Bridal Party Bags: Tote Bags for Bridesmaids and Groomsmen
The best bridal party bags are sturdy, good-looking tote bags that your bridesmaids and groomsmen carry on the wedding morning and keep using long after it.
A canvas tote or a soft cotton pouch with a small, personal print does that job well. From 25 pieces, one order can be split into several designs, for example one for the bridesmaids and one for the groomsmen.
In this guide, I go through which bag suits whom, how names and designs really work, what to put inside, what bridal party bags cost and when to order.
In this article
- What are bridal party bags, and who gets one?
- Why give a bag instead of a gift box?
- Which bags suit bridesmaids?
- Which bags suit groomsmen?
- When is a small pouch the better choice?
- Can every bag have its own name?
- How do you reach 25 bags with a small bridal party?
- What do you put inside?
- Which print and colours look best?
- When do you hand the bags out?
- What do bridal party bags cost?
- When should you order?
- Frequently asked questions
What are bridal party bags, and who gets one?
Bridal party bags are the bags you give to the people who stand closest to you on the day.
That usually means the bridesmaids and the maid of honour, the groomsmen and the best man, and often the parents, the witnesses, the flower girl and the ring bearer too. If you are unsure who counts, The Knot has a clear overview of wedding party roles.
They are not the same as wedding welcome bags. Welcome bags go to all your guests, usually one per hotel room, while bridal party bags are a thank-you to a small group that has helped you for months.
Many couples plan both, and our guide to wedding welcome bags covers the guest side.
In short, a bridal party bag is a thank-you that can be carried.
Why give bridal party bags instead of a gift box?
Because the bag is the one part of the gift that is still in use a year later.
A box is opened once and then recycled. Bridesmaid tote bags and groomsmen bags carry the gift on the day and then go to the gym, the market and the beach.
There is a practical side too.
- It keeps everyone organised. On the wedding morning, shoes, make-up, chargers and snacks all need somewhere to go.
- It looks good in photos. Matching bags lined up in the getting-ready room make a lovely detail shot.
- It replaces the wrapping. The bag is both the gift and the packaging, so nothing is thrown away.
A gift that is used again is a gift that is remembered.
Which bridal party bags suit bridesmaids?
For bridesmaids, I would start with a roomy tote with a real base, because the wedding morning involves a lot of things.
The Marina tote is a 340 g/m² organic canvas bag, 34 × 34 × 17 cm, with long webbing handles and a wooden toggle that closes the top. It holds 20 litres, keeps its shape when it is full and looks like a present.
If you prefer a lighter, softer bag in white, the Organic Maxi Tote is 35 × 39 cm with a 13.5 cm gusset, in 200 g/m² organic cotton. White is the one colour the Marina tote does not come in, and it looks very bridal with a soft pink, sage green or black print.
The gusset - the extra panel of fabric at the sides and bottom - is what lets a pair of shoes, a make-up bag and a bottle of water sit next to each other. Our tote bag anatomy guide explains gussets, handles and bases in more detail.
Bridesmaid tote bags need room first and prettiness second, and these two have both.
34 × 34 × 17 cm, 20 litres, long webbing handles and a wooden toggle. Undyed organic canvas.
35 × 39 cm with a 13.5 cm side and bottom gusset, 18 litres. Soft organic cotton in white.
Which bridal party bags suit groomsmen?
Groomsmen bags work best when they are dark, simple and sturdy.
The Black Marina tote is the same 340 g/m² organic canvas bag in black. With a white or cream print, it looks more like a weekend bag than a wedding favour.
French Navy is the third Marina colour, and it suits coastal weddings and navy suits.
Keep the design calm: initials, the wedding date or a small line drawing. A groomsman is far more likely to keep using a bag that does not shout "wedding".
If he would carry it to work on a Monday, you chose the right bag.
Black organic canvas for a white or cream print. Same size, same wooden toggle.
When is a small pouch the better bridal party bag?
Sometimes the gift is small, and then a big tote feels empty.
Our organic cotton drawstring pouches are made from soft 115 g/m² organic cotton with a double drawcord in the same fabric, and they come in four sizes.
| Size | Dimensions | Good for | Price at 25 pcs, 1-colour print |
|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 10 × 15 cm | Jewellery, cufflinks, a ring box | €6.43 per pouch |
| S | 14 × 22 cm | A mini bottle, a tie, hair accessories | €6.51 per pouch |
| M | 25 × 32 cm | A small gift set, sunglasses, a scarf | €6.99 per pouch |
| L | 30 × 47 cm | A pair of shoes or a folded shirt | €7.75 per pouch |
A pouch also works inside a tote: the big bag carries everything, and the small one keeps the delicate things together.
