Breaking Tradition: The Verdict on Wedding Guest Books

Wedding guest books are one of the best ways to commemorate your wedding and collect some insightful marriage advice from your loved ones. However, many couples admit that they never read their guest book or even lost it after the wedding.

Check out 24 unique and contemporary wedding guest book ideas that wedding fanatics on the internet are talking about.

One of the most popular modern guest book ideas people are using is an instant Polaroid camera! Instant camera print pictures right after they’re taken, so guests can photograph themselves and then write a sweet message on the back. It’s a great way to collect well wishes and get more photos from the reception!

A cute option is to buy a stack of recipe cards with a box. People can write recipes, advice, or both! Many people ask their guests to fill out one side with their marriage advice or well wishes and then flip the card over and leave one of their favorite cooking recipes if they have one.

This idea means you can enjoy your guest book for years to come. Set up five (or more) empty wine bottles and write on them what anniversary you will open the bottle on, whether it be your one-year, five-year, 25-year, or 50-year anniversary. People can write messages and deposit them in whichever bottle they want!

Instead of having a guest book at the wedding, send pretty ribbons along with your invitations for guests to write their wishes on and then send them back to you with the RSVP. A lovely idea one online bride mentioned is tying these ribbons to the wedding altar so you have all your loved one’s wishes for you while you say your vows.

If you’re excited about your honeymoon, buy a beautiful coffee table book about your honeymoon destination! Your guests can leave sweet messages in the margins and other blank spaces, and it’ll be a delightful reminder of both your wedding and your romantic trip.

You can have a digital outline of one of your engagement photos made and then set up a station with lots of crayons, colored pencils, or markers. Guests can color in a section and leave a note on the side, creating a beautiful and adorable representation of your wedding day.

If you’re someone who likes to collect little mementos, you can have small stones at your wedding that each guest can sign and leave a message. Little stones can be kept in a jar or bowl, or you can opt for large rocks and use them to line a pathway at your house.

A popular option for modern guest books is a painting or drawing of an empty tree. Guests can sign their names and leave a short note on each branch, filling the tree with warm wishes and love. It’s perfect for a woodsy wedding or outdoorsy couple.

A simple alternative to a standard guest book is to have little cards for every guest to leave thoughts, congratulations, and advice on. They can deposit the little cards into a mason jar, and you and your new spouse can pull one card out on special occasions or read them all on your anniversary.

A scrapbook is similar to a traditional guest book but significantly more playful and creative. Offer guests a fun assortment of glitter pens, paint, markers, and more so everyone can personalize their notes. Leave stickers and other fun items for decorating. After the wedding, add your favorite wedding photos to the book!

One online newlywed mentioned they had a waterside wedding, so all their guests wrote their well wishes on a rowing oar. You can do this with anything, whether it’s a paddle, a plain plank, a wooden wall hanging, or anything else that is meaningful to you.

For couples who love to travel or have guests from all around the world, a world map is a lovely option. Guests can write little notes or advice inside the different countries where they think you should go or where they are from. This could also be a national or even state map.

This option is a little pricey but also adorable. You can rent a photo booth for your wedding, and guests can take silly pictures and then write their advice and congratulations on the back of the photo strip. Not only will you get plenty of funny photos, but your guests will have a blast.

If you and your new spouse love puzzles, have a custom puzzle made with blank pieces that your guests can write on. This idea is relatively easy and affordable, but it’s also something you will actually use. Many guest boos sit in dusty closets, but a jigsaw can be a fun way to remember your wedding and loved ones often.

Another game-related idea is to have people write on a deck of cards. You can order customer cards with a couple’s picture on the back or just your names printed on it, and guests can write notes and well wishes on the front of the card, so you can read sweet messages while you play a card game.

Writing a thoughtful message on the spot at a wedding can be tough, so give your guests prompts! You can create funny questionnaires and leave them on each guest’s seat, where they can fill them out, leaving advice, jokes, warm wishes, and other messages.

A delightful way to commemorate your wedding day is to have all your guests write their messages on a picture frame, which you can later put one of your wedding photos into! It’s a cute way to keep your guests’ messages on display rather than tucked away in a book you never look at.

Some people feel uncomfortable writing personal messages in a guest book that everyone at the wedding can read. A wonderful alternative is to offer each guest a small card with an envelope that they can seal with their message inside. You can also have five large envelopes and dedicate each one to an upcoming anniversary.

For couples who are avid travelers, a cute travel book can work as a guest book. Your friends and family can leave messages and travel advice in the margins. It’s the perfect way to discover your friends and family’s favorite places to travel and where they think you should go.

Similar to the travel book, you can have guests write on the pack of postcards for their favorite destinations. The postcards could have a bunch of different places you want to go, places you have been, or simply pictures of yourselves that can go into a wedding album. Get creative with this idea and choose postcards meaningful to you.

Every home needs comfy blankets for chilly nights. You can buy a simple quilt and give your guests fabric pens to write their lovely messages inside quilt squares! By the end of the reception, you’ll have a dazzling quilt that is full of memories that you can use every night. I love this idea because it’s one of the most practical, and you can read the messages all the time.

A quirky option is to have a designated tablecloth where everyone can write their wishes, advice, and congratulations. If you choose a lovely tablecloth and give people monochrome fabric pens, it can create a stunning cloth that you’ll want to use for every dinner party and get-together.

If you’re afraid you might lose whatever type of guest book you choose, an audio guest book is a brilliant option! You can leave tape recorders on the tables and patch the recordings together later or have a recording station near the gift table where people can go leave messages or wishes.

While the creative and unique ideas on this list are super fun, many people still adore a traditional guestbook. The standard guest book with blank pages isn’t for everyone, but if you want something simple and easy, it’s the perfect way to collect warm wishes from your friends and family.

Source: (Reddit).