Guestbook alternatives Part Deux: from fingerprints to rocks

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I love when you guys do roundups like “non-floral centerpieces” etc. They help get my noggin thinking!

Can you do a Part Deux to the guestbook roundup? I think that one can be a real pain in the ass for those of us that don't want a book filled with just names collecting dust laying around.

-Kyle

Not only did Kyle send in that request for another guest book alternative roundup, but then he sent in some of his favorite ideas to boot! So how could I resist doing another guest book post? Answer is: I couldn't. So here we go…

Fingerprint tree

crouchwedding5
The fingerprint guestbook tree from Andy and Nadine's wedding looks amazing and can also help with criminal investigations.

fingerprint balloon guestbook alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)
Etsy seller Bleudetoi shows us how fingerprints can also make awesome balloons too.

Time Capsule Candle

time capsule candle alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)
Kyle tells me that these are really popular in Japan. He also sent a link that (once you use Google translator) breaks it down. Your guests write their message on strips of paper, then you collect all the papers and put them into a glass vial that has a cap with a wick on the top. Finally you pour wax granules over the vial, light that bad boy up, and let it melt the wax until you've got a decent seal going on. Ten years in the future you relight the candle to expose the glass vial and read what everyone had to say on your wedding day while enjoying a bottle of wine or whatever your vice is. This one would have to take some creative DIYing since the whole getup isn't sold outside of Japan as far as I know, but I think it'd be easier and cheaper to pull off than the commercial deal anyway.

Quilt

signing the guestbook
Have guests sign quilting squares that are already stitched together to form a quilt, like from Lindzy and Davido's wedding, or leave out a basket of individual quilting squares for your guests to decorate and sign and then stitch them up into a wedding quilt later.

Picture book

Guestbook / Coffee table reader
Get a picture book of the place where you're holding the wedding (New Orleans, Paris, etc.) or a photography book about love, or of a connection you and your significant other share (your alma mater, modern art, etc.) and have people write messages in the book. Then you have an awesome, super personalized, coffee table book!

Canvas painting

Punk Art.
Ben and Ella designed a canvas that says “All You Need Is Love” and each of their guests decorated a square or two (or five). Or, if you prefer a more free-form guest book, you could purchase a black canvas then let our guests go wild doing. (I will warn you: I did this for my Sweet 16 and it ended up a big blob of ugly. But, I'm assuming your guests will be more mature than a bunch of teenagers.)

Flags

rainbow flag alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)You know those flags they make for hanging off your porch on different holidays, seasons, your college mascot, etc? Pick one out that matches your theme or has some sort of meaning to you two (I like the rainbow peace flag pictured here, thinking of people signing all the long rainbow lines), then get people to sign it with Sharpies! You can hang it outside every year on your anniversary. Pirate flag guestbook? Yes please!

Scrapbook

Guestbook
Jessica and Charlotte decorated their guestbook scrapbook-style with scrabble stuff, autumn leaves, their wedding invitation illustration, and a quote about love. Then they set out a digital camera and a PoGo printer, which prints photos with a sticky back, to add to their guestbook scrapbook.

Slambook

Reception slambooks
Instead of a guestbook, Adam and Jenny made slambooks. “It's something that was cool to do in my 5th grade class (so my two best friends from elementary school who attended totally got it!). Basically it's just a list of questions for people to answer, and we made some wedding/couple/love-themed. This was also an extra activity to do at the tables.”

Steampunk guest box

alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

From Steambride: “Instead of a guestbook we are opting for slips of paper that will later be incorporated into a project. My plan is to Mod Podge the slips of paper onto a vase that we then can bring out every year on our anniversary and fill with flowers. This alternative guestbook is great for smaller weddings where there are not hundreds of signatures and messages. However, we needed something to hold the slips of paper. So this is where my five years of working in the scrapbooking industry came into play. Behold, the steampunk wooden box of wonderment.”

alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Garden rocks

guest book rocks
I absolutely LOVE this idea. If you have a backyard or a small garden area, this is pretty awesome. Dar and Scott set out rocks on a table with a sign that explained, “In lieu of a guest book, please sign a rock for our garden and put it in the tray.”

Want more ideas? You can always peruse our past guestbook entries, and if we STILL have left a fantastic idea or two out, leave 'em in the comments!

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