Your Wedding Guestbook - Think Outside the "Book"

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Guest books are a staple of weddings, its the best way to remember who was there to celebrate with you as you reminisce on your 50th anniversary. Luck for you, they are no longer just a book full of lines for your guests to write down their name! They can be fun or traditional, and reflect your personality or fit your wedding theme. So scroll down and get some ideas for your upcoming celebration!!

AN ACTUAL GUESTBOOK

Yes, you can still find traditional guestbooks, just like the ones your parents had. Or you can find some that look traditional on the outside, but once you open it up there will be a fun surprise! Below are just a few of the things we have seen:

  • Want a traditional guestbook but still want to make it fit your wedding theme or decor? Put the book on a beautifully decorated table that make it work, like the Eiffel Tower for one of our Paris themed wedding. Or print out and frame a text message from your first date and place it next to your guest book, that way all your guests will see it!

  • Get a custom made guestbook on Etsy! You can get covers in wood, linen, velvet, suede, leather, the list goes on and on! Inside you will find blank pages so your guests can write messages along with their names, giving a more personal feel.

  • Turn your engagement photos or photos of your dating years into a book with plenty of empty space, and have your guests sign. The guests love looking at all the photos, plus you have the best coffee table book EVER! And for some extra fun, be sure to sign it yourself so you remember how you felt that day!

NEW HOME DECOR

Turn your guestbook into something you can keep and display in your home as decor or artwork! There so SO MANY ideas for this, and sometimes the item fits your wedding decor and sometimes it doesn’t, and either one is fine!

  • A fingerprint tree made by your guests.

  • A wooden sign that could also double as your welcome sign. They can be painted, like the Texas flag below, or they can be kept as a plain wood with your names and wedding date in the middle and your guests sign around.

  • A custom made sign from Etsy to reflect your personalities. This is a great way to bring in a loved item to your wedding without affecting the overall day, or to bring your beloved animals into your day!

  • A large framed sign that will make quite the impact in your home. Jason and Dixie chose to join their two states together, but you could do anything. However, we do think the two states is very cute, especially since we all know putting Texas on anything makes it the best!

  • A globe, or any item, that fits your wedding theme, or you just love and want to keep in your home. Just make sure the item is large enough for all of your guests to sign, and big enough so you can read it!

  • A framed engagement photo where your guests sign the photo mat. Such a classic option that you will always treasure.

UNIQUE IDEAS

The sky is the limit when it comes to this, just make sure it is something they can sign!! Be creative and find something that really goes with your personality as a couple! Two recent favorites we have seen:

  • The El Arroyo big book of signs for an Austin wedding where about 90% of the guests were from Houston. They not only got to write a message to the couple inside the book, but got to get a good laugh and experience the amazingness that is the El Arroyo sign!

  • Vintage postcards for the guests to leave the couple an adventure idea for their bucket list.

POLAROID OR PHOTO BOOTH GUEST BOOK

We hear some people talk about this being overdone, but we always say, you do you and thats all that matters. Plus, depending on your crowd it can be such a huge hit and so much fun!

  • POLAROID: Bring your own polaroids along with a blank guestbook (look at Etsy), some pens (we recommend THESE, and they have lots of color options) and some scrapbook double sided tape dispensers (like THESE, there are lots of options of brand), and lots of extra film and some batteries too. Make a cute sign with instructions, have your bridesmaids start before the ceremony so the book isn’t blank, and the guests take it from there. Some will take nice pics, some silly. Some will just write their names, some will write short funny messages, some will write longer or heartfelt wishes. With it being a portable camera you will get all sorts of backdrops around your venue as well. However, don’t be surprised if your cameras don’t make it home with you, often times we see only one of two by the end of the night. So we always suggest starting with at least two for that reason, no matter your guest count!

  • PHOTO BOOTH: Don’t think your guests are the DIY type? Let a photo booth company do the work for you. They can provide the backdrop, or you can do a custom one with the help of your planner and florist, and then the attendant will deal with the lighting and photo taking! Make sure your package includes 2 prints per person, so they can keep one and then they can put the second in your guestbook! Bring all the same supplies as the polaroid option, or sometimes the photo booth company can even supply those too!