‍Wedding guest books have always been the black sheep of wedding favors. Sure, you know you need one…but they’re never on your fun list of wedding planning things to look forward to. Grab a pen. Stuff it in a book full of everyone else’s signatures. Boom. You’re done.
Except, it doesn’t have to be that way.
More and more couples are asking, “What do we want to remember from our wedding?” Enter wedding guest book alternatives.
Wedding guest book ideas should fit in with your décor and style (or not), and serve as a keepsake to remember your big day. Here are 20 wedding guest book alternatives to help you steer clear of that lonely book hiding under your bed.
Why Couples Choose Wedding Guest Book Alternatives
Gone are the days of buying whatever guest book you find at the bridal boutique. Now couples choose wedding guest book alternatives because:
- Traditional guest books end up forgotten
- Pens and paper feel unimaginative
- Guest book alternatives make better keepsakes
- Interactive ideas are better for guests
Whether you’re sentimental, witty, minimalist, or somewhere in between, the perfect wedding guest book is whatever you make it.
1. Signed Photo Frame
Print your favorite engagement photo or wedding detail (like your save-the-date, tasting menu, or invitations) in a large frame. Guests sign the mat around the picture for a lovely keepsake you’ll want to display in your new home.
2. Polaroid Guest Book
Set up a Polaroid photo guest book station where guests take instant photos of themselves. Tape each photo to a scrapbook or large wall poster, and invite guests to write their message alongside their photo. It’s instant fun and creates tons of memories.
3. Audio Wedding Guest Book
Set up a vintage telephone or recording booth where guests can leave you voice messages rather than write something down. There’s something special about hearing someone’s voice vs reading their handwriting, isn’t there?
4. QR Code Wedding Guest Book
Upgrade your guest book game with a QR code digital guest book! Instead of finding a pen and flipping through pages, guests scan a QR code displayed at your reception and upload photos/videos/messages directly from their phone. Your guests will love snapping candids from every angle (AKA photos you’d never get to take), and every memory is automatically stored safely in one digital location.
5. Message in a Bottle Guest Book
Set out bottles or glass jars and small slips of paper. Your loved ones can write you a message, tip, or advice, and just drop it in the bottle to be opened on future anniversaries or dates.
6. Illustrated Wedding Guest Poster
Commission an artist to illustrate you and your spouse doing your thing (or your wedding venue, nearby skyline, etc.). Guests will then sign your illustration or around it, adding their own sentimental touch to the artwork.
7. Wedding Guest Book Puzzle Pieces
Give guests a puzzle piece, heart decorations, or other small shapes to sign. Connect the puzzle pieces after your wedding to reveal a completed image or home decor centerpiece that’s full of your friends’ and family members’ signatures.
8. Wedding Guest Book Tattoos (Temporary Ink)
Offer guests temporary wedding tattoos of your initials, wedding date, names, or any unique artwork (like your wedding crest, pets, anything that relates to you as a couple). Guests can get inked, take a photo of their tattoo, and upload it to your digital guest book/profile. Instead of signatures, you get actual moments of how your wedding showed up on your guests.
9. Fill in the Blank Cards for Your Future Anniversary
Your loved ones undoubtedly helped you on your journey to the altar, so how about asking their advice for after the big day? Guests can write down date ideas, relationship advice, well wishes, or fun “fill-in-the-blank” cards to open on future anniversaries.
10. Wedding Guest Book Quilt Blocks
Here’s an idea perfect for the crafty couple. Provide guests with quilt squares to sign. After the wedding, just stitch them together to make your own “comfort keepsake” filled with memories that will also keep you and your new spouse cozy during movie nights.
11. World Map or Travel Map
Place a world map on display for guests. They can sign your city, a country you’ve visited, or where you two dream of traveling together. You can also ask guests to put in a pushpin from where they traveled or live.
12. Live Wedding Illustration Guest Book
Hire a live wedding illustrator to sketch guests throughout the night. Guests can sign their portrait after it’s complete or sign the surrounding artwork. Instead of flipping through pages, you get a one-of-a-kind illustrated wedding guest book that captures your reception in real time. This felt less like a traditional guest book activity and more like entertainment for our guests.
13. Future Anniversary Messages
A spinoff on the future anniversary card idea: Have guests write or record a message to be opened on future anniversaries. This will be like a time capsule for each of your anniversaries, and the perfect way to memorialize your loved ones.
14. Custom Canvas Fingerprint Art
Instead of signing their names, each of your guests will add a fingerprint, “leaves,” “balloons,” or other small shapes to paint on a canvas. Many couples opt for a fun design that creates a bigger picture, like a bouquet, a tree, a sky full of stars, and more.
15. Video “Confessional” Booth
Set up a tablet, laptop, phone, or mini camera where guests can leave short video messages. Unlike written wedding guest books, you capture the real emotion, laughter, and personality of your guests. And if you’re someone who loves reality TV, this is your chance to be in your very own.
16. Serving Tray or Cutting Board
Instead of pens and paper, have guests sign a serving tray, chopping block, or cutting board to use later. It’s both fashionable and functional. Just be sure you preserve the signatures with a glaze on the wood, or you can even have guests sign a separate paper and hire someone to engrave the signatures into the wood post-wedding.
17. Wedding Guest Cookbook
Ask guests to write down their favorite recipes, kitchen tips, or family dish traditions. This makes for such a sentimental keepsake you’ll use for years to come, and it carries on some classic dishes from your and your spouse’s childhoods.
18. Signable Wine Bottle
Fill a box with wine bottles. Have guests sign the bottles to be opened on future anniversaries. Pop open a bottle each year to relive your wedding day memories.
19. Bench Signings
If you’re getting married outdoors or in a garden, have guests sign a bench or other exterior furniture to take home with you! You can display this decor at home, creating a sentimental spot in your yard.
20. Statement Guest Book Sculpture
Write your name (or message) directly on the sculpture rather than on paper. These can range from acrylic letters, a brushed metal monogram, to a sleek modern piece that complements your theme. Not only does it make for a beautiful piece of modern art for your home, but it’s also favored by trendy couples who appreciate a thoughtful (not cheesy) memento.
How to Know Which Wedding Guest Book Alternative Is Right For You
There are plenty of options to choose from, but how do you narrow it down? Questions to ask yourself when picking the best wedding guest book alternative:
- Will we actually use/display this after the wedding?
- Does it fit the vibe of our wedding/venue?
- Is it easy for guests to understand/sign?
- Are we looking for something sentimental, silly, functional?
You know your wedding style best. As long as your guest book idea checks some of these boxes, it’ll be a hit.
