Each year with the help of Pinterest and Etsy, couples are becoming more and more creative when it comes to their wedding details. Long gone are the days of the traditional guest book. In their place are alternative options that offer couples far more opportunities to infuse their personality and flare.
Your wedding day is one of my essential days of your life. From your wedding cake to your dried bouquet to your photographs, you will want to cherish every single moment of your special day. One of the best ways to commemorate your day is a guest book! However, traditional guest books seem to get pushed to the side or often left unattended throughout the wedding day. Transitioning from a classic guest book to a unique statement piece is a great way to get the most out of your guest’s memories and ensure that the guest book is a centerpiece on your wedding day and in your home for years to come.
There are many attractive options that couples now have to choose from. Today, we will walk through a few of our favorite alternative guest book options that include interactive or statement pieces that all couples are sure to love.
Take a Polaroid Selfie
This is one of the most visual of the alternative guest book options and one of our top favorites. Set up a selfie station for guests with a Polaroid camera, pen, a book with blank pages, and extra film. Encourage guests to take fun snaps and stick the photos into a book. Give guests enough space underneath to leave personal notes. You will love going through each of the polaroids with your partner after your big day.
Personalized Jenga Kit
If you and your partner are more on the adventurous side and enjoy outdoor games, a personalized Jenga set will be a staple in your home. Simply order a blank Jenga set online, set up a table with the game, a permanent marker, and a sign instructing guests on what to do. Easy, peasy!
Portrait Signature
Find a local artist on Instagram or search Etsy for one to order a custom illustration of you and your partner. Often, people use pictures from their engagement sessions or even just a favorite photo from the past. Have the artist illustrate the photograph or create a custom illustration if you prefer and frame it. Leave guests space around the image for them to sign and leave personal notes. Place the frame somewhere in your home as the sweetest reminder!
Messages on a Wine Bottle
If you and your partner love a fabulous glass of wine, select one of your favorites to have your guests sign. Simply set up a small station at the entrance of your wedding venue with the wine bottle and a metallic Sharpie and let guests get creative! Save the wine bottle for an anniversary or special occasion where you can sip and read all of the messages.
Date Night or Adventure Ideas
In place of a guest book, provide your guests the opportunity to give you a date night idea. Prompt your guests to get creative and brainstorm for you and your future spouse's bucket list of date night ideas. Save the concepts and make an effort at least once of the month to tackle one of the suggestions left by guests!
Message in a bottle
This is an old idea but a good one. Set up a station with a few sleek bottles that you wouldn’t mind having around your house as statement pieces. Besides the bottles, leave small blank note cards and an array of pens. Prompt your guests to write a short note or a memory with the couple and then have the guests place the message in the bottle. After you get back from your honeymoon, make it a date night to open the bottles and read the letters together!
Book Goals
Are you and your partner huge readers? Purchase a favorite book that you both share and have your guests sign the pages inner columns or above the text. Seeing your loved ones annotate a book beloved to both you and your spouse is so unique! Especially if the book is particularly sentinel or holds a special memory for you both. Use the book to complement a coffee table or prop it on your nightstand, so it is always close by.
While planning for your wedding, make sure to consider ways to commemorate your day with something unique to you and your partner! There is truly no better way to remember your wedding day than with messages from your loved ones.
After the whirlwind we all experienced in 2020, we in the wedding industry all feel a particular sense of gratitude for the opportunity to gather with loved ones and to hold weddings. If you are still on the hunt for an alternative guest book idea, dive into Etsy or Pinterest, or feel free to reach out to our creative
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