What's Inside? In Other Countries, There's a 'Welcome Bag' Given to Guests as the First Offering! ♡

Do You Know About "Welcome Bags"?

Have you heard of the item "Welcome Bag" that appears in overseas weddings?

A Welcome Bag is a bag given to guests at the entrance of the wedding.

In Japan, guests take home a gift bag at the end of the reception, but it's a little different.

A Welcome Bag is "a bag filled with everything guests might need on the wedding day"♡

What’s Inside a Welcome Bag?

There aren’t really any specific rules about what to include in a Welcome Bag ♡

☑ Items for the wedding

☑ Hospitality goods

☑ Small gifts

And so on, it seems that couples can freely choose based on their preferences.

In this article, I will introduce items that overseas brides include in their Welcome Bags, as well as their designs in detail♡

Items to Include in Welcome Bags① Snacks and Drinks

The first item to include in the Welcome Bag is drinks and snacks for guests to enjoy while waiting for the ceremony.

While in Japan, drinks are typically served in glasses as welcome drinks, overseas they are packaged in Welcome Bags along with a straw ♩

Receiving a stylish drink and snacks in a small bag is sure to bring back feelings of excitement like being a kid again.

Items to Include in Welcome Bags② Paper Items

Paper items that guests will handle at the wedding are also neatly packed in the Welcome Bag.

☑ Seating chart

☑ Profile book

☑ Wedding timeline

These can all be compiled into one bag for convenience.

It might also be nice to include a personal letter for each guest instead of a place card message ♡

Instead of handing out the seating chart at the reception, you can simply give out the Welcome Bags ♩

Items to Include in Welcome Bags③ Items for Performances

Items used for the ceremony or reception can also be gathered in the Welcome Bag.

☑ Petals or confetti for shower performance

☑ Photo props for photography

These seem to be standard inclusions.

Additionally, include items needed for guest participation segments.

For example, if you’re doing a wedding Jenga performance, include Jenga blocks, and if you're doing a candle relay, include candles.

It raises anticipation for the upcoming wedding— "What will this be used for?”

Items to Include in Welcome Bags④ Small Gifts

The last item I want to introduce is small gifts.

While it's common in Japan to hand out small gifts during the farewell, overseas they are included in the Welcome Bags.

Additionally, special gifts tailored to the guest can be included, such as lip balm for bridesmaids and picture books for young guests.

It could also be nice to include matching items like sunglasses, bow ties, or wristlets that you want your guests to wear ◎

I've introduced some standard items to include in Welcome Bags.

Of course, you can add anything else freely.

Unique ideas could include things like putting in band-aids or motion sickness pills ♡—a message to take care not to have too much fun!

It seems you can create a fun time for guests even before the wedding starts.

What Designs Do Welcome Bags Have?

Welcome Bags are the first items you hand to guests arriving at the wedding. Once the contents are decided, the next step is to think about what bag to use.

Here are some stylish Welcome Bags you may want to replicate♡

Design of Welcome Bags①

The most common type is a simple tote bag made of cotton or canvas.

It's popular to print the wedding logo or a cute English phrase on it, stamping it with an original design ♡

Tying a ribbon and attaching a "Welcome" tag would make it perfect.

Design of Welcome Bags② Linen Bag

If you want a sturdier bag, linen bags are recommended. They have depth and are durable, so you can feel safe putting heavier items like drinks inside.

It’s perfect for a natural wedding or rustic wedding!

Design of Welcome Bags③ Paper Bags

Preparing fabric bags for everyone can be quite costly. Brides wanting to cut down on costs should consider using paper bags *

Craft paper bags are stylish enough as they are, and you can enhance their specialness with ribbons or tags.

Overseas brides seem to hire calligraphers to write on the paper bags.

Design of Welcome Bags④ Drawstring Bags

An idea is to use a larger drawstring bag as a Welcome Bag. Similar to cloth bags, original designs relating to yourselves or the theme of the wedding are popular.

A larger drawstring bag can be quite handy for travel, so guests would likely appreciate it!

I Want to Prepare Welcome Bags!

I’ve introduced the item "Welcome Bags" from overseas weddings.

It’s a dreamlike, exciting bag filled with everything necessary for the wedding day ♡

Since paper items and small gifts are typically prepared items, the additional items you need to prepare for the Welcome Bags are

☑ Bags

☑ Drinks and snacks

That’s about it. You can create original eco-bags for around 500 yen, so the costs may not be as high as expected.

Why not incorporate it as a stylish element for your wedding? It can enhance guests' excitement! ♡