Written by Julianne Cuomo, our Director of Celebrations.

I have been asked a lot lately by new brides about unique wedding guest book ideas. While traditional guest books are always very romantic, I have seen some really creative ideas at recent weddings I have done. There are so many neat things couples can do to add a special touch to their guest book. Here are some of my favorites…

Puzzle Messages

For a couple who loves a challenge, have your favorite engagement photo printed onto a large-pieced puzzle (this can be done at Walmart, Walgreens, Snapfish.com, and other photo printing places). Your wedding guests can pick a piece of your puzzle and write a special, personalized message on it. After your wedding, you can have fun reading your guests’ messages as you put your puzzle together. Most couples have their puzzle glued together and framed to hang on the wall of their home.

Photo Book

One of my favorite alternatives to a traditional wedding guest book is when couples do a photo book with snapshots of their first beginnings, special dates, engagement photos, etc. These can be created at Snapfish.com or even at Walmart. A photo book is a great way to show off some of the great pictures you have as a couple and let your guests get a glimpse into your life together.

Photo Credit: Laura Ross Photography

A Wishing Well of Well Wishes

For a more rustic-themed wedding, I’ve seen couples display a “Wishing Well” (or a bird cage works too) where guests write their well wishes for the couple and then drop them into the “Wishing Well”. For this guestbook, provide small cards and pens, with a sign asking your guests to write a brief message of well wishes, advice, etc.

Fingerprint Tree

If you want to make your guest book into a very personalized piece of art, a fingerprint tree might be a great idea for your wedding. Start with an outline of a tree and its branches (here’s a free template to start you off). Have your wedding guests press their thumbs into colored ink (can be any color, but shades of green are popular for this) and then place their print on one of the tree branches so that it mimics a leaf. Then, they can sign their name inside their thumbprint. Make sure you have baby wipes next to your tree so that your guests can wipe off their hands afterwards.

Framed/Matted Photo

A large framed or matted engagement photo is another great idea. To do this, pick your favorite photo of you as a couple, have it printed in a large size and matted in a solid color (usually white is best). Then, display your large matted photo next to a table with Sharpie markers and have your guests sign their well wishes right onto the frame or mat.

Large Wooden Letters

For crafty couples, buy a large wooden initial of your new last name (you can find these at any craft store), as well as two smaller letters for each of your first names. Paint them as you wish, and then leave colorful (or gold, or silver) Sharpies out on the table for people to sign the letters with. Afterwards, these will look great displayed on your bedroom wall!

Photo Booth

Photo booths are a fun way to let your guests show their personality in your guest book. When you rent a photo booth for your wedding, your guests will get to wear funny hats, sunglasses, boas, and other accessories when they take their pictures. The pictures taken at the photo booth are printed out immediately so that your guests can glue them into your guest book and add a personalized message. If you want to save some money, you can also use a Polaroid camera instead of renting a photo booth.

Messages on a Vinyl Record

For a couple who loves music or has a favorite song (could be your first dance song), buy a vinyl record and a few metallic Sharpies for your guests to sign a personal message on the record.  If the song is a relatively new song that you can’t find a record for, simply print out the name of the song, cut it out in circular form, and glue it to the middle of the record.

More Great Wedding Tips!

For more great wedding tips, check out some of my other wedding blogs! I talk about everything from How to Take Control of Your Wedding Guest List to Tips for Planning a Destination Wedding.