Do-It-Yourself Wedding Guest Book Ideas

Many couples think of the guest book as just another must have at the wedding reception, where it merely functions as a book – usually beautifully bound by satin – for guests to sign a good wish or two. After the party has ended, that book is then tucked away in the closet, hidden behind a cluster of shoe boxes because traditional wedding guest books are that interesting that they become quite forgettable; it really shouldn’t be that way.

Your keepsake book should be a wonderful reflection of that special day shared with the people you love and who love you back. It should also be something that you’ll make an effort to bring out occasionally to leaf through or something that you’ll want to proudly display somewhere in the house. So, you should get really creative and make your very own memento. Here are some fun, easy and doable do-it-yourself wedding guest book ideas that you’ll always want to look at!

A Bowl Full of Wishes
Your wedding guest book does not necessarily have to be a book; you can make use of a medium-sized clear bowl. First, make sure a theme has been selected for the wedding reception. Once that’s done, decorate the bowl to coincide with the theme. For instance, if you’re planning a spring wedding, you might want to fill the bottom of the bowl with artificial flowers or flower petals and leaves. Feel free to experiment with your decorations and ideas before deciding on one bowl. Get your spouse, family and friends to participate and share their ideas with you; chances are that you’ll be even more inspired!

Place the bowl at the reception table, and have colourful cardstocks, magic or coloured pens, and glitter glues available for guests to play around with. The whole idea is to encourage guests to get imaginative and at the same time have fun while expressing a thought or writing a word of advice. By the end of the reception, you’ll have a fascinating bowl full of wishes and an heirloom to cherish for an eternity!

Pretty Patchwork
Use a hard-covered journal, preferably an unlined one, to make a guest book out of. Wrap the covers with plain handmade paper (ensure that the colour of the paper matches the theme of your wedding) as it feels like fabric, and looks absolutely gorgeous. Make a collage out of materials that will be used in the wedding, such as invitation cards, wedding quotes, or even a personal belonging like that poem you once wrote for your husband- or wife-to-be. Embellish your scrapbook cover with glitter, beads, ribbons and anything you can get your hands on to help make it more charming. Put some thought into how you want your book to turn out, and plan ahead before putting everything into place, constantly re-arranging the materials until you’ve achieved a desired outcome. A great way to guarantee that everything will stay put even for years to come is to use super glue or strong-hold glue. 

Framed Moment
Looking for another way to reminisce about your eventful day? Easy! Have your memento framed and hung amongst family picture frames on the walls or displayed on the mantel. All you need to do is purchase a cardboard in the size of your liking. Cardboards are readily available in all sizes these days and usually come in all types of colours, but it is advisable to choose a cardboard that is in a darker shade so that your picture will stand out and not drown in the background; unless you’ve decided to go with a black and white picture, then go for a pastel hue. Select one of your best wedding photographs – try to pick one that means something to both you and your spouse – and position it in the centre of your cardboard. Measure your cardboard first and then draw a border around it, so that your photograph will be precisely placed. When guests arrive at the reception table to write their personal message to you, they’ll bring back with them not just a wedding image but a lasting memory of the divine unity between two people who truly love each other. Have your keepsake framed up for that finishing touch!

Simplicity Is the Keyword
If you’re a minimalist who is just not that into elaborate or over-the-top details, you can opt for a simpler design. Again, wrap the covers of an empty journal with a piece of handmade paper; you can either leave it at that or paste a personal item that is meaningful to you on the front cover, like the cover of a music album that you and your husband-to-be listened to when you were first dating. With that done, attach envelopes the exact size of a Polaroid picture on the pages of your book, facing down. Assign a member of the bridal party to snap instant pictures of guests at arrival and then have them put down a thought or message on the envelope which they’ve slotted their picture into. You’ll have an organized, yet elegant keepsake that you’ll be proud of!