We're getting married in my parents' backyard and then having the reception at a hotel about five miles away. Because of parking issues where my parents live, we're having everyone park at the reception site and then shuttling them to the ceremony, and back again. All the weddings we've been to have had the reception and ceremony in the same place, so I'm not sure where to put the gift table and guest book!
My mom thinks the guest book and gift table should both be in the parlor, so people sign as they come in before the ceremony. Because of the transport issue we're doing a mini cocktail hour type thing at the house before and after the ceremony, and she thinks this is a good chance for people to sign the book. We're doing an overlapping cocktail hour at the reception site.
I think that the reception space is a better place for the gift table to be. That way people can leave their gifts in their cars or rooms instead of dragging them to the house. In my limited experience it seems like people get their gifts from their cars during cocktail hour, after they've located the table. If people bring gifts to the house, we can have a place to put them, but then we're covered either way. I don't think the guest book really matters as much, really it could be both places.
What is the "proper" way of doing this?