A very RVA wedding gift/favor basket

Your guests came from all the way OUT OF TOWN—if there even is such a thing. Treat them right!

May 11, 2016; 3:22 PM • by Susan Howson

Photo by: Michael Chronister

Local coffee or tea

Grab a little four-ounce bag from your favorite roaster. We enjoy Blanchard’s coffee, and tea from Rostov’s and CaryTown Teas (that Turmeric Ginger!

Reginald’s Peanut Butter

The Wedding Pretzel Crunch Peanut Butter from locally made Reginald’s Homemade is a slam dunk, of course, but we’re also partial to the Bourbon Pecan. I’m not too proud to admit that once I ate a whole jar with a spoon. Hey, maybe throw a couple of spoons in the basket, too!

A local beverage

Big fan of local beer? Grab a bunch of bottles of Center of the Universe’s delicious Ray-Ray (a staff favorite here). Or, slip each basket a bottle of my beloved Blue Bee Cider. Include a bottle opener for extra points. Lest bottle (or can) get cold in their hands, pick up a bunch of RVA Koozies at our online shop.

Something to put it in

“We’ve got this great alcohol, but nothing to drink it out of except this dang bottle,” say your friends. “And we’re far too fancy for that!” Gasp and sputter! Avoid that unpleasant conversation by getting a couple of RVA pint glasses or wine glasses.¹

Something to munch on

Route 11 chips are from Virginia, as are Virginia peanuts (pro tip: buy them at Kroger, they’re the same thing as the Virginia Store but a lot cheaper). There’s a whole lot of Pickled Silly stuff that can round out your little hors d’oeuvres picnic, and then you can finish it off with Chocolates by Kelly or macarons from Sweet Fix.

Something to keep

EVERY SINGLE PERSON WILL WANT AN RVA KEYCHAIN OR AN RVA MAGNET! We promise you! These suckers are guaranteed to please–we’ve pleased ourselves with them already! That sounds awful!

Be a friend to the hungover

You’re the one providing your guests with a bunch of alcohol at your fancy-fun party, so you should consider providing them with some relief! Ibuprofen, some bottles of water, tissues, and even some local Maven Made Headache and Tension Oil will help them get to brunch a little faster. It’s not local, but we’re big fans of Nuun for all our emergency hydration needs.

If they’re up, at ’em, and ready to get the party started once more, there’s always Texas Beach Bloody Mary Mix.

Choose your vessel wisely

We keep saying “basket,” but does anybody really want one of those lying around their house? Probably not! Get them a reusable and recycled Virginia is for Lovers™ shopping bag, and they’ll think of your wedding for weeks and weeks to come.

May 11, 2016 3:22 PM 0