I was recently meeting with a mom of the bride who was given the fabulous duty of putting the guests welcome bags together. This can be a daunting task. What should go in these bags? Who gets these welcome bags and how in the h-e double hockey sticks, do you get the bags to the guests? Don’t worry, these are questions that every mother of the bride and bride asks themselves.

These answers are simple! Anyone who is from out of town and staying at a local hotel should receive these bags. However, there is one exception. If a few folks are staying at a different hotel than where you have provided a room block, it’s okay (i repeat….it’s okay) to exclude them.  One bag per couple is best, but make sure you double up on the items within the bag (we will get to this part in just a bit). If you know ahead of time that multiple couples will be staying in the same hotel room, be sure to notate on the room block that the particular room should receive more than one bag. You can do this by contacting your hotel prior to your wedding week. Ask them for a copy of your room block and review the names of the guests who have booked. Make notes and inform the hotel of the number of bags, each room should receive.

Now to the goodies! What are the WIlliamsburg, VA must haves that should be in these welcome bags?

1,. Water bottles are a must! There is nothing like coming back to a hotel room, being extremely thirsty and reaching for that bottle of water to see that fun little tag that says $5 if you consume this. Throwing in a couple of water bottles is cost efficient and your guests will be thanking you. You can do something as simple as a water bottle from the store, or you can kick it up a notch. We personally like these from Oriental Trading (5o pieces for $19.99).

2. Whitley’s Peanuts. You cannot come to WIlliamsburg without going to Whitley’s Peanuts. These delectable peanuts are delicious and if you are a Williamsburg native, you know that it’s the only place to purchase your peanuts. You can buy 1 oz. bags or 3 oz. bags by the case here.

3, Route 11 Chips. For those of you familiar with the local, Cheese Shop (disclaimer: your life will never be the same once you eat here), they serve these yummy chips along with their sandwiches. Greasy chips after an evening of “fun” is the best thing for the stomach. You can build your own (12) bag, 2 oz. case with up to 5 chip flavors here.

4, Chocolate from Whythe Candy. As a local, we grew up on candy from the Whythe Candy Store. There isn’t much that this candy store doesn’t have. We suggest getting anything with chocolate. This is the sweet to the salty (route 11 chips). The combination of chocolate and chips are unlike any other. Again, your guests will be elated!

5. Something Homemade. We all love homemade treats. If you do not have time to make cookies or brownies, buy them from a local store. We suggest getting whoopie pies or walnut mousse bars at Extraordinary Cupcakes. They also have mini cupcakes for just a $1.50 and truffles!

Your guests will feel special and will praise you for being so thoughtful! Feel free to also include items more personal to you as a couple. Remember, if you are providing transportation, a transportation information card is also a great item to put into the welcome bag in addition to a copy of your wedding invitation!