Wedding Guest Books

Once upon a time, a wedding guest book helped a newly married couple remember who came to their wedding, organize thank-you notes, and start a formal address book. But in this day and age, most wedding guest books end up in a dusty old closet. Want to make yours a hip modern thing of beauty that you'll love to look at? Follow these tips and ideas.

Make sure everyone signs it! A no-brainer, perhaps, but the last thing you need is a wedding guest book that's half empty. Assign a member of the bridal party or other trusted friend to stand near it and ask guests to sign as they enter the party. You should also bring it to the rehearsal dinner, so that your closest friends and family have extra time to sign.

Add some interaction I love the idea of Adesso albums and a Polaroid camera as a wedding guest book. These simple but extremely well made books have a slot especially sized for a Polaroid, allowing your friends and family to take a photo of the fun they're having. Then they easily slip the photo into the slot, and there's plenty of room to add an extended note. These are better for smaller weddings, as each book has 30 pages, and, with each guest taking a picture and writing a long personal note, the line to sign could get long. For a larger wedding, consider renting a photobooth, or asking your photographer to have an assistant take the pics, which can be added to a guestbook later.

Make it personal Rather than your guests just writing down their name, address, and a short "Congratulations", ask them to write their favorite memory of you, advice for a happy marriage, or even use your invitations to ask guests to bring a special photograph or other token to include in your book.

Turn a keepsake into a wedding guest book Have your guests sign a memento that you can display in your home, keeping the memories out in the open rather than up on the bookshelf. Some popular ideas:

• Have your engagement photo framed with a wide white mat, and have your guests sign the mat board. You can also pre-purchase a mat in a standard size, and then put a note in the middle saying that you will add your wedding photo afterwards. Another wonderful alternative is to frame your favorite wedding reading or piece of artwork, and have guests sign the mat.
  
• Your guests can use a special ceramic marker to sign a platter or other piece of pottery, such as the items from this manufacturer. After the wedding, simply "fire" the piece in your own oven, and your memento can be displayed, or used to serve food.
  
• Silver trays are a variation on the theme of the ceramic tray, but with the added bonus that they are harder to break! You can buy an engraving pen from your local jeweler or online and have guests sign either a family heirloom, or a new tray that is a soon-to-be family heirloom. My parents wedding party gave them the gift of a silver box with all of their signatures – in that case they all signed a piece of paper, and a jeweler carefully engraved it for them.

Whatever wedding guest book you choose, above all make sure it reflects your personalities, as it will be a beautiful reminder of those who knew you when.