Get creative with your Guest Book! Why set out a plain, lined book with a big feather plumed pen when you can do so much more? Either go artsy with a colorful and unique blank book, or ‘dress up’ a traditional, white ‘Our Wedding Guests’ sign-in book in your own personalized ways.
When you match your Guest Book to your wedding’s style and location (such as at the beach), your Guest Book becomes something extra-special to match your personalities and impress your guests. We have some suggestions for creating your own stylish and unique Guest Book:
Book Alternatives:
• Creative covers: In place of the traditional, lined, white guest book, go to the bookstore to pick up a decorative lined or unlined journal with a terrific cover to match your wedding’s style or theme. It could be floral, ocean blue, decorated with graphics of colorful autumn leaves, red velvet-covered, funky vellum-covered with opaque hearts or shooting stars – the options are endless
• Single sheets: Instead of a bound book, set out individual sheets of card stock that guests will sign and leave on a silver platter or in a basket. You can go formal with ecru cards to match your invitations, or go artsy with pink, heart-shaped cards. You’ll keep these as a loose collection of cards or insert them in your future photo album or scrapbook.
• Going with color: Choose colorful pages, either in book or single-sheet format. Bright red, sage green, even dark colors that can be written on with metallic silver ink pens.
• Photo-journals: Set out one of the new styles of photo-journals – they have a sleeve for a photograph (which you can fill with any pictures or printed quotes you wish – even greeting cards or postcards you love) plus lined space or blank room to write a message. Guests choose a page to sign next to their chosen insert.
• Autumn leaves: Like the ‘single sheets’ category above, only you’ll set out artistically cut leaf-shaped papers in bold oranges, yellows and persimmon reds. They’re a forever reminder of your autumn wedding. Select your cut-out theme to match your wedding style and season (like snowflakes for winter, or daisies for summer), pre-made from the craft store.
Decorating Covers and Inside Pages:
• Glue Gun Genius: Glue a starfish or sand dollar to the front cover of your Guest Book
• Stick-Ons: Affix your own selection of theme-, season-, and color-appropriate decorative stickers to the covers of your book, and also randomly spaced throughout the inside pages
• Your Monogram: Stamp the letter of your monogram at the top of each page, in colored ink
• Quotes: Pre-write your own inspirational or romantic quotes on the tops or bottoms of every other page, leaving room for guests to sign. For example, Browning’s “the best is yet to be...”
• Message From You: In colored, metallic or classic black ink, sign your own book with personalized messages written to your guests from the two of you. A simple “Thank you for being here!” penned on every other page adds a nice touch.
Audience Participation
• Hearts or Flowers?: Set out sheets of theme stickers and invite guests to ‘decorate’ their own pages with their chosen hearts, flowers, words, and so on…it’s an ice-breaker for guests too!
• Which Color Pen?: Set out a collection of colorful gel pens or metallic ink pens, calligraphy pens or classic gold pens for guests to use.
• The Kids’ Book: Create a separate ‘children’s book’ just for child guests to autograph or in which to draw pictures for you
• Any Comments?: Encourage your guests to jot a little note to you, rather than just signing their names. If you’ll make your own single sheets, print a note on each to that effect.
Save It
* Keeping It Safe: Your Guest Book is a priceless keepsake, and you’ll treasure those autographs and messages from family and friends for years to come. So consider storing it in a plastic container or other safe place in your home.
Posts
