Crafting the perfect welcome bag for a destination wedding is almost an art. You have to consider not only your guests’ individual needs and tastes, but also the theme of your wedding AND the look and feel of your destination. Your Welcome Bag is super important as it lets your guests know what to expect from your wedding. It also has to reflect the place you’re organising your wedding in and provide guests with a flavour of your chosen location.

That’s why we’re here to help! At Roatán Events, we’ve made hundred, if not thousands of bags during our seven years organising destination weddings. Read on for our top tips on crafting your own destination wedding welcome bag. 

Know the local arts and crafts

Every place has its own charms. That couldn’t be truer for the exotic places that are frequently the setting for destination weddings! In every place, you are likely to encounter a certain look and feel and the usage of particular materials. In beaches, you will likely find lots of linen, cotton, canvas, and straw. This can all be given a unique look using local materials like patterned fabrics woven by local communities, embroideries, hand painted designs, seashells, sea glass and even drift wood. A great idea is to look for local craftsmen and artists on Instagram for inspiration and just to become familiar with the local style. You can even think of commissioning your own designs for bags or goodies from local communities in order to support them. You can also shy away from having a bag and instead have a basket or a cute box ready for your guests. This way you can design something special to hold all the goodies and treats you have in mind for your guests.  

Think about the needs of your guests

Now that you have some ideas for the base of your bag, you can focus on the contents. What are some basics that your guests might need at your destination wedding location? If it’s a beach like Roatán, your guests will certainly find the following items useful:

• Mineral Water

• Sunscreen

• Bug Repellent

• Pills or local remedies to aid with hangovers

• Sunglasses

• Paper or Straw fan

We recommend including miniature versions of those self-care items (they’re cuter and more effective to pack nicely in a bag). Your guests will certainly will loved and cared for when they find what you have prepared for them.

Don’t forget to include treats!

What is a Welcome Bag without treats? Exotic locations are perfect to find treats that are delicious and far from average. Roatán’s cuisine is a fusion of Central American and Caribbean cuisines, therefore you can think of lots of tropical fruit, coconut, plantain, and nuts. We’re able to get a wide variety of snacks to suit several diets (vegan, gluten-free, vegetarian) that can be included in a welcome kit for your guests. For inspiration, you can always look to your wedding planner or by searching for local food blogs.

Get Personal with your gifts

The local arts and crafts scene at places like Roatán gives you the opportunity to customize your items in several ways. You can personalize lots of items with custom designs, adding your initials, matching the colours to your wedding theme or by stamping prints on them. You can also include handmade cards or tags with messages for your guests. This will make your welcome bag feel more personal. Always ask your wedding planner about ideas or getting your items customized, they will surely know who to talk to and even how to get a better price (hello, local’s discount!).

While fun, certainly, the above tips can take some work! Rest assured though, that’s why destination wedding planners like us exist. We can help you design and source the materials and goodies for your bags. You only need to tell your wedding planner and send us some photos or ideas of what you have in mind. We can also turn that around and we can send you ideas if you don’t know where to start.