15 Alternative Guest Book Ideas
You want your wedding to be unique and memorable. You also want to make sure you remember all those sweet and wonderful people who danced the night away to celebrate your next grand adventure. Traditional guestbooks can be gorgeous, but I'm guessing you want something a little bit off the beaten path. Below are 15 alternatives to a traditional guest book sure to leave your guests smiling.
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Photo by Rebecca Yale Photography via StyleMePretty
1. Advice
Place pretty paper at the front table so guests can leave their best advice on a happy marriage. I love this idea because guests can impart their own personality into your big day. Some advice may be serious; others, funny. But, as you and your husband read them later, you'll be reminded of the wildly different personalities of the people you love the most.
2. Heart drop
If you don't want to stray too far off the traditional guestbook path, this is a perfect alternative. Guests simply write their name and maybe a well wish on the wooden heart and drop it in. After your wedding, this would look adorable on your dresser or entry way table.
Photo by Vallentyne Photography via WeddingColors.net
3. Furniture
I absolutely love this idea. It's practical and beautiful. Guests can sign a bench or a table top. After the wedding, set it up outside or in a guest room. Every time you look at it, you can remember all those sweet people.
Photo by Sarah DeShaw Photography via StyleMePretty
4. Sign a memento.
A surfboard. Genius! You or your fiancee might not be into surfing, but guests could sign any other special memento. If music is a big part of your life, guests could sign a guitar. Or, a basketball. Or whatever is unique and defining to your relationship!
Photo by Aaron Delesie via StyleMePretty
5. Love is...
Ideas that allow guests to infuse a hint of their personality last forever. Let them write out what they think love is on a wall. Pin it up for pretty decor and after the wedding, read them out loud to each other.
6. Sign custom portrait.
Adorable. If you really want a personalized, custom wedding, these portraits will do the trick. Many of these signs are even printable, so that can help you save some money!
via BridalGuide
7. Sign postcards.
If you and your fiancee are big on traveling, these would be a perfect addition to your wedding. Guests can sign a postcard with well-wishes, their favorite part of your wedding, or a funny story of you two. You can collect them in a pretty basket or even ask a friend to drop them all in the mail for you. This way, once you get back from your honeymoon, you can open your mailbox to hundreds of post cards all from friends and family.
Photo by Brian Tropiano Photography via United In Love
8. Notes in a bottle
A dear friend of my husband's set up a similar guestbook as this for his wedding. Except the bottles were propped up at each table and guest wrote words of advice for the couple. My husband's friend and his wife would read each of the notes sequentially by table number each year. So, the couple would read table one's advice for their one-year anniversary; table two's advice for their two-year anniversary; etc.
You may not want to wait twenty plus years to read all of the notes, but saving a few for later is a sweet way to celebrate your anniversary!
Photo via WeddingForward
9. Highlight a Bible verse.
This is such a sweet keepsake idea. It's a beautiful way to allow friends and family to give you their advice through the Word of God.
via The Knot
10. Globe
Perfect for you travel-loving couples! This finished globe would look beautiful in your new home or apartment after the wedding.
via Hobby Lobby
11. Well wishes in a terrarium
Well wishes take the guestbook idea to the next level. Sure, a guestbook will give you their name, but when they get to write a little something extra, you bring a whole new level of intention and warmth to your guestbook. Let guests stick them into a pretty terrarium for your wedding day, then tape them into a photo album or book to remember them always.
via Essense Designs
12. Puzzle
I know there are still puzzle lovers out there. It's not just something grandmas do! The puzzle could be a picture of you guys or just of a beautiful scene. After you get back from your honeymoon, putting it all together while reading everyone's comments will be so fun!
13. Skyline sign.
If the city in which you live or met holds a special place in your heart, this skyline sign is gorgeous. And makes for beautiful wall art after the wedding!
Photo by Jessica Haley Photography via Brides
14. Bucket list.
This one is, hands down, my favorite idea. I totally would do this one if I was getting married. Letting your guests create a marriage bucket list for you would be a blast. You'd get so many fantastic (and maybe a little crazy) ideas of once-in-a-lifetime things to do. And anytime you're sick of asking "where do you want to go to dinner tonight", you can just refer to your list!
Photo by ALI HARPER via BRIDAL GUIDE.
15. Film a video.
If paper and pen (in any form) just aren't your thing, then choose video! Allow guests to say a short and sweet message that you can watch later and keep forever.
I hope this was helpful for you while planning your wedding! If you want even more help nailing it all down, take my 7 day Reception Planning Challenge! Each day, you'll get an email full of ideas and tips to plan your reception. My hope is that by the end of the week, you'll have a personalized, pretty checklist of everything you need to do to plan your reception. Sign up below!
