ditching guest book, etc

Kas254 · February 2012

Hi all,
I'm not having a lot of the traditional elements of a wedding, such as the bridal party, a program, or a menu. (things that I don't reallly care about that just seem like another "thing" they added onto weddings)

I'm thinking of also ditching the guest book. But before I cross that off my list I wanted to ask if any already -married brides really liked having the guest book. It seems like something one would never crack open again after the first look. Plus, you have photos of all your guests, and they can write personal notes in their gift cards. Is anyone really glad they had a guest book?

AdeleDazeem · February 2012

We did a picture "guest book." We have a black and white photo that was signed by all our guests. I'm glad we did it. I just don't understand a book to write names in, but this allowed us to have a pretty pic to display and get all the signatures.

Here's a pic of it and a link to more info:

More info: LINK

If you don't want one, then it's totally cool to skip it, though!

Girlie1030 · February 2012

We had some pretty humorous messages written in our guest book and we have looked at it since the wedding so I'm glad we did it. I wish we had done the photo guest book (Fuji instant camera) though.

whitney37354 · February 2012

We we got married, the traditional guest book was the only route to go. Now there are photo mats than can be signed, photo books to be signed, you could make a book with "instant" photos of guests. We had 130 guests not including immediate family & those in the wedding, and I wouldn't never be able to remember everyone who was there. I do occasionally go through the book to see who came. I like the photo book idea---keep it out on the coffee table to look through occasionally.

clcranda · February 2012

We aren't doing a book. We are doing the thumbprint tree. I saw it done at my friend's wedding and it was a lot of fun. They have a ton of them on etsy. We are going to find a place in the house to hang it up as a constant reminder of who was there to share our day.

Hilraythebride · February 2012

There are lots of other ptions than the traditinal guest book that PPs mentioned above. We are doing a traditional guestbook because I like the idea of it and I didn't know this before wedding planning but I am traditional.

RebeccaB88 · February 2012

I want a guestbook, just so that I have a record of who was there. But it's not super-super important to me what it looks like, and I'm not willing to put the time and energy into making something different, like the photo book or tree or something. I'm just going to find a book I like and call it good. But yeah, it's totally ok to skip it if you don't want it. Just make sure there isn't anything about it you won't regret in 20 years.

hlevine · February 2012

I just got married and we did a traditional guestbook...I made one on Snapfish.com with our engagement pics and spaces for people to write. Imagine a yearbook. I am glad we did it...it gave people something to do while waiting for us to finish pics, and we have looked at it since then. It was nice looking at it after we got back from the honeymoon. Other ideas I toyed with were having people sign around a picture of us... I think for convenience and cost I went a more traditional route.

toothpastechica · February 2012

I agree with people, if the only option was a traditional guest book I would be ditching it too! But thank goodness theres so many more options these days! We are doing a "art page" and asking people to draw themselves (or families) on 12x12 pages with crayons/markers and signing it, and putting it in a scrapbook...this will be done during the recption so that people can ahve somethig to do when they are sitting around. Also we are getting a "video guesbook" done with a videocamera set up kind of photobooth style where people can leave messages for the bride and groom. We figure if we get most people by either one of these it will be fun to look back on and fun to rememeber who all was there!

Kas254 · February 2012

Thanks for all these great ideas!
I like the idea of an instant camera that people can use and then put the photos in a book.

I started browsing on Etsy and got some other alternative ideas, too. Someone on Etsy also makes a guest book that has built in places for the Instax photos. That could be fun.

TiffannieF · February 2012

I like the picture idea!

We did "well wishes" for our guest book. We placed one on every place setting so that we knew everybody knew about them.

This is what it looked like:

I made them myself out of cardstock. I think I could fit 4 to a page. This is what it said on the other side:

And then we purchased a little light up tree from TJ Maxx for $12 wher guests could put the wishes on..

TiffannieF · February 2012

And as a side note...even DH loved the wishes...we both loved reading all the answers!

TurtlesAllTheWayDown · February 2012

We had people sign bottles of beer. And now we can drink it.

morenachica110 · February 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_ditching-guest-book-etc?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:36Discussion:cf4fd5c1-d838-41cb-a6bf-825dbbd4120ePost:585f0610-702b-4692-9335-aef138505a00">Re: ditching guest book, etc</a>:
[QUOTE]I want a guestbook, just so that I have a record of who was there. But it's not super-super important to me what it looks like, and I'm not willing to put the time and energy into making something different, like the photo book or tree or something. I'm just going to find a book I like and call it good.<strong> But yeah, it's totally ok to skip it if you don't want it. Just make sure there isn't anything about it you won't regret in 20 years.</strong>
Posted by RebeccaB88[/QUOTE]

<div>This. We're getting an old journal and having people write whatever they want. We aren't big into traditional or guestbooks, but we still wanted a memento (besides a ton of pictures) of everyone there. We plan to read them at moments on our HM.</div>

brittneyh4 · February 2012

I'm doing a rustic/nature theme, and I found a big block letter on Etsy that was beautiful, and it's used as a guest book. It's something that matches the decor in my living room, so I figure it's a good little token of our wedding day to keep with us in the house.

