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There are lots of ways to make your destination’s wedding exciting for your guests from beginning to end:
- A memorable welcome party
- A stunning venue
- A lively well planned reception
And one tried and true way to get their trip started off on the right foot is a welcome bag!
But what should you put in your guests’ welcome bags when coming to Vegas for a wedding? If you want to make it ultra useful and Vegasy there are certainly some must-haves. We’ve collected all the best things to add from suggestions around the web, categorized them to make it easy for you and chose products that ooze Vegas.
Treats
While Vegas has an unbelievable restaurant scene occupied by celebrity chefs, over the top menus, and all-you-can-eat buffets, not every stomach rumble can be satiated with a $255 tomahawk steak at The Golden Steer or a huge plate of sage fried chicken and waffles from Hash House a Go Go.
Toss in some of these items for your guests and they’ll be able to nosh as needed in between splurges.
Chocolate Candies
Ethel M Chocolates was started in Southern Nevada in 1978. For more than 40 years, they have been making sweets in their Henderson factory. With several retail locations throughout Las Vegas, you can pick some up when you get to town. You can also order them online and have them delivered if that makes it easier for you to add these local treats to your guests’ welcome bags.
Granola
For a healthy snack option, get your guests bags of Viva Las Vegan granola. We love the name of this agave-flavored option! It’s made by White Rock Granola, a Texas company, but the southwest style sweetener and the name make it a great treat to add to your guests’ welcome bags when coming to Las Vegas for a wedding.
Chips
Hey, have you heard the one about the potato chip delivery truck driver that stole $700 from his company and then made up a viral cover story about being robbed by two men who thought his truck was filled with poker chips from the Vegas casinos? The tall tale originated from a potato chip company that makes flavorful kettle chips which can still be found for sale online. Order some for your guests’ welcome bags. The brand is called Vegas Chips.
Alcohol
For many, alcohol is synonymous with a Las Vegas trip. While you could go the mini bottles route and give everyone a shot-sized nip from one of the corporate mega brands, why not put a local beer in your guests’ gift bags instead? The craft beer scene is alive and well in Sin City, and many of the local breweries sell their products in stores around town. You could pick up a couple cases worth and split them up into your gift bags. Keep an eye out for some of our faves:
Atomic Duck IPA — Able Baker Brewing Company
Hop Ride IPA — Tenaya Creek Brewery
Silver State American Blonde — Crafthaus Brewery
Las Vegas Craft Lager — Big Dog’s Brewing Company
Vegas Essentials
A Vegas vacation is like any other — with the dial turned up to 11. All the essentials you would need on a trip to Austin, Boston or Stockton apply to Sin City but on a grander scale.
Hand Sanitizer
Slot machine buttons and casino chips are certainly high-touch surfaces. (Roulette chips are the dirtiest!) Most casinos offer single use wet wipes and hand sanitizer stations around the property, but you can never be too cautious if you’re wary about germs. Provide a mini-sanitizer bottle in your gift bags to stop the spread of germs.
Aspirin
This one’s a no-brainer, good for whatever aches and pains your guests might encounter. You want everyone attending your destination wedding to feel good and be at their best.
Band-Aids, Eye-drops, Emergen-C and Lip Balm
Each of these little survival items can come in handy. Not everyone will need one or all of these items on every trip, but it’s the thought that counts. And if you provide it and someone does end up needing it, it’s likely that someone in your party will have stuffed it in their pockets or purse and can share with the less prepared in the crew.
Water
Last but certainly not least, visitors to Vegas can never have too much water. This is a desert after all, and it’s always important to stay hydrated.
Souvenirs
Your guests may not have time to do their own souvenir shopping while running around town for all your ultra Vegasy wedding activities. Giving them a memento is a nice way to say thank you and to help them remember all the good times. Staying on the Vegas theme, here are a few of our favorite souvenirs.
Deck of Cards
Gift shops in the hotels almost always have casino-played decks of cards for sale. Vegas goes through a lot of cards; a new deck is in play on the floor for only eight hours. The durable paper cards still have a lot of life in them after they get taken out of play. They’re great for home games and each casino has a different design on the backs of their cards, making for a fun Vegas souvenir.
Dice
Craps dice are also swapped out on a regular basis. Many of your boardgames back home have small white dice. In Vegas, the standard is 19mm red transparent plastic with white drilled and filled pips. They are heftier and more precise than other dice, and while they ‘re bigger than your normal dice back home, they’re still small enough to put in a pocket and won’t take up much space in your guests’ welcome gift bags or luggage heading home after coming to Vegas for a wedding.
