15 Alternative Guest Book Ideas You Never Thought Of
One of the best parts of planning your wedding is that you can tailor it to reflect on you and your fiancé’s personalities. The best way to do this is to personalize it, change it up and sometimes step away from the more traditional aspects. A small – but still excellent – way to spice up your wedding is to ditch the usual guest book and replace it with something creative that you can keep, look at often and remember all the wonderful people who came to share your big day with you!
1. Anniversary Cards
Instead of a guestbook, you can opt to have an extensive collection of cards for milestone wedding anniversaries! At each table, you – or an appointed member of your bridal party – can pass around a different anniversary card and have all your guests sign one, and then leave these with either the bride or groom’s parents who then mail out the map to the lovely couple for each corresponding anniversary. This is a great way to help remember all those special moments from those wonderful day years down the road.
2. Wine Bottles & Corks
If you’re an avid wine drinker, you could have your favorite bottle of wine or a large vase full of corks out on the table with a marker, asking guests to sign them.
Photo courtesy of Visualizations Photography.
Photo courtesy of David Corey Photography.
3.Photo Booth Strips & Polaroid Pictures
If you have a photo booth at your wedding, you can always opt to have guests take a strip of the pictures and place them in a large scrapbook and write a message next to their photos. This idea works great even if you aren’t having a photo booth at your wedding, as you can always use those ‘vintage’ Polaroid cameras!
Photo courtesy of Art Photography by Valerie.
4. Game Pieces
If games are your thing, then this idea could work for you. Depending on what type of games you and your fiancé are into, you can have guests sign blank puzzle pieces. This idea is fun because you can always put it together later after the wedding and then frame it. You could also have wedding attendees sign Jenga game pieces, then take it out and play it every year on your anniversary and read the pieces as you pull them out.
5. Leaving Your Prints
If you want to get creative and don’t mind guests getting a little bit messy, then you could have them “leaf” their fingerprints on a canvas in the shape of a tree. This idea doesn’t have to stop at a tree, though. You can have a heart, peacock or anything else that matches your theme!
Photo courtesy of BCR Studios by Brad.
Photo courtesy of La Valle fotografi
6.Wood
Because it’s so versatile, almost anything goes here. You can have guests sign an engraved garden bench, monogrammed wood slice, a cute rustic sign or even an oar if you have a beach theme. The options here are endless.
Photo courtesy of BCR Studios by Brad.
7. Theme Matching Objects
No matter what your theme is, guests could always sign something that relates to it or even something that is very personal to you. They can sign a globe, football, vinyl record or even big cutout letters of your initials.
Photo courtesy of Gage Blake Photography
Photo courtesy of Gage Blake Photography
8.Bucket List Board
Another way to incorporate your guests into your lives after the wedding is to have each of them write down a bucket list idea and put it up on a board.
Photo courtesy of BCR Studios by Brad.
9. Quilt Squares
Having all your guests sign and write a small meaningful message on a quilt square is yet another way to keep the moments from that big day around for a long time. After the wedding and honeymoon are over, you can sew all the squares together and have a beautiful and meaningful blanket!
10. Wishing Stones
If you have a beach theme or love the idea, you could have a large jar or vase of wishing stones for all your guests to write on.
11. Vintage Typewriter
If your theme resembles anything vintage, have a vintage typewriter and paper out for your guests to write you a cute little note. Afterward, you could put all your notes from the wedding into a scrapbook!
12. Picture Frame Mat
Have all your guests sign a picture frame mat, as you can hang it up in your home after the wedding.
Photo courtesy of Spencer Photography, Inc.
13. Mad Libs
It’s a different, yet interesting way to get some wedding advice from all your guests. Mad Libs is a phrasal game where you fill in the different parts of speech that correspond to that sentence. You could find a template online or create one yourself that is entirely personalized. Some ideas of what you may want to include are: ” My name is (noun), and I’ve known the bride and groom for (number) years; I am so (adjective) they are tying the knot; I (verb) from all the way from (noun) to celebrate; or Best advice? Don’t forget to (verb) before you (verb) and (verb) after the (noun). Not only will it be fun for them to fill out, but you’ll also definitely get a laugh going through them after the wedding, and they’re personal.
14. Shadow Box
This idea can be so versatile, and your options here are endless. A shadow box is usually a glass-enclosed case, where you display an object or objects like jewelry for example. Because there is depth, it adds an artistic flair to just about anything. … You can have your shadow box be full of hearts your guests signed or anything else that matches your theme!
15. 3D Tree
Here you can have guests write little messages then hang them on the tree with string or ribbon. Not only is it a neat guest book alternative, but it also adds to your wedding décor!
Photo by 831 Photography, courtesy of Something New Entertainment.
Courtesy of LaValle fotografi.
No matter which way you go, you’re sure to have an extra personal touch on your wedding if you decide to spice up your guest book. Not only can it be heartfelt, but it’s also something that you can keep, treasure and look at often. And if you keep it on display in your home, you’re bound to remember you’re wonderful wedding day for years to come.
