Unique Wedding Guest Book Ideas

Here are 29 unique ideas that will get the party off and running. Look for something below that reflects you and/or makes you smile because, at the end of the day, you’ll be the one looking back and enjoying it.

Flickr Image by Needle & Awl

Wedding Guest Book Ideas

The following are the best wedding guest book ideas that we have compiled to help inspire you.

1. Instant Photos of Your Wedding Guests

Whether you have a photo booth with props or an instant, single-shot camera, the idea of giving guests the chance to add their mugs to your book is fun. And dangerous. You know the saying… The more the beer, the bigger the cheer. Get ready for some pretty good blackmail material.

2. Sign Guest Book with a Thumbprint

The concept of providing ink pads (of any or all colors) is all you need to invite wedding guests to dip, stamp and sign their very own thumbprints. Creative guests can thumbprint something more complicated if inspiration hits. Just remember, include wipes for cleanup!

3. A Mad Libs Guest Book for Your Wedding

Mad Libs is an exciting and interesting phrasal template word game that you can use to create a unique guest book for your wedding. You’ll need to create a list of words for guests to substitute for blanks in order to create a story.

Here’s a little example to inspire you.

We are (feeling) to be at your wedding to witness the (emotion) of such a/an (adjective) couple. We (verb) you nothing but the best and many (noun) of happiness. (Noun)! Love, (Your Name)

4. Photos Through the Ages Wedding Photo Book

Let’s say you want a somewhat traditional guest book with a small twist – this is the perfect idea for you. Each page can feature milestones of you and your honey at different points in your lives, leading up to the wedding day.

You can also go with a big, clean slate by skipping the traditional wedding guest book with lined pages. Not only will it provide you with space to place your photos, but it’ll also have enough blank areas for guests to write well wishes and signs.

You can use this photo book idea to show different fun activities that you and your better half have enjoyed together. You can also use pictures of both of you as babies, adorable toddlers, or awkward preteens, at the prom with other people. It’s fun, right?

5. A Wedding Guest Book / Address Book

One thing you’ll appreciate after the wedding is a book that not only features your guests but also includes their addresses. This is a book that you’ll really open over and over again as the years go by.

6. Fun Facts About Your Wedding Guests

What about leaving your guests some room to write some fun facts they think you should know? Maybe they want to tell you they can play the ukulele.

Maybe they want you to know that the prettiest waterfall they ever saw was on a hike in Iceland. Sometimes it’s cool to see what your guests want to bring to the table.

7. Honoring Guests Who Can’t Be There

A nice way to remember your loved one who can’t be at your wedding is to include them in your guest book. It’s kind of a tearjerker, but it’s also incredibly sweet and meaningful.

8. Song Requests

Ask your guests to include their favorite song. Or the song they can’t get out of their head. Or perhaps a song that always reminds them of you.

For the musically inclined, this is a playlist that can’t be beaten. Maybe you can even throw a few into your wedding reception if the band takes a break and peruses the pages!

9. A Calendar of Important Dates

Including a wedding calendar or space for guests to give their birthdays and anniversaries not only makes them feel special but also makes you look amazing when you remember them in the future. This is what we like to call the win-win guest book.

10. Make a Prediction

Ask your guests to put on their future-reading hats (that’s a thing – I have one) and let you know what’s in store. Here’s how it works.

You can write questions like: What should we name our next pet? How many children will we have? Who will be the first one of us to become incontinent? And then your guests predict your future!

11. Advice Book

Much like the prediction book, your guests offer you their advice in this case. It can be marriage advice: Never go to bed angry. Or health advice: Always eat 3 green things a day. Or even life advice in general: Live a life that’s true to yourself.

12. Scrapbook a Page

Flickr Image by Miss Shari

For those who like to sit down and get busy, offer pages that beg to be colored, stamped, stickered, and marked. Having an assortment of materials out allows the guests who want to sign, just sign – and the guests who want to make an artful gift for you, to make something special.

13. Wish Wedding Book

Making your guests write you short letters stored in envelopes is one of the best ways to get more thoughtful and detailed notes. Place little envelopes and photo cards, along with a couple of pens on a table at your reception so that the guests can write down their wishes for you.

After guests seal them and glue them into your guestbook, you and your honey can open them on your 1st anniversary. It’s a book of wishes you can open every year to re-celebrate your marriage.

14. Map Your Guests

Have a map where guests can sign where they’ve traveled from to be at your wedding. Have your guests use the map to mark different destinations and you can use them later to mark your travels as husband and wife.

You can make this idea even more interesting by using a painted globe, which will also serve you as a home décor item for your new home.

