Wedding Tips: Ideas for a Wedding Guest Book
Let’s talk about guestbooks. Most weddings have a guestbook. But what actually ends up happening to it after the wedding? It gets stuffed on a shelf or in a closet and you pull it out once every five years when you get back around to cleaning that corner of the house. It takes up space and rarely gets looked at, but you want to have something to remember your guests by. So, we’ve compiled a list of alternative guest books that you’ll want to keep out and see every day.
Engagement photo books– Put those photos to some extra use! Create a book full of your favorite engagement photos (be sure to leave some space on each page for signing). When people enter your wedding, they can write a note on the pages. If you’re extra lucky you’ll have a photographer who can put this together for you, taking some of the workload off you and creating a professional looking album. *wink wink*
Polaroid Books– A fun alternative to just having someone sign their name and move along, this option requires your guests to have a photo taken and stuck in the book, where they can then record a special message on the page next to it. Pro Tip: Have a pretty backdrop near the photo station and maybe even an attendant, like a friend's little brother or sister, available to take the photos. Don’t forget the pens for people to write a message. You could even include some fun stickers or stamps on the station. A photo booth that's run by your DJ or a separate company can cover this base as well!
Match your Theme! If your wedding has a definite them, find an object to match it that people can sign. If you’re having a nautical-themed wedding, you could use a vintage buoy or an old oar. You get the idea!
Match your personality– Maybe it’s not the theme of your wedding, but everyone who knows you, knows you love to ski or that music is a facet in your everyday life. Use an old pair of wooden skis or a worn-out guitar as your guestbook to give your wedding a more personal feel to all who enter.
Something Fun– If you love games, this option is for you. Have your guests sign pieces of a Jenga game, a puzzle of your engagement photo or an old game board and you’ll get to enjoy their little notes every time you play!
Something to Display– A piece of home décor is something you’ll see every day, making this option even more unique, and there are so many options! Wooden initials, a big frame for a wedding photo, wooden cutout of your home state, a giant print or canvas, a shadowbox for them to drop their notes in, or even a custom print of one of your engagement photos. The choices are endless.
Something Useful– Make your guestbook into something that you can use. If your crafty (or know someone who is) have people sign swatches of fabric and sew them into a quilt after your wedding. If you’re not so crafty, opt for an option that won’t require as much work, like a white teapot or a vase. Pro Tip- Make sure you get the correct type of marker for what your writing on so they special notes won’t wash off.
A Wooden Plank! Ok, so this one sort of goes with the last idea, but I love it, so I gave it its own section. Have your guests sign a plank of wood that will later be made into the center board of your family picnic table or dinner table! Just make sure people know what you’re doing with it so they don’t sign the sides or bottom.
Instead of a guestbook try one of these fun ideas.
Have guests create a bucket list for you to accomplish throughout your new life together
Have guests write down their own love story for you to read together later
Have the guests create a time capsule that you’ll open on your 20th anniversary. (They can add memories of your day (things you may not remember), photos, etc.)
Provide homemade mad libs for your guest to fill out about how they got to your wedding and how they felt about your big day
A questionnaire-give each guest some cards with guided questions about your new life together. Questions can include things like ‘who will be the first to want kids?’ or ‘what should we name our new dog?’
Advice- Ask guests to provide you with advice in different areas of married life. Then have drop boxes for each category so that you can read them later on as you need them.
Do you already have a guest book idea in mind? Which of these stood out to you? I'm always looking to grow my list, so I'd love to hear some ideas that I didn't mention!
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