Picture Perfect
Look for a guestbook that has a photograph cutout on the front. When you get your wedding photos back, select one of your favorites for the front of your book.
Pen and Stand
Most wedding guestbooks come with a matching pen and stand. These can be merely functional, or ornately decorated. Colored or fabric-wrapped pens can be lovely. Choose colors that coordinate with your wedding theme.
Book of Memories
Buy a smaller guest book (an autograph album will suit this purpose). Ask guests to take one page each to write a memory of the bride and groom. These can be separate or one memory of the two of you together. This is one guest book you'll treasure over and over again as you recall fun times with loved ones.
Sealed for Posterity
If you are using a standard flip-page wedding guest book, have the pages laminated after your wedding. You can do this yourself with materials that can easily be purchased at a crafts store or online. If you're uncertain of your abilities in this area, have it professionally done for you. This will waterproof, stain-proof and preserve your guest book.
Guest Book Alternatives
Not every couple chooses to have guests sign a book. If you tend toward the non-traditional, try having guests sign something different and unique.
Have a puzzle made from an enlarged picture of you and your groom. This is easier and less expensive to do than you might imagine; search online for "custom" and "puzzle" to bring up a list of vendors. During the reception, have each guest sign the back of one puzzle piece. After your wedding, you will have a fun and sentimental completed puzzle, suitable for framing if you wish.
A ceramic plate and special pen also make a great keepsake. Your guests sign the plate; then you take it home and bake it in your own oven according to the instructions. The finished plate will last you for years to come.
Another idea is an engraveable silver tray. Engraving pens are relatively inexpensive ($20 or less) and are easy to use. Be careful with this option if you are inviting children to your reception; be sure to have detailed instructions and safety precautions on the table.
A signature frame is usually a picture frame with a background that guests can sign. Leave a space in the middle for a picture of the two of you. Be sure to let guests know they should leave that area blank; you don't want to be pasting your picture over your guests' comments!
Share the News Online
Online guest books are the latest thing in weddings. Sign up for your online guest book; you can usually find this service for free. Select a background and text that have personal meaning for you. An online guest book is ideal for spreading the news and receiving good wishes from everyone you know, rather than the somewhat more limited wedding attendee list.
Have fun with your wedding guest book and make memories to last a lifetime!