If you are choosing between a pouch and a drawstring backpack, our comparison of drawstring pouches and drawstring backpacks shows the difference. All four sizes are in the organic drawstring pouch collection.
Small gift, small bag - it really is that simple.
25 × 32 cm, 3 litres, soft organic cotton with a double drawcord. Also in XS, S and L.
Can every bridal party bag have its own name?
This is the most important question in this guide, so here is the honest answer.
Our minimum order is 25 bags. With full-colour digital transfer printing (DTF), one order can be split into several designs, with at least 5 bags per design and 25 bags in total.
With screen printing, each design needs its own screens, so the minimum is 25 bags per design.
A single name on a single bag is therefore a different case, because one name is one design. Tell us your plan before you order, and we will confirm what is possible.
What works well within the minimum is one design per role instead of one design per person:
- five bags that say "Bridesmaid" and five that say "Groomsman"
- "Team Bride" and "Team Groom" versions of the same design
- one design for the bridal party and another one for family
The same question reached us recently from a new Swedish brand that fell for the Marina tote: could 25 bags be split into five illustrations, five bags of each? With DTF printing, the answer was yes.
And the names? The wooden toggle on the Marina tote is a perfect place to tie a handwritten name tag or a ribbon, so each bag still belongs to one person.
A shared design with a personal tag often looks more elegant than a large printed name anyway.
How do you reach 25 bridal party bags with a small bridal party?
Most bridal parties are smaller than 25 people, and that is completely normal.
There are three easy ways to make the numbers work.
Count everyone who helps
Start by writing down every person you want to thank.
Bridesmaids and groomsmen are only the beginning. Add parents, grandparents, witnesses, the flower girl, the ring bearer, the ushers, the friend who does a reading and the one who drives everyone around.
The list often grows faster than you expect.
Combine them with your welcome bags
If you are planning welcome bags for your guests, order everything together.
With DTF printing, the guest design and the bridal party designs can share one order, as long as each design has at least 5 bags. One of our recent wedding orders was 50 bags for a wedding outside Lisbon, and an order of that size could easily include ten bags with a separate bridal party design.
That means one order, one delivery and one proof to approve.
Use the extra bags on purpose
A few spare bags are rarely wasted at a wedding.
They become gifts for the hen party and the stag weekend, a thank-you for the planner or the photographer, or a keepsake for the two of you.
I would rather have three bags too many than one too few.
What do you put inside bridal party bags?
Fill the bag with things that are used on the day, and add one thing that is kept.
For bridesmaids
Think about the getting-ready morning.
- a robe or a pair of slippers
- a mini bottle of something sparkling
- hair pins, plasters and a small sewing kit
- tissues and a lip balm
- a pouch with a piece of jewellery to wear on the day
- a handwritten note
The note is the part they will keep the longest.
For groomsmen
Practical beats pretty here.
- socks or a pocket square in the wedding colours
- a small bottle and a glass
- a comb and a small grooming kit
- snacks for the long gap between the ceremony and dinner
- a pouch with cufflinks or a tie clip
- a handwritten note
A bag that solves a small problem on the day is a bag that gets noticed.
For the hen party or the stag weekend
The same bags can start their life earlier.
Hand them out at the hen party (or bachelorette party) or the stag weekend, filled with sun cream, a water bottle and the plan for the weekend. They will come back on the wedding day already loved.
Two occasions, one bag.
Which print and colours look best on bridal party bags?
Simple designs in one or two colours usually look best.
Screen printing suits solid-colour designs: initials, a monogram, the date or a line drawing. Full-colour DTF printing suits watercolour crests, illustrations and designs with several colours, and it is the method that lets you mix designs in one order.
On a natural or white bag, a dark print such as black, navy or dark green reads clearly. On black or French Navy canvas, white or cream stands out best.
Think about the photos too. Bags in one colour family look calm when the whole group stands together, while a print that is too small disappears from a few metres away.
If you are unsure, read our guides on full-colour designs on cotton tote bags and on choosing print colours.
Before anything is printed, you get a digital proof of your design on the bag to approve.
Calm colours and one clear idea are all personalised bridal party bags need.
