Approximately 15 percent of couples getting married in 2006 will have a destination wedding. A destination wedding is a wedding ceremony or celebration typically outside of the wedding couples' state of residence.

The most popular destination wedding locations are Las Vegas, Hawaii, U.S. Virgin Islands, Jamaica and the Bahamas.

Many couples travel to areas within the united states that offer beautiful scenery for the purpose of ambiance or to a destination where they may have first met.

With destination weddings becoming more popular, another item added to a brides agenda my be ensuring their out-of-town guests are provided with all the comfort items necessary to make their overnight stay a pleasant one.

One way to make your guests' stay enjoyable and memorable is to have a wedding guest thank you gift or care package in a personalized wedding gift bag, displayed on the vanity or night stand of each hotel room, welcoming over-night guests to your city and your wedding weekend.

Fill each custom printed gift bag with bottled water and snacks or homemade treats. Maybe you want to add a little romance to your guests' wedding weekend. Try a scented candle, a small bottle of champagne with a couple of glasses and some fresh strawberries or other non-perishable fruit or snack. Use your imagination and be creative.

Assemble you guest welcome bags and box them up before you leave for you destination. This will make it easy to transport and deliver to your hotel. In some cases, you may want to wait until you have arrived at your wedding location to assemble your gift bags. Your may want to add items found locally or, in the case of fresh food favors, it is always best to add to your welcome gifts no more than 24 hours before your guests arrival.

Once you have created your guest welcome bags, your hotel management will be happy to place a bag in your guests' hotel rooms prior to their arrival.

Your wedding guests will be delighted to find their gift bags filled with treasures including snacks and useful information associated with the geographical area. After the long trip, guests will feel right at home and appreciated as they enjoy their unexpected gift with a personal message from the bride and groom.

Raymond Miller is the founder and author of My Wedding Reception Ideas offering wedding couples premium wedding favors including personalized wedding gift bags and favor bags.