Casino Chips
Casino chips can be had simply by walking up to an empty table and buying them from the dealer for face value. Go for the one dollar denominations. Each casino has their own chips with unique designs. Special edition chips are sometimes put into circulation to celebrate and recognize special occasions, holidays or property anniversaries. Casino chips can be taken home as a keepsake or act as a donation to your guests’ gambling fund if they choose to play with them.
Sunglasses
Serious rays abound in the desert. Not everyone travels with a pair of shades, so this can be a good thing to put in your guests welcome bags when coming to Vegas for a wedding. Plus, matching sunnies look cool in photographs of you and your group.
Activities
If you’ve built downtime into your wedding trip schedule, your guests may appreciate ideas, tips or helpful guides on how to fill it. Copy and paste the ideas below to make printouts of our list of things to do in Vegas and they’ll be all set!
Comedy Show
Some of the best comedians in the business have residencies on the Strip, and there’s always a household name on stage and plenty of up-and-comers behind the mic. There are also a number of hilarious shows to choose from that bring more to the stage than just a stand-up routine. Our favorites include Zombie Burlesque, Absinthe, and the Nathan Burton comedy magic show.
Sunset Park Pond
Sunset Park Pond is the perfect setting for just getting outside, spending quality time together and enjoying an inexpensive but high-quality daytime activity. The 324-acre community park is ideal for guests looking for a playground, tennis courts, pickleball courts, basketball hoops, disc golfing or even fishing.
Karaoke
Some of our favorite spots include Fremont Street’s the Cat’s Meow (with floor to ceiling cheetah print and neon), the more low-key Aloha Kitchen at Decatur and Sahara, and a true dive bar Dino’s on the north end of the Strip.
Hiking
Red Rock Canyon is the most popular hiking place in Las Vegas. There are lots of picturesque hiking trails tailored for your taste, no matter the season. Several trails near the visitor center are easily accessible near the entrance to the park. Calico Hills and Calico Tanks are both great. And if you want to avoid crowds, Calico Basin, outside of the entrance fee portion of the conservation area, is a relatively hidden gem.
Vegas Off Road Racing
This local company allows you to drive through a 1-mile off-road professional race track in your choice of Truck, Dune Buggy, Razor or Rally Car. Combine the experience with a helicopter or shooting range session for the ultimate heart pounding action.
Hoover Dam
The largest sight in town, other than the entirety of The Strip itself, is Hoover Dam. This engineering marvel is 171 feet taller than the Washington Monument! To get a good look of the whole dam thing, take a walk across the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge.
Madame Tussauds
If you like spotting celebrities, make a visit to see more than 100 life-like wax figures of Hollywood icons, music stars, historical figures, sports legends and even Marvel Superheroes. The exhibits are highly interactive, so you’ll be rocking on stage with Elvis or starring in a music video alongside Drake. There’s no official word on if the experience lets you start a beef with another rapper.
The Aquarium at Silverton
Frequently selected as the best free attraction in town, this 117,000-gallon aquarium houses dozens of beautiful tropical fish. Conveniently, there’s a bar directly adjacent to it, so you can enjoy a few tropical cocktails while imagining you’re swimming beneath the sea with these graceful creatures.
Emerald Cave Kayak Tour
Experience the serenity of a picturesque natural attraction on the Colorado River. Go on a guided small group tour in the Black Canyon.
Get Packing
If your guests could use even more great ideas for things to see and do, direct them to our blog, Exploring Vegas After Your Wedding: What to Do and See. It’s full of great insider Vegas ideas.
Once you’ve got your guests’ welcome bags squared away, you may want to further personalize your special day with some of our great ceremony add ons. Our Behind the Scenes content service and the Downtown Las Vegas Photo Walking Tour are two of our most popular.
Of course, not everyone is super on top of all their wedding plans — if you’ve still got some big decisions to make, I’d love to help. Reach out below so that we can get started on making your wishes a reality!
McKenzi Taylor is America’s go-to elopement and micro wedding expert, often featured in small and major media outlets, such as the New York Times. With over 15 years of wedding photography experience, it was after planning her own Las Vegas elopement in 2016 that McKenzi felt her purpose shift into elopement coordination. She started Cactus Collective Weddings soon after in 2017. Since then, she’s become a WIPA board member, and has helped well over 1000 couples get hitched in style around Las Vegas, San Diego and Black Hills.
