for are items for resale...so if it has your logo or something wedding-related on it, you're fine, but for example, with my travel pepto & tylenol, etc I'm going to divide it all up among bags. It's a pain, but I don't want to worry about it when we land!

I do have an active mind...I need quit thinking of worse case scenarios...okay so if I go with the oot bags then I will just divide the stuff up...Knowing me, I will have stuff in such random places I will forget about it!

one time I went on a cruise and at the airport I took out my brush and my make up to "pretty up" and then put it back. Well then we got on the boat and I was trying to look for my make-up and brush and I couldn't find them anywhere!!! I swear I tore up everyones luggage!!! I went all week w/ out my makeup. I shared my mom's and i didn't like it! Well guess what...when I got home I found the brush and make-up in the little pocket on the back of the suitcase! Then I remembered that I put it in there because it was such a cute little spot for it!!!! I am an airhead!!!!

[jak27]

Quote:

Originally Posted by michelle08 I do have an active mind...I need quit thinking of worse case scenarios...okay so if I go with the oot bags then I will just divide the stuff up...Knowing me, I will have stuff in such random places I will forget about it!

I'm worried about that too! I'm going to have to make a list (am I Type A or what?) of what I put where and in who's suitcase...that way when we get to Cabo, I'll remember that FI has all of the koozies and mom has the Miss Manicures! I'm going to go nuts!

[bre]

I like the idea of a bottle of tequila. While I think the gesture of these elaborate OOT bags is very kind and generous, when I put myself in my guests position, I'll have already brought all of my toiletries/sunscreen/etc. Plus, at an AI we have room service and a stocked mini-bar- way better than trail mix! And it's hard enough to zip my bags at the end of a trip without all kinds of things I didn't expect.

 

While the charges to deliver to rooms are also a consideration. It is standard practice. Think of how long it would take them to deliver or how many they could possibly have at the front desk, some resorts have 4+ weddings a day!

 

Right now we are planning on a letter with the schedule to be sent 2 weeks before, plus I'll bring extra copies to hand out on-site and a really nice favor at the wedding. Rather than a collection of less expensive (though thoughtful) items, I would personally prefer something a little nicer. But that's just me.