Creative Guest Baskets for Weddings
"Guest baskets have become an integral part of Indian weddings. Whether you are hosting out-station guests in a guest-house, having a resort wedding or organizing a five star hotel wedding – there is a basket idea for each style and price range.
There are 2 steps to making a great guest basket – the items included and the presentation. I wish people wouldn’t just throw in all their items into a cane basket, instead think a little more about the theme and presentation. In weddings planned by professional wedding companies this is usually taken care of, but if you are going the DIY route following are 3 guest basket options with personalized touches."
Estimated CostUnder $10
Time to CompleteIn an evening
Primary TechniquePaper Crafts
SeasonSpring
Project TypeParty Favors
Materials List
- A5 size itinerary print
- 2 bottles of 500ml water
- 1 quilted Kantha scarf
- 1 threaded box
- 2 bhand (clay cups) of mishti doi (sweet curd special to the Bengal region)
Instructions
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The idea behind the regional basket is to give the guests a feel of the city they are in. I have used a higher price point assuming your guests are staying at a luxurious hotel with amenities like snacks and basic toiletries included. Even if not included in the room price, you can easily reduce the budget for the giveaways and include more food and toiletry items in the basket.
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Being from West Bengal I have included a quilted Kantha scarf (Rs.135), a threaded box (Rs.185) and two bhand (clay cups) of mishti doi (sweet curd special to the Bengal region). The scarf can be used by the women and the box by the men. In-case of bulk order you can get the colors and designs customized too. The giveaway products are not limited to these items, for example a Rajasthan wedding can include pair of Jodhpuri slippers for both men and women or a Punjab wedding can include Phulkari pocket squares for the men and light embroidered Phulkari scarves for women.
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Add a regional food item to this basket mix. You can ask the sweet shop to customize the packaging in colors of your choice and if needed provided him with the materials too. I used 12 cm x 12 cm paper and a contrast twist tie roll for the mishti doi bhands.
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The appearance is important and to make the box and scarf fit into the cane basket, I rolled the scarf to form a floral like wrap inside the box. If needed you could cover this with cellophane paper and also add a thank you note. This is my personal favorite basket idea!
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You could support charities by purchasing the giveaways from NGOs, all the giveaways (key-ring, scarf and box) are from an NGO based in Kolkata.