Wedding Guest Book Ideas

A wedding guest book doesn’t have to be composed of a pen and bound paper. The form and shape of a traditional guest book are now evolving to match changing wedding trends and tastes. Traditional guest books tend to get sidelined to the bookshelf or storage box once the wedding is over, but you can get alternative guest books that are unique, functional, and can be displayed in your living room or bedroom.

1. Engagement Photo Book

Engagement Photo Book

While this idea deviates just a little bit from a standard guest book, it’s just practical to use your engagement photos to create a custom-made photo book that your guests can sign in on. They would also love to flip the pages to look at your photos, and it will be a treasured keepsake for the couple.

2. Heart Drop Top Frame

Heart Drop Top Frame

People can’t seem to get enough of a heart drop top frame – a frame that doubles as a dropbox where people can write their names on blank hearts and drop it inside for display. Have guests pen a note on a heart-shaped piece and ask them to slip it to the box to be viewed for years to come. You can find lots of heart drop top frames online, so you don’t need to DIY. Here are some of them:

3. Signature Wedding Tree

Signature Wedding Tree

This is an alternative guest book idea that brides love to DIY. All you need to have is a board and some blank heart pieces for guests to sign on. You can easily buy one online that can be personalized with your name for weddings with 100 guests and for 150 guests.

4. Wood Slab

Wood Slab

Nothing says rustic woodsy more than a tree trunk slab. If that’s the theme of your wedding, have your guests sign a wood slab that you can hang on a wall or in your husband’s man cave.

If you like something more regularly shaped than a wood slab, you can choose from a personalized plywood piece in customizable shapes or initial of the couple’s new family name.

5. Signature Frame Guest Book

Signature Frame Guest Book

 

This is an alternative guest book idea that’s easy to implement. Simply use a signature frame and insert a beautiful engagement of the couple in the middle. Ask guests to sign around the photos. Since it already has a frame, it would be easier for you to display it after the event!

6. Jenga Blocks

Jenga Blocks

With alternative guest book ideas, anything goes, including a personalized Jenga-style block set. With natural wooden blocks and a durable acrylic glass display, this alternative wedding guest book will make your game nights extra special. Here’s another set that comes with four colors of pens. Ask your guests to sign their names and add some notes on a blank block, and literally build a stack of memories on your nuptial day.

7. Quilt

Moda Bella Solids White Bleached

Make something truly memorable and homemade for your wedding. Set up a table with square pieces of white quilting fabricone to two more color choices (preferably your wedding colors) and some Sharpie. Guests will love signing a piece of fabric, then after your wedding, compile all the signed swatches to sew a quilt yourself or ask someone to do it for you. On cold days, you and your partner would love to cozy up under this quilt made with love.

8. Wishing Tree

Wishing Tree

This beautiful wishing tree is a perfect alternative guest book for an intimate wedding. Ask guests to sign the hearts and leave well wishes to the couple.

You can DIY this alternative guest book to make a bigger wishing tree. Use cherry blossom, manzanita, or magnolia branches, put them in a pot, and use heart cards with ribbons or rectangular tags where your guests could sign and write a little message for you. You may also want to spray paint the branch white or gold and decorate with crystals.  

9. Fingerprint Tree

Fingerprint Tree

Here’s another cute idea for an intimate party. Set up a canvas with a leafless tree, then pick up some fingerprint ink and a sign pen. Ask guests to leave their thumbprints at the ends of the branches and sign their names with a pen on top of it. Choose an ink set that suits your wedding colors. After the wedding, frame it and display it on your living room wall!  

10. Message in a Bottle

Message in a Bottle

Give a whole new meaning to message in a bottle with this option. Cut out small pieces of paper from a vintage parchment paper for people to sign and write short messages with and ask them to roll it out, and place inside a clear bottle. A message in a bottle guest book idea is perfect for coastal or beach-themed weddings.

11. Globe

Globe

A globe-trotting couple would probably have a destination wedding with a travel theme. If this suits you, it’s just perfect to choose a globe to be your alternative wedding guest book. Let your guests make their marks in your own world. Buy an antique globe with metal stand (don’t buy the educational, super colorful ones for aesthetics) and set it up with pens for signing. This will serve as the perfect decoration for your living room or home office as a couple.

But if you want easy signing for the guests, use this globe-shaped shadowbox frame with rustic wooden hearts where your guests can sign their name and drop the heart.

12. Map

Map

An alternative for a globe is a map, which you will be displaying on your house as a wall décor after the wedding. Set up a guest book map, and let your guests sign all over, letting them pick the country they want.

13. Puzzle Guest Book

Puzzle Guest Book

Did you two develop a relationship playing board games and puzzles? Why not incorporate it into your wedding? Guests will love this puzzle guest book where they can sign their name on a puzzle piece. After your wedding, this will be a great display at your home.

14. Record Signing

Record Signing

Are you both total music lovers? March to the beat of your own record and let the guests have a literal “record signing” as a guest book! Use vintage vinyl records and provide gold and silver paint pens for guests to use.

15. Guitar

Guitar

Here’s another great idea if music plays a big part in your life. Ask guests to sign a white guitar to commemorate their presence on your big day. This guitar would be extra special for you that way!

16. Polaroid Selfie

Polaroid Selfie

Ditch the guest note route completely, and instead, encourage your wedding guests to cozy up for the camera and leave their Polaroid selfie. Use a white Instax camera fitting for the occasion and let them sign it up with their names. Set up a selfie station just for the task and prepare lots of instant films. Prepare to make a scrapbook of it after your wedding.

17. Wine Corks

Wine Corks

If you and your fiancé are both obsessed with wine, a wine cork guest book alternative is a perfect choice. Cut the corks in half lengthwise, so that one side is flat. On a thin, heart-shaped plywood board, hot-glue the cork in a herringbone pattern flat side down. Have each guest pen their name on a cork, and use this memento as a piece of décor in your home, preferably at your home bar.

18. Bench

Acrylic Paint Pens

Is either of you good at woodworking? If so, use your talents to create a masterpiece like a love bench, where guests can sign. It’s certainly a hefty keepsake that you can display and use in your background for years to come. Provide permanent paint markers for your guests to use for signing.