Virginia Destination Wedding Guest Welcome Bag Ideas

While at the Virginia Association of Bridal Consultants State Meeting the other week, we had the opportunity to hear from the amazingly talented Candice Benson, director of the New Jersey chapter of the Association of Bridal Consultants.  Candice discussed destination weddings and how it's possible to have a destination wedding right in your hometown.  While it may not be a destination wedding to you, to your guests, traveling to your wedding could absolutely be a destination wedding, so why not treat them with local goodies from your hometown.

A Splash of Elegance is based out of Reston, Virginia and serves brides all over the metropolitan D.C. area.  We wanted to share some fun ideas for a Virginia or Washington, D.C. themed guest welcome bag.

1. Route 11 Potato Chips: Route 11 Potato Chips are made on, you guessed it Route 11 in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
2. Virginia Wine: With close to 200 Vineyards and Wineries in Virginia, many of which are right here in Northern Virginia, why not treat your guests to a bottle of Virginia wine?
3. Virginia Peanuts: Did you know Virginia was there first place peanuts were grown in the United States?  Of course, you might want to skip these if you know of any peanut allergies.
4. Honest Tea: Honest Tea was created and operated just down the road in Bethesda, Maryland.
5. Yankee Candle Cherry Blossom Scented Candle: Thousands of Tourists flock to D.C. every spring to get a glimpse of the famous Cherry Blossoms, why not send your guests home with a jar of the fragrant Cherry Blossoms?
6. Patsy Cline CD:  Patsy Cline was born and raised in Winchester, Virginia.  Your guests will enjoy listening to a few of her classics like "Crazy" while getting ready for your wedding.
7. Old Bay Seasoning:  If you've lived in the DC area for any amount of time, you've no doubt tried Old Bay Seasoning.  Include it in your bag so your guests can bring home a little bit of the Chesapeake Bay with them.
8. And why not bundle it all up in a State-By-State Tote Bag?

And or course, it's always a good idea to include:

• A local map
• A list of restaurants and places to visit
• Bottled water so guests don't have to use the expensive hotel bottled water
• Directions to the ceremony and reception
• Any pertinent information, such as: if local events are going on that will affect traffic, a warning to leave early, and transportation information (if shuttle service is available).  

Happy Planning!

Julie Daniel, Splash Consultant