Wedding Guest Book Ideas

The Wedding Guest Book

A staple to every wedding is, of course, the guestbook! 

It’s a chance for the guests to offer their warmest wishes to the newlyweds… but with so many design choices and unique ideas out there, which is the best for your wedding day? Whether you’re considering going down the creative route with a personalised guest book or you’re looking for a completely one-of-a-kind idea to wow your guests and to look back on in years to come, we have some wedding guest book ideas that will be sure to give you a bit of inspiration!

Where Should The Wedding Guest Book Go?

On the actual day of the wedding, you’re going to want to put your guestbook somewhere that can be easily seen by all your guests, as they will be the ones who will be signing it! Usually making an appearance at the reception after the service, we recommend placing the guestbook next or near to the entrance/exit where most of your guests will pass by. How you display your book is up to you, but it wouldn’t hurt to have a small message or board with “please sign our guestbook” next to it!

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Should Someone be in Charge of the Guest Book?

This is totally up to you and what you would prefer. If you want to make sure everyone at the wedding signs the guest book, then it might be a good idea to put someone in charge of making sure that happens! Your go to would probably be your maid of honour or the best man - or put them together as a tag team to ensure the task is done. We would suggest keeping your guest book on the table or stand for most of the celebrations, then towards the end of the day, let the person or people in charge take it around to check whether everyone has written in it before the night ends.

What Are Some Wedding Guest Book Ideas?

Whilst some couples choose not to have a guestbook entirely, others take the complete opposite approach and opt for a personalised guest book for their wedding day. Nowadays, there’s an almost endless amount of different ideas and designs to choose from, ranging from the extraordinary to the simple yet meaningful. Here’s just a few of some of the most popular wedding guest book designs out there:

Polaroid Guest Book

Instant film cameras and polaroid-style pictures have made a huge comeback in recent years, and Polaroid wedding guest books have become a massively sought-after idea. With new and more affordable instant cameras hitting the market, investing in one or two for your wedding day can make a fantastic guest book display! Providing you have enough shots, you can ask your guests to take a picture of themselves and write a message on the picture before pegging them up on a display.

White Polaroid Wedding Guestbook

Alternative Wedding Guest Book - LiuMy

Envelope Wedding Guestbook

Envelope Guest Book - supersweetparty

Wedding Guestbook with Foil

Wedding Album with Foil - CatchThisMoment

Instax Wedding Guestbook

Instax Guest Book - Arcoalbum

Wooden Guest Book

Despite the name, this is more of a display board rather than a physical book. But don’t be fooled, as this is still a well-liked wedding guest book idea and they can look impressive when finished! Rather than signing a book, guests are asked to sign the wooden board, usually around the name of the couple in the centre. The design specifics are completely up to you, but there’s a ridiculous amount of choice online for you to take a look at if this sounds like something you’re interested in!

Alternative Wooden Guest Book

Alternative Wooden Guest Book - EngravedCraftsCo

Wedding Guestbook Frame

Personalised Wedding Guest Book Frame - storiUK

Personalised Wooden Guestbook

Personalized Wooden Wedding Guest Book - WeddingByEli

Four in A Row Wedding Guestbook

Four In A Row - Alternative Party Guest Book - LuckandLuck

Fingerprint Guest Book

Rather than having your guests struggle to come up with a short yet meaningful message to leave in your guestbook, why not have them leave their mark (literally!) with a fingerprint guest book? These come in various designs ranging from trees to bunches of balloons, and the idea is simple; your guests are asked to ink their finger and stamp their print on the display. Over time, as more guests sign, this will build up and (hopefully) create your artistic guest book.

Watercolour Fingerprint Guest Book

Wedding Guest Book Watercolour Fingerprint - RoyalBrides

Guestbook Wedding Canvas

Guestbook Wedding Canvas Personalized Hearts - Madyes

Wedding Fingerprint Tree Guestbook

Custom Wedding Fingerprint Tree - TheLittleTouchesUK

UP Couple Fingerprint Guestbook

Wedding Guest Book: Up Couple Fingerprint - GuestBookEnvy

Typewriter Guest Book

Rustic weddings are hugely popular nowadays, and if this is the kind of theme you’re looking to go for on your wedding day, then a typewriter guest book would be a fantastic addition to the occasion. You could either hire or purchase a typewriter online for the day, but even if you have one at home that doesn’t work, you can still use this as the centrepiece for your guest book table/area!

Postcard Guest Book

Just as it says on the tin, this is another increasingly popular wedding guest book idea that’s both meaningful and unique. Instead of writing all the messages in one book, you could put out postcards for your guests to write their individual messages on. Then, whoever is in charge of the book (this could be the maid of honour, for example) can post the cards to the married couple’s address for when they come home from their honeymoon.

What to Write in the Wedding Guest Book?

So, for all you guests out there, we’re guessing that you might be a little stuck when looking for things to write in a wedding guest book. Whilst some couples go for a meaningful theme, others may opt for a more light-hearted approach, welcoming jokes and funny advice for the newlyweds. We’ve put together a few wedding guest message ideas that you can take inspiration from so that you’re prepared no matter what!

Be Sincere

This one is pretty easy, even if you’re not the closest person to the couple. When writing your message, try to avoid a completely generic message. For example, pay close attention or recall a memory from the service and bring that into your message. Not only does it show your appreciation for the invite but also your attention to detail on the day.

Be Sober!

Even if you consider yourself to have excellent handwriting, you’re going to struggle writing your heartfelt message to the bride and groom if you’ve knocked back a few! As the guestbook will most likely be in an easily-found place at the venue, we recommend signing the guestbook as soon as you arrive.

Find a Meaningful Quote

This can be a tricky one, but it works a treat if you can pull it off! Again, try to avoid using generic quotes that everybody who sees it will know of. If this is the route you’re going to take, then our biggest piece of advice is to try your best to avoid coming across as insincere!

Use Others as Inspiration!

If quite a few of the other guests have already left their wedding guest book messages, then who says you can’t take some inspiration from everyone else to come up with your own? If you’re really stuck for ideas, a good option would be to see what everyone else has written and take parts from each.

Ideas on what to write in a wedding guest book

  • Wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness
  • Your wedding day will come and go, but may your love forever grow
  • Best wishes on this wonderful journey, as you build your new lives together
  • May the years ahead be filled with lasting joy
  • Congratulations on your special day
  • Today is the beginning of the rest of your lives together
  • Thank you for letting me enjoy this wonderful day with you both
  • Here's to a long and happy marriage
  • Best wishes for a fun-filled future together
  • Congratulations on your wedding and all the best for your future

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