Creative Guest Book Alternatives to Treasure for Years to Come

 

Trending now in 2012 weddings are alternatives to the traditional guest book options.  The people who share your wedding day with you are likely some of the most important people in your life and you will want to remember everyone who celebrated this wonderful event with you.  Traditional guest books are still popular with brides, but there has been a growing movement towards alternative guest book options.  There are countless creative and clever ways to express your personality and relationship through the style of guest book you choose.

If you and your future husband or wife are wine lovers, we have the perfect idea to help you cherish the names and best wishes of your guests for years to come. Purchase several bottles of wine and consider having the labels personalized with your names or monogram. Supply your guests with a permanent or paint marker to sign their names and a few words of advice. You can have a table where the guests will sign the bottles, or have one bottle at each table at your reception. Have the bottles labeled with numbers, and celebrate with one bottle of wine on your 1 year, 5 year, 10 year, and 20 year anniversaries. 

A guestbook quilt is a great option for any couple, but is especially fitting for a couple who loves to cozy up on the couch to watch movies or spend time together. Your guests’ well wishes will wrap you in love and support for years to come. Make sure each guest has at least one fabric square and a fabric marker to leave a note for you and your new spouse. After the wedding, have the squares quilted so that you can keep it on display in your home!

  

For those who would like to display their guests’ signatures on the wall in their home, a signature frame is an ideal way to show your personality while showcasing the wonderful people in your lives.  There are many different sizes and designs available in these frames.  You can use one that will display a photo of the happy couple on your wedding day, or simply use one with a design and your names and the wedding date.  However you decide you want it to look, you will surely love being constantly reminded of those closest to you.

 

While trying to determine what style of guestbook is right for you, remember to express your personality.  Also consider that the reason you are looking for an alternative to the traditional guestbook, whether it be because you want to wow your guests or you want to be able to remember each one of them for a lifetime.  With so many ideas, you can be sure to find a perfect option to be displayed at your wedding. 

Image Credits: Wine Bottles from Etsy, Quilt by Style Me Pretty, Signature Frame from My Wedding Reception Ideas

Tips for Keeping Wedding Day Memories Fresh

If you are like most brides, a lot of your wedding budget is allotted to favors and mementos for your guests. You are probably working hard to think of ways to make the day memorable for them. It is great to do this for your friends and family, but don't forget to make sure you have everything you need to keep your wedding day memories alive for yourself as well.

The most obvious way to capture memories in this day and age is with a camera. You will want tons of pictures. It has become quite popular for couples to leave a disposable camera at every table for guests to take snapshots throughout the night. You will also want to make a detailed list for your photographer to make sure you get all the pictures that you want. You can even include a list of candids you might want them to capture, like the flower girl dancing or the bride chatting with bridesmaids before the ceremony.

Aside from photographs, you will want your own keepsakes to place on shelves or tuck in a scrap book. Keep this in mind while you are planning. For example, when you go to your florist ask about bouquet preservation. When you are choosing your cake topper, pick something you might also like to put in a shadow box or on a mantle as an everyday reminder of your commitment. Instead of a guest book, you could opt for a signature frame. This is usually a large mat that guests can sign with ink pens or permanent markers. There are also engravable signature frames like the one shown here. These come with an engraving pen that guests use when signing their signature or special message into the frame. Choosing a frame instead of a book allows you easier access to the memories of well wishes from your guests.

Throughout the day, tuck a few items that you will want to keep into an envelope or bag. This could be a personalized beverage napkin for your scrapbook, or a few of the flower girl's petals to dry or preserve. You will want to do the same on your honeymoon. Other things you will want to save could be the notes you wrote for your speech or your vows. The rough draft with lines scratched out and replaced is a perfect way to recall exactly what you were feeling when you wrote it. You could also ask your best man and maid of honor if they would mind handing over the notes for their toast or giving you a copy. Make sure you get a good keepsake box or scrapbook for all of this before hand. This way the items can be put in their proper place immediately and won't get lost or forgotten.

Most people get their dresses preserved and keep their hair piece, jewelry, and groom's accessories safely tucked away over the years. These are brought out on occasions when you are feeling nostalgic or cleaning out the attic. But wouldn't it be nice to keep them in your every day life? You can do this by creating a large shadow box or wall hanging. The one pictured here was made by The Heirloom Shadow Box Company. These both preserve and display the items in an artful way behind a glass frame. You can even have soft lighting installed within the box to create a real show case for your most precious items. If the idea of framing the dress doesn't appeal to you, you can still have a collage of your program, invitations, flower petals and several other small items framed in a much smaller version.

Tangible reminders of your wedding in your every day living space or carefully preserved in an easily accessible scrapbook will put that wedding day joy right at your fingertips!

~Jenna