When do you hand out bridal party bags?
There are three good moments, and each one changes what goes inside.
- When you ask them. The bag becomes a small "will you be my bridesmaid" gift, with a card and something sweet inside.
- At the rehearsal dinner. Everyone is together and nobody is in a hurry, so the bags can go back to the rooms ready for the morning.
- On the wedding morning. Bags waiting in the getting-ready room make a beautiful first photo of the day.
Whichever moment you choose, put the things for the morning on top, so nobody has to dig for hair pins or a charger.
By the evening, the same bag carries the heels home.
What do bridal party bags cost?
The price depends on the bag, the quantity and the print.
Here are today's prices per bag at 25 pieces with a print on one side, excluding VAT:
| Bag | 1-colour print | Full-colour print |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Marina tote, 340 g/m² | €10.80 | €13.00 |
| Black or French Navy Marina tote, 340 g/m² | €12.70 | €14.90 |
| White Organic Maxi Tote, 200 g/m² | €9.45 | €11.65 |
| Organic drawstring pouch, size M | €6.99 | €7.89 |
So 25 Natural Marina totes with a full-colour print, split into several designs, come to €325.00 before VAT.
At 50 pieces, the price per bag drops: the Natural Marina tote with a full-colour print is €11.52 per bag. That is one more reason to combine bridal party bags with welcome bags.
The exact price for every quantity is shown on each product page, and the Marina tote collection and the Organic Maxi Tote collection show all the colours.
Knowing your number of bags early keeps the gift budget calm.
When should you order bridal party bags?
Earlier than feels necessary.
Production and delivery typically take 10 to 15 working days after you approve the digital proof. I would order four to six weeks before the day you need the bags, and remember that the hen party or the stag weekend may come well before the wedding.
We deliver within the EU, and the bags can go to your home, your planner or the venue. Tell us the address and the date, and we will confirm the timing before you order.
An early order is one thing less on the list in the last week.
Frequently asked questions about bridal party bags
What is the minimum order for bridal party bags?
The minimum order is 25 bags.
With full-colour DTF printing, those 25 bags can be split into several designs, with at least 5 bags per design.
Can I print a different name on every bag?
One name is one design, so a single name on a single bag is below the minimum of 5 bags per design.
Many couples choose one design per role and add handwritten name tags, and we will confirm what is possible for your plan.
Can bridesmaids and groomsmen have different designs?
Yes, with full-colour DTF printing.
For example, five "Bridesmaid" bags and five "Groomsman" bags can be part of the same order of 25 bags or more.
Can I mix bag colours in one order?
Each bag colour is a separate product, so please ask us before you order.
We will confirm what is possible for your quantity.
How much do bridal party bags cost?
The Natural Marina tote starts at €10.80 per bag at 25 pieces with a one-colour print, excluding VAT.
Organic drawstring pouches start at €6.43 per pouch at 25 pieces, and the price drops as the quantity goes up.
What is the best bag for groomsmen?
A dark, sturdy canvas tote with a simple print is the safest choice for groomsmen bags.
The Black Marina tote starts at €12.70 per bag at 25 pieces with a one-colour print, excluding VAT.
Are the bags made of organic cotton?
Yes, the Marina tote and the Organic Maxi Tote are made from GOTS certified organic cotton (see how GOTS certification works).
The drawstring pouches are made from organic cotton certified to the Organic Content Standard (OCS).
How long do bridal party bags take to arrive?
Production and delivery typically take 10 to 15 working days after you approve the digital proof.
Tell us your date and we will confirm the timing before you order.
Learn More About Custom Printed Bags
Custom Wedding Welcome Bags for Event and Wedding Planners
Drawstring Pouches vs Drawstring Backpacks: Which Fits Your Event?
Can You Print Full-Color Designs on Cotton Tote Bags?
Tote Bag Anatomy 101: Gussets, Handles, and Bottom Structure Explained
Planning bags for your bridal party?
See the Marina tote in all three colours, or look at all our bags for weddings and events.
See the Marina tote → See wedding bags →Give your bridal party a bag they will carry long after the last dance, and your thank-you will keep travelling with them.
About Prints & Bags
Prints & Bags is a European B2B supplier of custom-printed and embroidered pouches, jute bags and cotton tote bags, sold directly through our online catalogue. Choose a bag, upload your logo, and order online — from 25 pieces, with free EU shipping, a free digital proof, and production in 10–15 working days after approval.
