A wedding guest book is exactly what it sounds like: a book where all your wedding guests can sign their names and write you a little note of well-wishes. But it doesn’t have to be an actual book! These days there are so many interesting wedding guest book options. Let’s explore some!
An Actual Book
If you do still want to use an actual book as your wedding guest book, Etsy has approximately 1 million possibilities. You can find books that have wood covers, books with acrylic covers, books with traditional covers. The cover can be carved, engraved, or embossed with your names, your initials, your wedding date—pretty much anything you want!
Your Engagement Photos
One of the reasons I recommend having engagement photos taken is that you can make use of them at your wedding, especially as a guest book. Here are four ideas for how to use your engagement photos as a guest book:
1) Choose a few of your favorites, take them to your local frame shop and have them custom matted. Guests sign the mat around the photos, and then you take it back to the shop to have it framed under glass. (This is the option I chose for my wedding.)
2) Choose your favorite photo and have it enlarged to poster size (18x24 or 24x36). Your guests will sign on the photo itself, and then you can hang it as-is or have it framed under glass for display.
3) Choose your favorite photo and have it enlarged to poster size, then framed under glass. Your guests will sign ON the glass using special markers.
4) Create a photo book using Shutterfly or another online photo book printing service. Leave plenty of white space on the pages so your guests can sign.
TL;DR here’s the video version
Other Creative Options
I’ve seen every single one of these ideas in action, either at clients’ weddings or at friends’ weddings.
Small wooden hearts that guests sign and then drop into a glass-front box through a slit in the top
Wooden puzzle pieces that fit together to form a heart
An Up-themed poster with the house and a bunch of balloon strings pre-printed (see photo above). Guests use ink pads to leave their thumbprint at the end of balloon strings, so their thumbprint becomes the balloon. Super cute! (But use caution—stray ink marks can be a problem.)
Jenga pieces
An atlas or world map, and guests sign in places where they recommend you travel and visit
Paper butterflies that are then glued onto a board and framed, creating 3D wall art
Typewritten notes made on a vintage typewriter
Instax Polaroid cameras are super popular right now, but they need a lot of instruction for guests to know what to do. Some couples want guests to take their selfie, write a note on the front, and then tape the photos into a book. Some couples want guests to take a selfie, write a note on either the front or back, and then clip them to a wire-strung frame. And some couples want guests to take two selfies: one to keep, and one to leave behind in the guest book. Be sure to make whatever signage you need to instruct your guests!
The end of a barrel (wine, Bourbon, or other)
A large wooden sign with the couple’s names and wedding date, or new last name
A large wooden letter (whatever the first letter of the couple’s last name is)
An illustration with lots of white space for guests to sign. The illustration can be of the couple, or their venue, or their home state, or both of their home states if they’re from different states.
Important Tips
Be sure to buy pens that are labeled either “archival” or “acid-free” to be sure the ink won’t degrade over time. Have a little pen jar or caddy next to the book to help corral pens. They often roll off the table if left scattered. Purchase at least four pens and as many as a full dozen, depending on how many people you expect at your wedding. Sometimes guests accidentally walk off with the pens.
Place your guest book on a table or easel near the entrance of your venue so that guests can sign as they arrive before the ceremony. Then have your wedding planner move the guest book during the ceremony so that it’s near the cocktail hour area. That way guests who arrived late or forgot to sign before can sign during cocktail hour.
If your wedding is being held outdoors, ask your planner to remove the guest book after dusk so that the change in temperature or humidity doesn’t do any damage. Bring your guest book (or give it to your planner) in its original box so she can pack it in the same box at the end of the wedding. Keep any protective packing material intact.
If you are framing something under glass, ask for UV-filtering glass to prevent sun damage. Never hang or display your guest book at home anywhere that the sun will shine on it regularly.
And if anyone reading this is planning a Star Wars-themed wedding and using this Millennium Falcon guest book, please hire me as your planner! I would LOVE to do a Star Wars wedding!
Further reading: How to Create Your Wedding Guest List