Destination Wedding Welcome Bag Letters: 12 Templates by Location

The welcome bag letter is the first physical thing your guests touch after a long travel day. They have just dropped their bags, kicked off their shoes, and they are reading whatever is sitting on the bed.

Most welcome letters miss this moment. They are generic. They say things like "We are so glad you are here in this beautiful country!" without telling guests anything specific about the country they are in. They feel like a wedding-website FAQ that someone printed and folded into a bag.

A good welcome letter has a different job. It tells your guest, in 150 to 250 words, what they actually need to know about this destination -- the local greeting, the dress code for tonight, the one thing not to miss, the one thing to watch out for. It sounds like the destination it is in. And it ends with a number they can text if anything goes sideways.

Below are 12 welcome letter templates, each written for a specific destination. Copy them, adapt them, and feel free to send the same content as an SMS that arrives the moment your guest checks in. Our destination wedding weekend itinerary covers the broader 4-day message plan these letters fit inside.

What a Good Welcome Letter Does

Five things, in this order:

1. A specific local greeting. Not "Welcome!" -- Aloha, Bienvenue, Bienvenidos. Set the place in the first word.
2. A line that names what is in the bag. Sunscreen, water, snacks, a hangover kit. Your guests will not dig if they do not know what to look for.
3. Tonight's plan. Time, location, dress code, how to get there. One sentence each.
4. The one local thing to know. A specific phrase, a tipping note, a transportation quirk, a sunscreen rule. One thing, not ten.
5. A number to text. Yours, the planner's, or a dedicated wedding line. Always include it.

The letters below follow that pattern. Keep them short. The bag is the moment, not the brief.

12 Welcome Letter Templates by Destination

1. Tulum, Mexico

Bienvenidos to Tulum.

Inside this bag: reef-safe sunscreen, mosquito repellent, electrolyte packets, a bottle of water, and a small bag of Mexican chocolate from a local shop in town.

Tonight: welcome dinner at 7 PM at the beach palapa -- walk past the main pool and follow the torches to the right. Dress is "tropical casual," meaning linen, dresses, sandals. The sand is fine to walk on barefoot.

One thing to know: the cenotes around here are sacred and the ecosystems are fragile. If you swim tomorrow, rinse off any non-reef-safe sunscreen before you get in the water.

If anything comes up, text us at +52 998 555 0144. We are so glad you are here.

2. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Welcome to Cabo.

In the bag: sunscreen (the sun here is stronger than it looks), a bottle of water, hangover packets, and a pair of flip flops for the beach.

Tonight: tacos and margaritas on the rooftop at 7 PM -- elevator to floor 6, follow the music. Dress is "resort casual" with a sweater for later, the wind picks up after sunset.

One thing to know: tap water is not for drinking. Bottled water is in the minibar (no charge for any of it -- it is on us).

Anything you need, text us at +1 555 014 9921. Welcome to the desert by the sea.

3. Maui, Hawaii

Aloha and welcome to Maui.

In the bag: reef-safe sunscreen (required by Hawaii law in the water), a reusable water bottle, locally-made banana bread, and Kona coffee for the morning.

Tonight: welcome luau at 6:30 PM at the resort lawn -- look for the tiki torches. Dress is "island formal," which means floral but tasteful. No shoes required.

One thing to know: please respect any place marked sacred (heiau) -- do not climb on them, take from them, or step inside the stone walls. The land here is alive in a way that matters to a lot of people.

Need us? Text +1 555 222 8087. Aloha, truly.

4. Tuscany, Italy

Benvenuti in Toscana.

Inside: a small bottle of olive oil from the local frantoio, biscotti from a bakery in town, sparkling water, and a packet of Italian cold-and-flu remedies because the hills get cool at night.

Tonight: dinner under the lemon trees at 8 PM (yes, 8 -- this is Italy). Dress is "garden party," which here means linen and lace, not floral prints.

One thing to know: tipping is not customary. A small coperto is usually included on the bill. Service is paid, not tipped.

If anything comes up, text +39 333 555 0144. Vi vogliamo bene.

5. Amalfi Coast, Italy

Benvenuti sulla Costiera.

In the bag: limoncello in a small bottle (sip slowly), motion-sickness wristbands for the boats and the coastal road, sparkling water, and a hand-painted ceramic from a local studio.

Tonight: dinner at the cliffside terrace at 8 PM -- the funicular runs every 15 minutes, last one down is at 11:30. Dress is "European elegant," meaning a real shoe and a real shirt.

One thing to know: the coastal road has more curves than you expect. If you are prone to motion sickness, sit on the inside of the bus, not the cliff side.

Text us at +39 335 999 8721 if you need anything at all. Welcome to the Amalfi.

6. Santorini, Greece

Kalos irthate sti Santorini.

In the bag: a bottle of Assyrtiko wine from a local winery, water, salted almonds, and a small ceramic donkey because there is no escaping them here.

Tonight: rooftop dinner at sunset (drinks start 7 PM, dinner 8) in Oia. Wear something white. You will thank us for the photos.

One thing to know: the donkeys are not for tourist rides. Walk the steps or take the cable car. The animals here deserve better than the Instagram economy.

Need anything, text us at +30 698 555 1144. Yamas.

7. Bora Bora, French Polynesia

Ia ora na -- welcome to Bora Bora.

Inside this bag: reef-safe sunscreen, a snorkel mask of your own (yours to keep), a small bottle of monoi oil, sparkling water, and a hand-woven palm fan because the breeze comes and goes.

Tonight: dinner at the over-water deck at 7 PM. Walk along the boardwalk past bungalows 4 through 12. Dress is "Polynesian formal" -- a real shirt, sandals, a flower behind one ear.

