Guest Blogger Melangerie Inc.

Today A Savvy Event Welcomes Guest Blogger Melangerie Inc. 

Elana & Julie of Melangerie Inc have some great tips and ideas for your wedding! Thank you for joining us today!

At Mélangerie Inc, we specialize in designing bespoke paperie & gifts for events, which of course includes weddings. One of our most popular services is creating welcome gifts, which we callMélanges (referencing our company's namesake). Our definition:

Mélange n. (may-lanj): a thoughtfully curated group of items accessorized with distinct design details (and no cellophane wrap, thank you). It's our answer to the gift basket.

Since our Mélanges are tailored to each client and their event, we like to construct gifts that are personal, specific, and of course, well-designed. The following are a few of our tips for creating wedding welcome gifts your guests will treasure while also reflecting you and your beloved:

1. Set a budget: To put your welcome gift budget into perspective, determine how much you have to spend overall and then divide this amount by how many welcome gifts you will need. For example, if you have budgeted $3000 and will need 100 gifts, that puts you at around $30 per gift. This per gift cost will help guide you in selecting packaging and contents. Also, don't forget to consider shipping and tax.

2. Pick the Packaging: When selecting packaging, consider how and where the gift will be distributed. For instance, if you are giving them out at an event, packaging should be easily portable, like a gable box or tote bag. Also, consider re-usability: tote bags are great because guests can easily pack them flat into their luggage. Silk-screening art work specific to your event onto the tote can also be a nice touch. Try thinking of alternatives outside of your names and the date.

3. Curate the Contents: When considering what will go in your welcome gift, think quality over quantity. Rather than loading up your package with lots of little things, use fewer items, but make them more significant and well thought out. Here are few ideas for inspiration:

• Pick a theme: Whether it be your wedding location, your favorite movie, or your favorite color, selecting a theme for your gift helps tie everything together. Settle on an aesthetic or concept for your gift, and let that guide your packaging and content selections.

• Take cues from your wedding location: If you are having a beach wedding, select contents that are useful in the sun and sand, like a beach bag, towel, or a travel game to play on the beach. If your wedding is in an urban area, include items to get guests out and about, like a guidebook or small denomination gift card to your favorite coffee shop.

• Think local: Selecting products (especially food items) that are native to your wedding location makes them more relevant and more economical. For instance, if you are getting married in New York City and want to include bottled water in your gift, go with a locally bottled brand like Tap'dNY or New York Spring Water. Consider sourcing cookies from a local bakery, or wine from a local vineyard. Many packaged snacks are manufactured in specific regions as well, like Cape Cod Potato Chips, or popcorn from Hampton Popcorn Company. Using local items will save you cost on shipping, and give a shout-out to your wedding locale.

• Make it personal: The best wedding gift contents are those which reflect you and your partner in subtle ways. For example, if you like cooking, include a favorite recipe paired with a local cookbook or ingredient. Or, if you are art lovers, include post cards by your favorite artists. Labeling items with brief remarks about your connection to them is a nice touch as well.

4. Consider a Wedding Weekend Guide: While some guests may bring their wedding invitation, many leave them at home. Compiling a small booklet or envelope with your key wedding events and locations, as well as pertinent information (directions, contact info) is a useful and thoughtful addition. We often like to include a short list of recommended places to eat, visit and hang out from the bride and groom. Plotting the wedding events and recommended locales out on an enclosed map adds extra ease and organization.

And of course, if you get stuck or are looking for a little help along the way, give us a ring and we are happy to assist.

Related Links:

Mélangerie Inc.
http://melangerienyc.com

Mélangerie Inc. contact email:
hello@melangerienyc.com

Tap'dNY
http://tapdny.com

New York Spring Water
http://www.newyorkspringwater.com

Cape Cod Potato Chips
http://www.capecodchips.com

Hampton Popcorn Company
http://www.hamptonpopcorn.com

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About Mélangerie:

At Mélangerie Inc. we celebrate festivity. We design bespoke gifts, memorabilia and event details for all occasions, big and small.

With great attention to detail, Mélangerie Inc. can help design everything from a gorgeous invitation, favor, or event detail to a whole wedding identity (think super-supped up monogram) and accompanying paperie suite. We design truly unique pieces by incorporating the handmade, the unusual, and the specific. Just need some advice? Mélangerie Inc. is happy to offer design or gift consulting for an hourly rate.

Here are a few things we can create for your wedding:

Save the Dates
Wedding Identity or Monogram
Invitations
Programs
Guest Book (or creative alternative)
Place cards & Table Numbers
Menus
Favors
Thank You Notes
Welcome Gifts for Guests
Bridal Party Gifts
Custom Memorabilia
Other Event Details

Elana Dweck & Julie Tinker are founding partners and designers at Mélangerie Inc. They met on a balcony overlooking the Hudson river during orientation for the MFA Design program at School of Visual Arts in New York City, and that was that.