welcome bags vs. wedding favors or both

[goofysgirl76]

Ok so I was wondering welcome bags or wedding favors what one did you do or did you do both? I have seen some of the amazing welcome bags on here and was just curious I am in the process of starting the Disney wedding planning (well I guess actually vow renewal since DH and I eloped but after reading on here I really want a Disney wedding and wish I would have had the big wedding) sorry went off a bit so anyways any input would help what is the norm now?

 

[ElleBren]

I am doing both welcome bags and favors. I am making my welcome bags/boxes very cheap and not adding anything that could really be kept as a favor. You might be able to get away with doing welcome bags that have some sort of keepsake in it and not have actual favors at the party. However then you run into the problem of not having everyone staying at a hotel. If they all are then great.

So in a nut shell we are having both.

 

[hmgolden]

Lots of girls do both.

We actually did neither. We had the best intentions of doing welcome bags, but for a whole bunch of reasons (lots of family drama mostly), that just never happened. Instead of favors, we opted to put the money towards upgrading the food at our illuminations dessert party. It was probably a breach of etiquette, but for our guests, it was the perfect solution.

I would suggest doing what works for you and your guests and don't stress about what other brides are doing.

 

[jessesgirl-080708]

I agree with hmgolden...
Do whats best for you and your guest.

I am doing both welcome bags and favors.. But both are going to be very simple. I found tons of favor boxes at the dollar tree.. and they are actually cute! I filled them with candy that we labeled ourselves, and tied a slipper to the outside of the box. Each guest will recieve one of these.

I haven't started the welcome bags yet... But those will also be simple. There is a Disney outlet not to far from here, and I found some really cute stuff for cheap. We are basically using a lot of DIY stuff, so it hasn't cost us a ton. I only have 40 people at my wedding though.. if we had more we would reconsider all this!!

Good Luck!

 

[DecemberBride]

We're doing a Welcome Folder and a bottle of champagne and some chocolates for our guests when they check in. We don't have any children, all adults and mostly couples, so it works out well...

Then we're doing engraved Christmas ornaments as the favors at our reception...

 

[lurkyloo]

I wasn't going to do either until I hit on the idea of giving personalized Mouse Ears as favors (mainly so I could see my Disney-hating guests wearing them ). It seems like most people don't keep wedding favors anyway, so perhaps the items in a welcome bag would be more useful.

Then again, we skipped welcome bags b/c we'd heard many people don't use what's in them or appreciate all the time and effort put into them. Plus we didn't want to spend several hours dropping them off at everyone's resort only to find that the resort hadn't given them out to our guests like they were supposed to. (One way to avoid that would be to distribute them at a welcome party).

As others have said, it is entirely up to you - no one expects to get a favor or a welcome bag at a wedding. If you have the time and you like to do them, then they will be a lovely surprise for your guests. But don't feel obligated just because other people do them.

 

[PixyDusted]

I would do what works for you.

We're doing welcome bags for our DCL wedding and considering the bag our favor. I don't think any of our guests will think it wasn't the favor and be surprised when they don't receive something at the "reception". (I hope that makes sense!)

 

[DecemberBride]

I wasn't going to do either until I hit on the idea of giving personalized Mouse Ears as favors (mainly so I could see my Disney-hating guests wearing them ). It seems like most people don't keep wedding favors anyway, so perhaps the items in a welcome bag would be more useful.

That's totally why I brainstormed until I think I found something that they will keep. I hope the ornaments will be used by my guests on their tree... People always use ornaments, right? Everyone just agree with me to make me feel better.... JK!

 

[goofysgirl76]

Thank you so much everyone I really wanted to do the welcome bags and the favor but I was having a hard time figuring out what to do as a favor and I didn't know if it would be overkill! I love the ornament idea, any other ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Disneyaddict1973]

I am doing both...I purchased inexpensive tote bags ($1) hand sanitizer, sunblock, gum, small bottles of aloe gel (we all seem to sunburn and nobody ever learns) advil, rain ponchos, and other things that I always seem to need but forget to bring. Also, the all important park maps, and info. I have 15 ppl.going so I have done one bag per couple/family and I spent about $10..00 on each. They really weren't that expensive. I highly suggest, Dollar tree or a similar store. For "favor bags" I am doing a paper/gift bag that is shaped like a castle. Inside is a cd of our wedding songs and songs from the park that I got online. Also a few pins for trading (50% off now at the disney store)!! a medium sized "palm fan" with bows (getting married in August..HOT) and a personal item for each guest. These range from tshirts to Sterling Mickey head earrings for my MOH. We are also writing a personal thank you for coming note to each guest. Everyone seems to tweak their bags to their guests needs. Good luck and happy planning!!!!!