One thing to know: a flower behind your right ear means single. Left ear means taken. Get this wrong and you will hear about it.

Text +689 87 22 14 31. Mauruuru roa -- thank you for coming this far.

8. Exuma, Bahamas

Welcome to the Bahamas.

In the bag: reef-safe sunscreen, a Goombay Smash mini-bottle (rum punch, ration accordingly), bottled water, and a small bag of locally-made guava jam.

Tonight: bonfire on the beach at 7 PM, dress is "barefoot casual." Bring a sweater, the trade wind picks up after dark.

One thing to know: the pigs at Pig Beach are wild and territorial. Do not bring food. Do not get between a piglet and its mother. They are charming from a few feet away.

Text +1 242 555 8821 if you need us. So glad you crossed water for this.

9. Negril, Jamaica

Welcome to Negril.

In the bag: sunscreen, bug spray, a packet of Blue Mountain coffee, bottled water, and a hand-painted wooden bottle opener.

Tonight: welcome dinner at 7 PM at the cliff-side restaurant -- the resort van runs every 20 minutes from the lobby. Dress is "island casual," and a sweater for the breeze.

One thing to know: take your time everywhere. "Soon come" means soon, eventually, in the spirit of soon. It is not a tracking number. Lean into it.

Text +1 876 555 9013. Walk good.

10. Lake Como, Italy

Benvenuti sul Lago.

In the bag: a small bottle of olive oil from the lakeside town, sparkling water, biscotti, and a tin of the locally-made hard candies -- the kind every nonna keeps in her purse.

Tonight: dinner at the villa terrace at 8 PM. Boat shuttle from the dock at 7:30 sharp. Dress is "lake elegant," meaning a jacket for the men, a real shoe for everyone.

One thing to know: ferry schedules look continuous on the map but slow down significantly after 8 PM. Plan return travel before sunset, or budget for a private water taxi.

Text us at +39 348 555 4422. Benvenuti.

11. Provence, France

Bienvenue en Provence.

Inside: a sachet of dried lavender from the field down the road, a small bottle of rose, sparkling water, and a tin of pate de fruits in apricot.

Tonight: dinner in the courtyard of the mas at 7:30 PM. Dress is "French country," which here means linen and structure, not lace and flowers. A jacket for the gentlemen.

One thing to know: a real boulangerie sells out by 11 AM. If you want a croissant tomorrow, get to the village by 9.

Text +33 6 12 34 56 78 if you need us. Profitez bien.

12. Aspen, Colorado

Welcome to Aspen.

In the bag: SPF 50 (the altitude burns faster than you think), a Camelback-style water bottle, electrolyte mix, locally-roasted coffee, and a hand-knitted beanie for the evenings.

Tonight: welcome reception at 6 PM at the lodge -- look for the antlers above the doorway. Dress is "mountain elevated," which means a sweater that costs more than it should and a real boot.

One thing to know: drink twice as much water as you think you need. Altitude sickness sneaks up on day two, not day one.

Text +1 970 555 4499 for anything. So glad you came up the mountain.

How to Use These Templates

Three small adjustments make them work as your own:

1. Replace the phone number with yours, your planner's, or a dedicated wedding line.
2. Swap the specific items in the bag for what you are actually including. The point is to name what is in the bag so guests do not miss it.
3. Adapt the "one thing to know" to whatever is most distinctive about your wedding's specific setting -- a road, a weather pattern, a local custom, a quirk of the resort.

Avoid the temptation to combine all these patterns into one massive letter. The reason these work is that they are short, scannable, and respect the moment -- a tired guest who just dropped their bags. Two paragraphs, three pieces of information, a number to text.

Welcome Letter as SMS

The same content also works as a text message that lands the moment your guest checks in. Many couples now send both: the printed letter for the keepsake, and the SMS for the convenience. The SMS has one practical advantage -- if you need to update anything (weather, time change, location swap), you can update it in real time instead of reprinting and re-delivering 80 bags.

If you build the SMS version, our wedding text message templates collection has more starting points for the messages that come before and after the welcome.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a welcome bag letter be?

150 to 250 words. Two short paragraphs, a few practical lines, a phone number. Anything longer and your guest skims; anything shorter and it feels generic.

Should I write a different letter for every destination if I am sending guests to multiple locations?

No -- one letter per arrival point. If your wedding spans a Tahiti island and a Mo'orea afterparty, write one welcome letter for arrival in Tahiti and a separate brief update for the move.

Do I have to print these?

The print version goes in the welcome bag and becomes a small keepsake. The SMS version is the practical one most guests will actually reference. Both are valuable; the print is sentimental, the SMS is operational.

What if my destination is not in this list?

The pattern is portable. Start with the local greeting, name what is in the bag, summarize tonight, share one specific local detail, and end with a phone number. The destination changes the content, not the structure.

Should I include the wedding timeline in the welcome letter?

No -- keep the welcome letter focused on tonight and the one local detail. Send the broader weekend timeline as a separate SMS the morning after arrival, when guests are rested enough to read it.

Can I write these in a second language for non-English-speaking guests?

Yes, and you should if you have a meaningful subset of guests in another language. The local-greeting line is half the impact; doing the entire letter in their primary language is the rest.

Welcome the Guest, Not the Country

The best welcome letters do not try to introduce the country. They introduce this part of the country, on this night, to this guest, in this bag. That is what guests actually need on the first night, and it is what they will remember.

Start your free setup and send the SMS version of your welcome letter automatically, the moment your guests check in -- no missed messages, no reprints, no rush.