15. Places to Go, Things to Do

Leave room to ask your guests about their recommendations. Maybe you need to travel to Argentina and drink the elixir of Mount Aconcagua. Maybe you must try the lemon sorbetto from the cart outside Big Ben. You’ll never know unless you ask!

16. Finger Paint

Let your guests get silly with their very own opportunity to finger-paint their names into your guest book. This is a guaranteed icebreaker and an unforgettable experience all around. Just remember, wipes wipes wipes!

17. Reverse Guest Book

This is a guest book where you write a story about how you know and love all of the guests who’ve come to celebrate with you. Your guests can find their story and sign or add their own little bit if they feel moved. It’ll make them feel moved and you’ll have lovely wishes from them to make your big day even more special.

18. Audio Guest Book

If you’re looking for a creative and out-of-the-box wedding guest book idea that’ll impress your guests, consider going with an audio guest book for your wedding. Place an eye-catching phone recorded at the reception that allows guests to record their messages for you and your spouse.

It’ll work as a charming keepsake and you’ll love the idea of replaying those lovely recordings on each anniversary to strengthen your bond with your better half.

19. Classic Velvety Guest Book

Following a classic wedding theme? Elevate and complement the overall look of the wedding decor by using a classic velvety guest book. It’s an excellent wedding guest book idea, especially for fall weddings.

Place a couple of pens to have your guests sign and write wishes. You can also put out an instant polaroid camera to allow guests to personalize their messages.

20. Tree Wood

Using tree wood is one of the best wedding guest book alternatives, which will suit your best if you’re having a rustic wedding. Design a big, eye-catching tree trunk that fits your decor and place it at the reception for your guests to sign.

It can be a large round wooden piece or a tree trunk cut into slabs. It will also serve you as a decorative piece in your new house.

21. Adventure Guest Book

If you and your spouse are avid adventurers and travelers, you can celebrate your passion with an adventure guest book. You just need to find a wedding guest book that reflects your passion and customize it using your wedding date and name.

22. Wine Labels

If you and your special someone are oenophiles, you’ll love this wine-themed idea. You can place several custom wine labels or wine bottles to have each guest sign and write messages and sign names.

It is an excellent wedding guest book alternative that will allow you to celebrate your coming wedding anniversaries by popping the cork of one bottle each year. Then, you can use the label to create a memorable guest book.

23. Engagement Photos

You can use your engagement photos to make a custom guest book to make it special for you and your spouse. It’ll be a treasured keepsake that you can place on your coffee table in the future. If you’re sentimental, a wedding engagement book can be your best guest book idea.

24. Put Messages in Bottles

If you’re planning for a nautical wedding, consider placing attractive empty bottles on the table at the reception. Place small empty papers and pens and provide a little note to encourage your guests to sign their names and write messages and place them in a bottle.

Then, you’ll need to open each bottle to see what treat it holds. It’s a unique guest book idea that’ll also double as an eye-catching décor piece.

25. Vinyl Records

This is a great guest book idea for couples who love music. Place your favorite vinyl records, along with their coverings at the reception and a couple of pens. Encourage your guests to write their good wishes and signatures on the coverings.

26. Typewriter

Want a retro wedding guest book idea? Add a fun activity to your wedding that your guests will enjoy by placing a vintage typewriter at the reception. Instead of using the traditional pen and paper, your guests will write their well-wishes along with their signs using the typewriter.

27. Place a Poster

Do you have a unique-looking poster that means something special to you and your partner? Place it at your wedding reception to use as a guest book. Don’t forget to add a large border edge space to that poster so that the guests can sign and write messages easily.

You can also write down some instructions for your guests to write a message. It’ll provide you with a guest book that will work as an incredible keepsake for years to come.

28. Postcards

It’s another excellent option for couples who love traveling. Create a display of different types of postcards and place it at the reception, along with an empty box.

Use a small note to encourage guests to choose their favorite postcard to sign and write wishes and place the cards in the box. You can also use a custom mailbox to make the setup look even more interesting and unique.

29. Jenga Blocks

You can bring the classic Jenga game into the mix to create a guest book. Place blank Jenga blocks and place them at the reception with a few pens. Encourage each guest to have fun writing wishes and signing blocks.

This way, you’ll be reminded of all the lovely memories you made on your wedding day, every time you and your spouse play the Jenga game.

Conclusion

Mixbook loves helping create these special memories for your wedding. Our newest collection of wedding guest books is an excellent way to incorporate any of the above ideas. Let us do the work for you. You can take all the credit!

From your save-the-dates to your honeymoon photo book, explore Mixbook's entire wedding collection here.