Wedding Breeze

Image from brandi666
Traditional wedding guestbooks are boring. Usually, I will only write ‘congratulations’ and nothing more because I have nothing to write. I wonder whether the happy couple know who has written the well-wishes, especially when many simply just sign off their indecipherable names. I’ve thought of other ways for the guests to write their well-wishes for the happy couple.

1. Polaroid Wedding Scrapbook
Buy Scrapbook Paper. They are usually squarish and the designs are lovely. Get your guests to take Polaroid and you can get your wedding helper to paste the pictures on the scrapbook paper. They can write their comments by the side. This will definitely be more personalised than the normal guestbooks.

Besides, years later when you look at the guestbook again, you can remember who attended your wedding and what they have worn. In addition, you only use the amount you need. Some guestbooks are very thick, but the messages are short. So, you end up with a guestbook that only has a few pages filled. With scrapbooks, you get to decide how many pages to be put together. You can simply bind the papers together. You can add things to the paper to decorate it. It’s up to your imagination.

2. A Very Long Piece of Paper
Instead of using a conventional wedding guestbook, just use some paper and get people to sign there. You can then laminate the paper and keep it. Or you can frame up the paper.

3. Small Coloured Art Paper
You can get art paper from many bookstores. Each person will get one piece of paper. You can help them by giving them some questions to think about. One of my friends asked us to pen thoughts on how to make a marriage last and they read them out during the ceremony. So, you can compile this together and make a little notebook. Alternatively, you can get photo books and then slot the papers into the sleeves.

4. Get Free Postcards And Mail Them
In Singapore, we get free postcards in restaurants and shopping centres. Collect in advance those with lovely designs. It will be great if there is enough white space. Then, you can get your guests to write there. In fact, you can even get someone to help you paste stamps on them, and write your own address on them. The Singapore Post Office offers a personalised stamp service. Use your wedding photo to make stamps if you like. Ask your guests to mail their suggestions on how to have a happy marriage to you whenever they feel like. Imagine the lovely surprise you get occasionally. I wonder whether some will send the postcards out a few years later when they chance upon the cards again. 

5. Make Use Of All Your Wedding Photos
When I went to Perth with my husband to take our overseas wedding photos, we came back with more than 300 photos for us to choose from. Since we are expecting about the same number of guests, perhaps we can get the guests to choose a photo they like and write their well wishes behind. This is worth thinking about. Conversely, you can print the photos out on postcard paper, and do the same as point number 4.

6. Use Other Materials
Why limit yourself to pen and paper? Use recycled materials such as plastic, cloth, and other things for your guests to write on. They can use glitter or fabric paints to sign their names. If you love to sew, get your guests to use fabric markers and paint to write their names or draw pictures on small pieces of multi-coloured square cloth, then you can make a patchwork quilt. You can buy cheap cloth or just recycle your old clothes especially now you may be moving into a new house and you have to share wardrobe space now.

7. Do Multimedia Video Guestbook
Ask your guests to introduce themselves and give their well wishes on video. Allow them time to prepare their 30 second speech. You can do this in groups, so the video will not end up excruciating long. Perhaps you can also ask them other questions on how they find your wedding, your wedding photos, the venue, the crowd, the invitations or other things. Perhaps you can print the questions on cards and they will randomly get one, so that you can remember the wedding through many perspectives. Then after that, make it into a video and post it online. If they are shy, then post the video on your personal website with a password to watch.

As you can see, these unique wedding guestbook ideas are just some that I could think of. I’m sure you will have lots more ideas for your guestbook. Perhaps you can mix and match some of the suggestions. Have you encountered any interesting ideas? Share with me and other readers!