 

[daveyc150]

We're coming from the UK so it's difficult to transport welcome bags so we are preparing gift buckets to give to our guests a month or so before the wedding. That way they can choose if they want to bring anything with them but also do some planning with all of the park maps etc. We will probabaly also have some small favours at the wedding too, I really want M&M's with our names on!!!!!!

 

[inkedupmomma]

That's totally why I brainstormed until I think I found something that they will keep. I hope the ornaments will be used by my guests on their tree... People always use ornaments, right? Everyone just agree with me to make me feel better.... JK!

I LOVE the ide aof the ornaments..mainly b/c when we go to wdw i spend soo much money on xmas ornaments.. my only prob is, idk who would use them.. everyone i know seems to be int the very classy xmas trees with white lights and very classy ornaments.. barf

great idea though seriosuly!

and lurky, i sooo wanna steal your mickey mouse ears favor but they are expensive as *$#@

 

[DecemberBride]

I LOVE the ide aof the ornaments..mainly b/c when we go to wdw i spend soo much money on xmas ornaments.. my only prob is, idk who would use them.. everyone i know seems to be int the very classy xmas trees with white lights and very classy ornaments.. barf

great idea though seriosuly!

and lurky, i sooo wanna steal your mickey mouse ears favor but they are expensive as *$#@

If I was having a Wishes wedding I wouldn't do ornaments because I don't know what everyone does for their trees... but I'm having an Escape and I'm close to all people and I know that all their trees are mixes of ornaments from childhood, kid made ornaments, and a bunch of mix and match... I get what you're saying though and it's a good point. If you know people won't use it, don't get it.

 

[inkedupmomma]

If I was having a Wishes wedding I wouldn't do ornaments because I don't know what everyone does for their trees... but I'm having an Escape and I'm close to all people and I know that all their trees are mixes of ornaments from childhood, kid made ornaments, and a bunch of mix and match... I get what you're saying though and it's a good point. If you know people won't use it, don't get it.

Oh i am planning on a wishes wedding, but in all honesty i think only 23 will show up if that actually its not really funny but lol anyways but the people coming are mostly lame fam members that wouldnt use ornaments tehy are no fun!

I would love an ornmanet for a favor.. i love things that can be used and used and used and used.. better then candy thats gonna cost almost as much and last a couple bites

 

[DecemberBride]

I would love an ornmanet for a favor.. i love things that can be used and used and used and used.. better then candy thats gonna cost almost as much and last a couple bites

That was my exact thought process... but boy do I love candy!

 

[lilonstitch12008]

I didn't do "welcome bags," but my favors were each $4, which isn't much in the scheme of things, but it adds up. I thought about doing welcome bags, but I couldn't do everyone, and it was hard to choose who was going to be getting one. Also, to carry all that stuff from boston was difficult to even think about. And trying to decide what was going to be in the bag and adding it all up... scary. I got married in Jan and it was 50 on my wedding day. i should have brought everyone leg warmers and parkas!

 

[Mama of Indybride]

My daughter Val is planning on doing the rice crispy Mickey Heads as her table favors, and then we are doing lots of fun things for her welcome bags.

I don't know if anybody will ever measure up to Vanessa's, but we are very excited about them, and always looking for fun things to incorporate.

But that is just us, we are a bit wedding / disney crazed. I think we will be the most excited, and I think we will have to make a couple of extras just for our own selfs!!

 

[IndyBride]

As my mom said we are doing both. But we are also tyring to plan a welcome party to give them away at. Definantly not going to all the different hotels. And we have a smaller wedding party. Plus, I'm very excited to do them. If you aren't excited to do them don't do them.

 

[padisneyfour]

I am planning on doing both, but we are only having pretty much immediate family which is approx. 7 bags. I am doing one bag per family with mostly info(park info), and small items i.e. disney pens from the dollar store, and bear Necessities packet etc but did purchase disney lanyards with two pins on them from disney shopping for $4.99 to put in the welcome bags. For favors I am doing the lenox mickey/minnie ears
personalized, that I have gotten numerous places.

 

[starann]

Butting in here (I just celebrated my 3rd Wedding Annv)....about favors


We used personalized shot glasses filled with kisses....small but useful.
IF we were ever to do it again (I am not past a vow renewal at 10 year in WDW, cause the 1st time around I didn't get all the bells and whistles I wanted) I would consider scratch off Lotto tickets......with a little note some thing like

"We were lucky in love.....hope your lucky tonight", and fix a shiny new penny to the scratch off. If they win, GREAT, if not, they are not stuck with something they have to dust until their next yard sale.

OR

Make a donation to a charity of your choice with a place card at everyones seat stating in place of a favor a donation was made in your name to the "Charity".


Happy planning ladies!