Unique wedding guest book ideas guests will actually fill in
The ideas that work best take under a minute and leave you something you want to keep. Here are seven that need no craft work, ranked by effort and by what you have afterwards. The one that gives you the most is a photo and video album guests reach by scanning a QR code.
Seven wedding guest book ideas, ranked by effort and what you keep
Effort here means your work before the day. Costs are general and depend on where you buy.
| Idea | Your effort | What you keep | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photo and video album by QR code | Low: print a sign, put it on tables | Photos and videos from guests, downloadable in full | One-time price, see pricing |
| Signed print or poster | Low: order a print and pens | One framed piece of art with signatures | Cost of the print and frame |
| Message jar or box | Low: a jar, cards and a pen | A stack of short handwritten notes | A few dollars |
| Instant photo prints with a note | Medium: hire a camera or booth | A book of prints with handwriting | Film or booth hire |
| Fingerprint tree | Medium: ink pad, wipes, a print | A framed print of thumbprints and names | Cost of the print and ink |
| Guest book with prompts | Medium: choose the questions and print or write them | A bound book of handwritten answers | Cost of the book |
| Postcards or advice cards | Low: buy cards and set out pens | A stack of handwritten cards | A few dollars |
The ideas, one by one
1
A photo and video guest album with a QR code. Put a QR code on a sign at the entrance or on each table. Guests scan it with their phone camera, pick photos and videos and add them to one private album. No app and no account. You end up with the day from every angle, and you download it all afterwards. It is the one idea here that also gives you the photos nobody else was standing close enough to take.
2
A signed print or poster. Guests sign a large print of an engagement photo, a map of where you met or a simple frame mat. It hangs on a wall afterwards. Order the print ahead, set out two or three pens, and give it a table where guests will pass.
3
A message jar or box. Set out cards or slips with a prompt and a jar. Guests write a wish, a memory or a piece of advice and drop it in. It takes seconds, so more guests join in, and you can read them together on the first anniversary.
4
Instant photo prints with a note. If you hire an instant camera or photo booth, ask guests to stick the print into a book and write a line beside it. The book fills itself as the night goes on. Allow for the cost of film or booth hire.
5
A fingerprint tree or thumbprint print. Guests press a thumbprint on a printed tree or heart and sign beside it. It is easy to do and looks good framed. Provide washable ink and wipes.
6
A traditional book with a prompt on each page. A normal guest book works better with something to answer. Print one question per page, such as "Best advice for the couple" or "Where we first met". Guests who freeze at a blank page can fill in a line.
7
Postcards or advice cards. Guests fill in a postcard addressed to you. You can read them on the honeymoon or save them for later. A stack of cards is cheap and takes little space on a table.
How the QR code photo and video guest book works
You buy one album for the event. You get a unique QR code, printable sign templates and a link, and you can set up a welcome page for guests. At the wedding, guests scan the code with their phone camera, choose photos or videos and upload them. Videos can be up to 60 seconds. You pay once, and the price is on the pricing page.
Everything lands in one private album that only people with your code or link can open. You can see a live demo album to look at how it works. For where to put the sign and what to write on it, read the wedding QR code guide. If you want the full case for it as a replacement for a written book, see our digital wedding guest book page.
Five ways to get more guests to take part
1
Put it where guests already stand. The cocktail hour and the bar queue work better than the entrance, where people are busy greeting each other.
2
Tell people once, out loud. Ask the MC or a bridesmaid to mention it. A quiet sign on its own gets fewer entries than a spoken reminder.
3
Make it take under a minute. One prompt, one pen. The more steps, the fewer guests take part.
4
Have a second option for guests who skip the first. Some guests like pen and paper, others like their phone. A QR sign beside a message jar covers both.
5
Decide how you will keep it. A framed print goes on a wall, notes go in a box, and photos should go into one album you can download. Decide before the day so nothing is left on a chair.
Wedding guest book ideas, answered
What can you use instead of a traditional wedding guest book?
Common choices are a photo and video album that guests reach by QR code, a signed print or poster, a message jar, instant photos with a note, and a fingerprint tree. Pick the one that fits your guests and what you want to keep.
What is the easiest unique guest book idea?
A message jar and a QR code sign both take minutes to set up. The jar needs cards and a pen. The QR sign needs a printed sign and an album link, and guests use the phone they already have.
How does a QR code guest book work?
You put a QR code on a sign. Guests scan it with their phone camera, which opens an album in the browser. They choose photos or videos and upload them. You then see everything in one private place and can download it. With Our Event Album, guests need no app and no account.
Do guests actually fill in an alternative guest book?
More do when it is quick and obvious. Ideas that need one action, like dropping a card in a jar or scanning a code, get more takers than ones that ask guests to think of something to write. A short spoken reminder from the MC also helps.
Where should the guest book go at the reception?
Somewhere guests pass more than once, such as near the bar or the dessert table. The entrance is a poor spot because guests are busy greeting each other and want to get to their seats.
Can I use more than one idea?
Yes. A QR album for photos and videos plus a message jar for handwritten notes covers guests who want to type or write, and guests who want to share a picture.
Related guides
More on collecting wedding photos and messages.
The guest book alternative for photos, videos and messages from a QR code.
Where to put the code and what to put on the sign.
Collect guest photos in a shared folder, and what to test first.
Set up, share the QR code and download everything.
