A wedding guest book used to be just that... a book. However, more and more couples are moving away from traditional guest books and are using creative alternatives to add meaning & personality to their wedding day. Now, guest books can come in a variety of shapes & sizes; they can be fun, they can be useful, they can be artistic, and they can be a part of your everyday life, even after your wedding day is over. Here are some of our favorite unique guest book ideas we've seen - including paintings, globes, and polaroid pictures. We can't wait to see what our couples come up with next!
FUNCTIONAL GUEST BOOKS
Many of the popular "functional" guest books are ones that you can hang up in your home and use for years to come! Whether it be a classic sign with your last name or a globe for the adventurous couple, all of these are great ways to remember your special day with your special people!
Sign a custom canvas, wood sign, or framed photo
Painting of the couple
Sign a Globe
Fill a shadow box with notes
Sign a puzzle piece
Print an engagement picture on a puzzle, and have your guests sign a piece of the puzzle. Then after your wedding, you and your new spouse can put the puzzle together and read all of the special notes your guests left for you.
Sign wine bottles
As hill country & wine country is amongst us in Austin, gather up a few of your favorite wines and indicate a special year, anniversary, or occasion (1 year, 5 year, 1st house, or even 1st fight) on each and have your guests sign the bottles as a guest book. Drinking wine while reading the notes your family and friends left for you is a reminder of where you came from and the journey you are on together, no matter the celebration or occasion.
Sign wine corks
Another guestbook idea for the wino-couple is to have guests sign individual corks to be placed in a vase, vessel, carafe, etc. See, wedding planning can be fun - it just might cost you a few bottles of wine to get through!
Sign wooden chips to keep in a frame, jar, or vase
INTERACTIVE GUEST BOOKS
We LOVE seeing guest books that fit the couple's personality! So pick a unique and fun guest book that matches your style! These are some of the most unique guest book ideas we’ve seen so far!
Sign a Jenga piece
Set out pieces of jenga on a table with sharpie markers and have your guests sign a block piece - it’s a cheap way to have a guest book without trying to have a guest book. It’s then a fun game for you to play later on and see the well wishes as you stack and play the game.
Sign a record
For the record, records are making a huge comeback and what cooler of a guest book than having your guests signing one of your favorite vinyls? You can simply just lay out the records, or you can bring in a record player & the record sleeves as well.
Leave a postcard in a “mailbox”
Whether you are a traveler or not, a unique guest book idea is to have an empty mailbox with a variety of postcards for your guests to write on, and place in the mailbox. The postcards can signify where you met, where you went to college, where you got engaged, where you are honeymooning, or even places you dream of going together someday. Your guests get to choose the postcard of their liking, and can write a note for you and your new spouse.
Sign a guitar
Whether you have an extra one laying around, or decide to order a wood one on Etsy, having your guests sign a guitar is probably a first for them. After all, they are your favorite groupies and have arrived to see one of the greatest shows on earth, your wedding!
Pin a travel destination on a map
Nothing brings a couple together like traveling, and if that’s something you are into, a perfect guest book idea for you is pin a vacation on the map! This allows your loved ones to pin a location on a map with a special note telling you why you should add that spot to your bucket list. Then, later in your marriage when looking for the next vacation spot, you can whip out your map, see where your favorite people suggest and reasons why. It’s a win, win!
Wishing tree
Maybe you are the first of your friends to get married, or maybe you are the last, but it’s safe to say that there are several married couples around you who have marriage advice, and wishes for you and your spouse. A wishing tree is a symbol of strength, love and longevity and well wishes from your guests will help build your future together.
Sign a cookbook, book, bible, etc.
Place your favorite book, bible, cookbook, travel book, etc. out as a guest book for your wedding attendees to sign on a page of their choice. You can leave highlighters for guests to identify their favorite verse, quote, recipe, or destination. This can then be simply placed on the coffee table, night stand, or in the kitchen of your home for years to come (and with some special notes inside!).
PHOTO GUEST BOOKS
One of the most seen guest books is a photo guest book! Set out a polaroid camera or have a book next to a photo booth to have your guest strike a pose and sign your book!
Polaroid
A unique way to incorporate all of your wedding guests as part of your big day is to see them in pictures, and inside your guest book. Setup a polaroid photo area, whether it’s stationed or not, and have your guests take a picture of themselves at your wedding. Then once the picture appears on the polaroid, have them write a little note on it, and then leave it in a picture album book. It’s fun for your guests and super easy for you to plan!
Disposable cameras
Set out disposable cameras for your guests on the bar, cocktail tables, and/or throughout the reception space and let your guests party like it's 1989! This way your guests will let loose on the dance floor and snap some candid personality pics, and the pictures will stay a fun mystery until you go to develop them!
Engagement Photo Book
A unique way to incorporate all of your wedding guests as part of your big day is to see them in pictures, and inside your guest book. Setup a polaroid photo area, whether it’s stationed or not, and have your guests take a picture of themselves at your wedding. Then once the picture appears on the polaroid, have them write a little note on it, and then leave it in a picture album book. It’s fun for your guests and super easy for you to plan!
Blown Up Engagement Photo
Is your love big and bold? Of course it is! A fun & easy way to create a guest book is to blow up one of your favorite engagement pictures for all to see & sign! Order a custom frame to place your picture in afterwards and take it wherever the future takes you
Photo booth
IN LIEU OF A GUEST BOOK
If you don't want to do a guestbook, there are tons of other options to help memorialize the wedding and the guests!
Give advice, words of wisdom, or best wishes to the bride & groom
Future Adventures
Let your guests give your recommendations on their favorite hiking spots around the world, anniversary destinations, all inclusive resorts, bands to see in concert, and any and all fun things they think you should do as a couple!
Date Night Ideas
Create a date idea jar, which allows your guests to get creative and give you open ended advice on how to keep your marriage alive and strong. They could include anything from their favorite restaurants in town to their best fun date ideas. Plus, they may even know you better than you know yourselves and give you some ideas you haven’t thought of!
Photography by: Moodyography | Tank Goodness Photo
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