Forget Hallmark gift bags and photocopied maps—guest totes have become a way for brides to welcome out-of-towners and flex their creative muscles at the same time. No longer assembled in a last-minute rush, bags today are filled with goods guests will actually use (and want to reuse)—from the color and design of the tote to everything that goes inside.

“The wedding guest totes should be memorable, functional and playful. You need all three elements working together to be great,” says Bridgette Raes, a style expert and recent bride. “I recommend that you relate the guest bags back to something having to do with you and your fiancé, your wedding theme, the geography of where you’re getting married or your favorite hobbies.”

Raes is not a huge fan of “overly themed” weddings, but when it comes to the guest totes, she says the bigger the theme the better. “They shouldn’t be serious,” she notes. “Keep in mind your wedding guests came a long way to see you. The guest bag is the first opportunity for you to welcome them and let them know what to expect. Don’t greet them with something that’s boring and uninspired.”

While some brides are still choosing colorful and dressy-looking paper shopping bags, the biggest trend in guest bags today is recyclable, customized totes. This way, brides are sending the message they care about the environment—and their guests—by giving them a bag that can be used for whatever purpose after the wedding (the beach, gym, grocery shopping and more). Tote styles available are endless, ranging from classic monogram-optional L.L. Bean totes (from $18; llbean.com), to wildly creative, design-your-own canvas totes by Iomoi (from $78; iomoi.com). Maptote.com will even screen a map of your area onto totes for $20; current options include most major U.S. cities, and they also design custom maps.

The Inside Scoop

The ingredients that go inside are just as important as the bag itself. In addition to bottles of water and snacks from local purveyors, some fun ideas include custom maps of the area, a list of key sites and a guide detailing local spas, salons, restaurants and cafés.

At Raes’ own wedding, she and her groom played up their event’s Brooklyn, NY, locale. “Not only do we live in Brooklyn, but we got married at The Brooklyn Botanic Garden,” she says. “There was nothing Brooklyn-themed at our wedding, but I knew the guest bags were our opportunity to be a bit playful and silly.”

Her out-of-town guests were treated to bags embossed with “718,” the Brooklyn area code, and filled with the couple’s favorite borough-exclusive treats: Brooklyn Brewery coasters, U-Bet Chocolate Syrup, directions on how to make a classic Brooklyn Egg Cream, steak sauce from the legendary restaurant Peter Luger and other Brooklyn-themed goodies.

“In addition, we filled the bags with things we thought they could really use, like bottles of water, pain reliever, Emergen-C, tons of snacks, tissues, Tide sticks and more,” she recalls.

Last but not least, giving guests an itinerary for the wedding day helps them acclimate to the event—include details like transportation information, wedding and reception start time and location, and after-wedding activities.