Should I have a Guest Book???

PonyMaid

I am wondering what other Brides are doing?  I have one of our engagement pics in a large framed mat that we are sitting on a table for guests to sign as they come in.  Do I also need a guest book?  I don't want to make our guests sign something twice and I like the idea of the framed "guestbook" so that I can hang that in our home instead of a regular guestbook that is just goint to be packed away.  Any ideas and suggestions would be great! THANKS!

anna.oskar

We're doing a wish bowl. No book at all.

mostuneeke

We're doing the photo frame sign-in too. No photo book also.

cougarette

ditto ^

No additional book needed.

pandasquishy

We're doing the framed picture as well.  No need for a book, especially since, as you said, it's just going to get packed away.

handfast4me

No need for a guest book--take it from one who had one.  I got married the first time in 1985, when everyone had guest books.  I only looked at it once in my 18 years of marriage, and that was to prove to my then husband that we did get the used set of sheets from his mother's friend, not from my friend by the same first name.  :-) 

NotNumbers

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_should-guest-book?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:36Discussion:c043dd57-e193-4c1b-9938-dc25c5f108c1Post:e0767536-db47-4c22-9a3c-dfe2fcd29304">Re: Should I have a Guest Book???</a>:
[QUOTE]No need for a guest book--take it from one who had one.  I got married the first time in 1985, when everyone had guest books.  I only looked at it once in my 18 years of marriage, and that was to prove to my then husband that we did get <strong>the used set of sheets</strong> from his mother's friend, not from my friend by the same first name.  :-) 
Posted by handfast4me[/QUOTE]

oh dear lord...

The photo is enough.  We had a guestbook, but only because my parents gave us one.  We probably wouldn't have bothered otherwise.

CloriaRachael

I agree, your picture is your guestbook.

We're doing the wish bowl.

e_jakiela

At our wedding majority of the people will be from Fis side, and I don't know 90% of them. I wanted to have a polaroid camera and a book where people can paste the pictures and sign their names, so that I can figure out who they are... I have really good memory for faces, but names I am awful with... this would help me remember who they were and add some nice personalised comments in TYs.  Other than that I don't care for any guest book, or wish book... though I do like when brides have the books with little pockets in them and guests put in their wishes...

janedoe1113a

I agree that the photo is your guest book.

pooh8402

we're doing a signature quilt--people sign squares of fabric--as our guestbook. in your case, the photo mat is your guestbook.

when I initially read the title, I thought it would be "should I have a guestbook, period?" the answer to that is, yes you should. that way you know who attended your wedding and need thank you notes. some people attend weddings but don't give gifts, so one can't rely on the cards that come on the gifts.

ipwtfa91

FH and I were discussing a travel/location theme because we love travelling and got engaged in Rome. For example, our card box would be a globe, our tables would be themed after cities we've travelled to like Paris, Amsterdam, etc. I suggested that we get maps of different areas of the world, like Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, the US, Canada, and so on and have guests place a pin or other symbol of certain color, then sign their name on the side in that same color. Then we can frame the pictures and place them around our house
Something cool like this, only more detailed/up close: http://imagecache5.art.com/p/LRG/16/1602/AF2FD00Z/henricus-hondius-antique-map-geographica-c-1630.jpg
So in answer, I think your alternative is fine. Guestbooks are kind of useless in my opinion.

asbecker

I learned from my first wedding that the guest book was helpful for addresses for thank you notes. Some of the people we invited had moved and their invites were forwarded by the post office or other friends came to the dance and dropped a card off but we didn't have their address.

For my 2nd wedding I purchased a small journal so people can write contact info and any wishes they may want to share with us. It was about $3 compared to $25+ for a regular guest book and has little love quotes in it.