It’s your wedding weekend, and you probably have guests coming into town to celebrate. A great way to greet them when they arrive is to have welcome bags ready in their hotel rooms – filled will all the essentials they will need for the weekend. Here are some ideas to help you.

The Container

There are several options you have to choose from to put your guests welcome items in.

Bag

Customizable bags are a great option. You can choose a reusable tote that can be utilized long after your wedding or simply have gift bags made.

We love these totes for your destination beach wedding!

We recommend if you choose a reusable tote, keep the design simple so that guests will want to use it later – i.e. use a creative symbol instead of an elaborate description of your wedding weekend.

Add the location of the wedding to personalize it.

Boxes & Baskets

A box or a basket is a great container to hold the items – and both are customizable!

What to Include

The possibilities are endless. From toiletries to cures for those hangovers to itineraries for the weekend to small souvenirs, your guests will be grateful for your thoughtfulness.

Itineraries

Make sure to include a list of activities and times so your guests know what the schedule will be for the weekend.

Add a note to thank your guests for sharing your special day with you.

Local Attractions

If there is downtime, make sure to include a list of local attractions your guests can visit.

Food and Water

Show your guests some love with snacks and water – they may need a midnight snack after dancing all night long at your wedding!

Let them enjoy some of your favorite things!

Alcohol

Nothing gets a party started like a few libations – include them for your guests to enjoy as they get ready for your day. (Don’t forget to add a mixer, a bottle opener or a corkscrew, if needed!)

Small Souvenir

Give your guests from out of town something to remember your wedding location by – whether it’s a vintage postcard, a seashell if you’re by the beach, or some other small trinket they will appreciate.

Luggage tags are perfect for your out-of-town travelers.

Hangover Cure

Last but not least, be kind to your guests and give them some help to recover from the big day. Include a “Do Not Disturb” sign for their hotel door and maybe a sleeping mask. Sunglasses also provide relief from the harsh rays of the sun the next day.

For more great ideas for your big day, make sure to check out our Pinterest boards and the rest of our blog!

Dress? Check. Shoes? Check. Jewelry? Check. Next on your list? Hairstyles!

We have all the ideas you need to bring glamour and elegance to your hair on your big day!

Stylish Updos

Depending on your style, you may choose to have all of your hair pulled up on your big day. Brides can opt for a completely sleek look or something softer with curls.  Here are some of our favorite elegant wedding hairstyles for longer hair.

Add a flower for embellishment.

Or keep your hair soft and romantic with loose curls pinned back.

We love adding a romantic, soft braid into your style.

Put a new twist on an old classic by adding some volume and texture to a French twist or simple bun.

Half Up Style

If you are looking for a way to show off your long locks or just don’t think a complete up do is the thing for you, there are many different styles that pin back just the front part of your hair.

Long loose curls bring glamour to any hair style.

You can simply pin the sides back or add a braid.

Add flowers, jewels or a headband for embellishment.

Create an old-school Hollywood vibe by pinning back only one side of your hair.

Hair Down

The last option for a bride is to wear her hair completely down.

Classic curls will never go out of style for a wedding day hairstyle.

We love these big, soft retro curls swept to one side for a very glamorous feel.

Short Hair

For brides with shorter hair, here are some of our favorites.

We looked to some of our favorite celebrities for inspiration as well.

For more bridal beauty inspiration and hairstyles, make sure to check out our Pinterest boards!

Rejoice Pittsburgh wine lovers! Your day in the spotlight is finally here with all of the new wine attractions popping up throughout the Steel City!

First on our list of favorites is the new restaurant and wine bar, Senti.

Located on Butler Street near the Strip District, the new restaurant features an enomatic wine dispenser, which allows customers to taste high-end wines by the pour.

“We mainly have high-end Italian wines,” said owner Franco Braccia. “This wine dispenser is a new approach to high-end wines. Most bottles cost $100 to $200, and with this, we can offer those same high-quality wines at a fraction of the price. It gives the exposure of higher-end wines to anyone who likes wine.”

Customers are able to serve themselves at the wine bar through a prepaid gift card that allows them to pay for the glass of wine as they go. Wine is dispensed at a one, three or five ounce interval.

“You don’t have to wait for a server to come around for you to get your glass of wine,” said owner Annette Ishida.

Braccia added that the wine gift card is great option when customers are doing dinner with friends.

“You can get the wine anytime you like it,” he said.

The wine is preserved with argon gas as it is released through the dispenser. This prevents it from becoming altered by oxygen, allowing the wine to last for a longer period of time.

Senti also offers additional wines by the glass and bottles that are not in the enomatic wine dispenser.

Next on the list is the new Waterworks Giant Eagle Market District, which features a one-of-a-kind wine bar experience.

“We offer eight different wines to our customers in either a one ounce, three ounce or five ounce pour,” said Keith Smith, a bartender at the Market District Giant Eagle. “We have a new age machine that has the wine on tap, and it gives you the perfect pour. We also have a wine flight where you can sample three different 1.5 ounces of wine.”

The bar and restaurant offer four red wines and four white wines for guests to choose from, including a 2011 Cakebread Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2013 Sterling Chardonnay.

Another Pittsburgh favorite of ours is Dreadnought Wine, a gourmet wine company based in the city that offers custom tastings (for personal or corporate events) as well as classes.

The company was opened in 1980 by Shawn Beck and Bob Gonze, with the mission to “bring new and exciting specialty and gourmet wines to Pittsburgh.” Beck and Gonze wanted to offer the public wine tastings and knowledgeable advice.

To see their schedule of events for class times or to book your own private wine tasting at Dreadnought Wines, check out the calendar of events. Dreadnought also recently moved to Lawrenceville from the Strip District, so make sure to visit its new home across from the former Pittsburgh Brewing Company.

And remember: