May 18, 2008

Gift bags for out-of-town wedding guests have local favorBy Chanda Temple GusterAL.com

Brides and their families who are too overwhelmed with wedding planning to even focus on making up those cute welcome bags left for guests at the host hotel, have a friend in Jane Van Eaton.

Van Eaton creates “hospitality” or “welcome” bags full of snacks, cookies, chips, bottled water, maps and wedding event itineraries for out-of-town wedding guests through her company, Bags by Janie Girl. Bags are customized to the bride’s specifications, including color and size, and items for the bags. Prices vary based on what’s ordered.

“The purpose is to take stress off of the bride and her mother,” said Van Eaton of Crestline, adding that food in the bags help guests ease that slight hunger or thirst after a long trip.

Van Eaton said she saw a need for such a bridal service after several friends had turned to her for years, asking her to help them create pretty welcome bags for their daughter’s wedding hotel guests.

She does special events and wraps gifts at Jonathan Benton Booksellers, and started Bags by Janie Girl in 2007. She also delivers the bags to hotels and works with staff to get the bags delivered to rooms before guests arrive. She said the items in each bag are usually enough for two people.

Anja Winikka, one of the editors at theknot.com, said welcome bags became popular at destination weddings because they were a way to help guests get adjusted to new surroundings. But the bags have become even more popular in the States as more brides have turned their focus on making out-of-town guests comfortable over the weekend, she said.

“This is a great way to get everyone off on the right foot and get them in tuned to the area, especially if it’s (a city) the couple has moved to and it’s not their hometown,” Winikka said.

Van Eaton said she likes to use products from Birmingham-area businesses like Royal Cup Coffee, Bud’s Best Cookies and The Daily Cup coffee shop. She also likes to include local magazines.

“A lot of the brides want local businesses to show the flavor of Birmingham,” she said. “If the groom is from out of town, the bride often requests something from his home state … to make guests feel extra special.”

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