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Garters are often Given to Grooms, and Guests are Greeted by Guest books and Green Gowns.

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I love a guest book, it’s such a nice way to look back at your guests’ well wishes and even memories. There are so many ways of collating guests thoughts nowadays!

The Traditional Book

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Guest book from Kikki K

The traditional route is to have a traditional guest book with name and guest comment. These are easily found, a no fuss option. They’re easy to find and customise to suit the theme of your wedding and simple to fill out.

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The Guestbook Store Casual page guest book

A variation is to customise and buy a traditional book with a twist like the above one from The Guest Book store. It allows guests a bit more creativity and you’re guaranteed some messages that will make you giggle!

The Hardback Book

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MILK: Love by Milk Photos makes a great guestbook

A coffee table book can make a fantastic guest book. Choose a subject like love or something that means something to both or you- a beautiful architecture book if you’re both into buildings, a French photography book if your proposal was under the Eiffel Tower. Guests can write in the blank spaces (choose metallic pens to make writing in dark areas easier).

The Wishing Tree

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Wishing Tree by Rebecca Thuss at Martha Stewart

 

This is such a pretty option and perfect for a spring or summer wedding, even a fall wedding with bare branches. Guests write wishes and hang them onto a tree, creating a pretty display and an easy way for you to collect the wishes after the wedding.

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Colourful guest book idea and origami guestbook idea from Martha Stewart Weddings

You can mix the idea up a bit by creating a ‘Wishing Line’ where guests write wishes and peg them to a hanging line of string or a ‘Wishing Bowl’ where guests write wishes and place them into a glass bowl. Use postcards, printed cards – any sort of card can work with this idea!

The Photo Book

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I love this idea that Mrs Emerald from Weddingbee used. A coffee table book made up of your own photos (a great excuse to use your engagement photos!) where guests sign along side. The book could include your favourite love quotes. Try Momento for this option.

The Polaroid Guest book

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Polaroid Guest book by Instant Albums

The Polaroid guest book has become a bit of a classic and can even be modernised with digital cameras. Have someone assigned to take photos of each couple, use a photo booth, or assign someone to take photos of everyone on a digital camera. Photos as always are a great way to preserve the memories of the night.

The Photo Mat

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Photo Frame Signature Mat from We Do Wed

This is an unusual way to have a wall hanging that is special. A photo (an engagement shoot shot is perfect for this) is displayed at the reception with a blank photo mat around it, guests sign it, you pop in a wedding photo once developed and voila- instant art! Your photographer will be able to arrange this for you but photo mats are readily available at framing stores.

The Quilt

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Knottie woodstockbride had a quilt made in one piece for her guests to sign

A sentimental idea is to have guests sign squares of fabric (make sure to leave enough room for seams) in colours of your wedding palette or like the bride above have a panel made to quilt up after the wedding. Certainly something that will become a family heirloom!

Other ideas to collect guest messages include

  • Get each guest to paint a canvas, or have them paint part of a large canvas to act as a collaborative art work.
  • Send guest book pages to guests before the event and ask them to decorate the page and send/bring it to the wedding and then bind it into a book
  • Have your videographer record a message from each guest.

Tips

  • Provide plenty of pens
  • Consider asking junior bridesmaids to walk the book around to each table to ease congestion at the reception entrance
  • Ask the DJ or those making a speech to mention the guest book
  • Have someone collect it for safe keeping at the end of the night.

What are you doing for your guest book?