Alternative ideas to give your wedding guest book the wow-factor.
Of all the little stress-makers you’ll dance with before getting hitched, the guest list will give you the biggest headache. You have to narrow down your nearest and dearest into a number that suits your wedding venue’s capacity. You need to choose which of your favourite bunch of weirdos will receive an invite and share in the most awesome party of your life. You have to decide which far-flung friends and newly discovered mischief-makers will get to throw confetti on you outside the church, raise glasses of bubbles in the name of your love story and cut shapes with you on the dance floor - and none of that is easy.
It does, however, makes these people super-special, and that’s why it’s so important your loved ones write in your guest book, each of them adding a dollop of useful (or not!) marriage advice for the newlywed couple. But as great as a traditional guest book is, why not do something different and create the sort of guest list memories that you’ll get to enjoy forever?
So, without further ado, here are some awesome, creative and awesomely creative guest book ideas that you’ll probably look back at and wish you’d done at your wedding. So pick the one that makes you go oooooo, awwwww and high-five your SO the most and then run with it. Don’t worry, whichever one you pick, we promise your guests won’t be able to forget the day you tied the knot because of it.
Wish Upon A Pretty Pebble
The best advice is always the shortest - the sort that says, “kiss lots,” “buy her flowers every week,” “hold hands,” and “don’t fart in bed,” along with the names of the cheeky advice-givers. But here’s the best part: you can then pop these stones in your favourite corner of the garden or display them in a gorgeous glass bowl in your living room.
Chalkboard Selfies
What’s not to fall in love with about this idea - it’s got all the memory-making magic you want from your wedding day. You get a gorgeous selfie-slash-photo of your guests with the added bonus of them holding up a framed chalkboard and their message to you. So simple and so great.
Build Your Own Memories
If you’re looking for a fun way to keep all your wedding messages in one place, pop a table in the corner of your reception with a Jenga set on the top and a note asking your guests to pop some married couple date ideas on a piece each. You’ll never run out of date night inspiration (or laughs) ever again.
Wrap Yourself In Friendship
One idea we’ve seen a couple of times - and absolutely loved - is asking your guests to send a fabric square back with their RSVP. It could be anything. A square cut out of a dress they haven’t worn since your last trip to Ibiza, a piece of fun-time fabric that reminds them of your bubbly personality, or a patch from your goddaughter’s old baby grow. Once you’ve received them all, have a seamstress make a quilt out of all the pieces - you’ll get to think back to your wedding every time you snuggle up in front of Netflix.
Have A Polaroid Feature Wall
Every bride and groom loves the idea of having a feature wall behind the head table (or just somewhere in their wedding venue), and what better feature is there than a wall of smiling friends and family. Simply hang each of your guests’ names from a peg and pop up a chalkboard asking them to, “Find their name and replace it with a Polaroid photo of themselves… smiling.” And maybe write a little message on the back while they’re at it. Beautiful.
Benchmark Of You Love
Another amazing guest book idea is to place a garden bench in the corner of your reception venue and ask your guests to use the Sharpie provided to add their names and a piece of marriage advice. Every time you enjoy a cup of coffee in your garden, or a cuddle up beneath the setting sun, you’ll be reminded of how loved you are and how perfect your big day was.
Enjoy A Marriage Advice Box
This one promises to be full of useful tidbits, hilarious anecdotes and advice you’ll later swear by (and maybe even add to someone else’s advice box). Simply invest in a beautiful memory box, place it on an old dresser and layout some Bride & Groom Advice Cards for your guests to fill in. Not only will you know who wrote what, you’ll probably be able to guess how merry they were when they wrote it, like Susan and Paul’s advice of, “If you’re going to argue or fight, it’s better to do it naked”. That’s a classic midnight move.
Silly Photos Always Win
Sometimes the simplest ideas are the silliest, and when has silly ever let you down before. With that in mind, hang a picture frame with glass in from a tree outside your reception venue, leave some dry-wipe pens in a bucket next to it, along with a camera, and enjoy all the hilarious snaps your guests draw up - literally.
Thanks for reading! For more wedding tips, please do follow us on Facebook and Instagram and then tell all your friends to do the same.