In the days of Pinterest and Etsy, it can be difficult to throw a wedding that really lets you stand out as a couple. One thing that always helps your uniqueness shine through? A personalized wedding guest book. But how do you pick something that is truly you? What if you scan all those sites and you still can't find something that best represents you and your partner? We have a few suggestions for even the most unique of couples. Remember: these are just a launching off point for you and yours. Feel free to expand on them and experiment with them to come up with a wedding guest book that is truly and uniquely you.
1. Jenga Blocks
One of the coolest wedding guest book alternatives I've encountered in the wild was at my college roommate's wedding. She and her husband are big board game fans and fiercely competitive and they decided to bring that love to their wedding. They commissioned a giant set of Jenga blocks and had each family or couple at the wedding take a block and decorating it with best wishes and memories of the couple. Truly unique and a great way for the couple to relive their wedding each time they sit down to game. Other couples have used cornhole boards, checkers or chess sets, or any other game that captures their fancy.
2. Build a Quilt
If you're the sewing type, you can always bring those skills to your wedding! Simply prep the quilt squares beforehand and set up a station at the wedding for guests to sign and decorate at their leisure. This will also give you a fun post-wedding project to complete with your new spouse, and give you an heirloom to snuggle beneath for years to come.
3. A Puzzle
This is a fun and interactive way to commemorate a wedding of any size! Use a custom puzzle maker site to commission one of your engagement photos, then hand out the pieces to sign at your wedding. Have each person sign the back of the pieces, then have them try and figure out where on the puzzle their pieces belong. You might not have a finished puzzle by the end of the wedding, but a little puzzle glue and you will have something you can enjoy forwards and backwards.
4. Embroidered Tablecloth
This shoutout goes out to my husband's aunt, a prolific embroidery enthusiast. For each family wedding, she purchases a beautiful tablecloth. The sort of tablecloth you only set out on the holidays. With a washable marker, each guest is encouraged to sign the tablecloth. Then, this all-star would bring the tablecloth home and over the next few weeks, embroider each and every signature into the tablecloth. It's always a marvel to go to an aunt or uncle's house for the holidays and scope out the signatures of folks long gone: grandparents, great aunts and uncles, friends who have left us long ago but still remain in our hearts. Of course, this one takes quite a bit of work, but if you are looking for a slow burn project, it is well worth the effort.
5. Fill a Shadowbox
This one might seem a little played out. We're sure you've seen the shadowboxes filled with little wooden hearts populating Etsy and Wedding Wire. But that doesn't mean you can't make it your own. Instead of signed hearts, find a wooden item that suits you and your partner. Or, instead of a wooden item, use something that is easy to find, cheeky, personal, and best represents you. Some of the best ones we've seen? Wine corks, beer bottle caps (check your local homebrew store for these two), seashells (great for beach weddings!), small Christmas ornaments, and handwritten notes.
6. Thumbprints
Whether you are a true crime afficienado, a musician, or just really into works of collaborative artwork, using the thumb prints of your guests can be a great way to remember everyone who took part in your wedding and can create a unique and beautiful guest book print. We have seen it done many ways: thumbprints as the leaves on a family tree, as the balloons floating a house in the air (a la Pixar's Up), or even stamped on a globe in the wedding guest's favorite travel location (and honeymoon suggestion). One of my favorites comes from a musically inclined couple, who had their guests stamp their fingerprints in random notation on an enlarged piece of sheet music, calling the piece their love song. Truly unique and a real conversation starter!
7. Whiskey Barrel Head
Elegant Large Letter Rustic Wedding Guest Book Alternative Signed Angled
Now that you've seen all these interesting and unique ideas, you have probably realized one thing: the most important aspect of a wedding guest book is that it represents the couple. Either through hobbies or aesthetic, all it has to do is reflect the couple in a way that is clever and stylish. Our whiskey barrel heads do exactly that.
Do any of these speak to you? Have they given you an idea for your unique wedding guest book? Don't be afraid to let us know in the comments.