If you don't want one, don't feel like you have to have one.. but I would still check out some fun, nontraditional things just as a memory in 20 yrs.

Alcyone1 · February 2012

We decided we also didn't want a book we'd never look at again, so we went the signed platter route. We got one of the oval ones and one of the round ones from Michaels. They're now displayed on a corner cabinet we have, and they come in useful for cookies or other such things when we have people over!

clcranda · February 2012

Another thing we are doing is on every table we have a small notebook (like one of those tiny 4x4 scrapbooks). The guests at the table are going to write notes to us to read on our anniversary of their table number. So guests at table 7 will write notes to us to read on our 7th anniversary. It will be interesting to see what they say!

deetuned · February 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_ditching-guest-book-etc?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:36Discussion:cf4fd5c1-d838-41cb-a6bf-825dbbd4120ePost:5c159348-a3d7-4b98-a07b-eebe67fc5529">Re: ditching guest book, etc</a>:
[QUOTE]We had people sign bottles of beer. And now we can drink it.
Posted by msmerymac[/QUOTE]

THAT is brilliant.

Tandra&Devin · February 2012

I've heard of dozens of different traditions. We're going the memory quilt route. I'm going to give my guests big squares of fabric to write well-wishes or whatever on with fabric markers, then we'll have them made into a quilt we can use and pass on to children.

Tami87 · February 2012

I am also doing a quilt. I am lucky in that FMIL quilts and generously offered to make us a small wall hanging quilt for our guests to sign and write well wishes on. We can then display it somewhere in our home.

I agree that I wasn't a big fan of a traditional guest book, but with so many options you can probably find something you would want to display in your home or look through in the future.

Squishy'sGal · February 2012

I didn't have a guest book and it wasn't missed. Maybe it's a regional thing but I've never been to a wedding with a guest book so it didn't even cross my mind. I think I got one at my shower but I don't even remember.

littleshrink · February 2012

We're also doing the thumbprint tree. We didn't want the traditional book either, but wanted something - so figured this would be a great item to hang in our house and remember our day. There are so many great ideas with so many different budget ranges, I know you can find something if you want. I think this is the best place to get ideas.....

Happy hunting!

Avion22 · February 2012

Lots of great ideas on here!

My fiance is a big Miami Dolphins fan, so I bought a jersey with his last name and the number "12" (for 2012, the year we're getting married). Guests will sign the jersey as they walk in. After the wedding we can frame it and hang it in our bar/man cave area.

He doesn't know this, so I hope he'll be surprised and like it!

adktd2boots · February 2012

We are doing several bottles of wine and silver/gold sharpies. I'm a wine-o so it will go with the decor in our home.

I don't want programs, but FI does.

No menus here. YOu get what you get!

Lisa50 · February 2012

We did not have a guest book and have no regrets. We made sure the photographer took multiple un-posed shots of every guest. That decision has made us very happy!

Elinetrouwt · February 2012

No programs or menus here either.

I'm thinking of skipping the guest book too, so I was glad to read this. I'm not a big fan of all the 'unique' alternatives. Although I'm sort of considering making everyone sign a fruit bowl. I guess it will be that, a regular guest book, or nothing.

Kas254 · February 2012

@Eline: Yeah, I liked the instant photo book because I would be more likely to look at something that includes photos. A lot of the other alternative ideas to me just seem like a guest book in a different format - lots of notes on various types of objects/paper that I will but in a box and, like a book, never open again. I also like the signatures on a giant photo, though...that is something cool that you could frame and put in your house.

[Deleted User] · February 2012

I am not a fan of traditional guestbooks myself. We are using a big picture frame signing mat that people will sign. On our wedding day we will have one of our engagement pics in it, but after I will put a wedding photo in it & hang it in our house.

I considered the tree thing but decided against it.

Heat22 · February 2012

I saw a cute idea using a Jenna game. The guests signed the Kenya pieces.

Heat22 · February 2012

That should say jenga not Jenna or Kenya. I hate auto correct!

Iggy85 · February 2012

We aren't doing a book either. We are having a somewhat small wedding, so I am going to have index cards or something like that for people to write words of wisdom, advice or just whatever really and put them together on a ribbon or something like that.

ditching guest book, etc

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