After a lot of debate, I have decided to make the guest book, even though I need another DIY like a hole in my head. I took a poll of my married friends and most of them said people didn’t really write a ton in the book and several people missed it all together, so I decided to forgo spending a lot on it.
I went and purchased the pieces from a bookbinding kit at Paper-Source yesterday (total cost of the things I had to purchase - around $37).
I already have a boning tool, the glue brush and plenty of paper. 
I am planning on making the guest book in the same color scheme as our invitations and the rest of our paperie and promise to make a DIY post for those of you who want to make one too!
Do you think people actually seek out the guest book to leave a message?
Yup same dilemma. Most people at weddings we’ve worked at just sign it. We did a photo book of our engament photos and just asked people to sign it.
oops engagement…
I am guilty of not filling out the guest book. I usually just forget to do it at most weddings I got to, espescially if there’s a line. I think asking people for favorite memories creates an even longer line, which might in turn result in even fewer people filling it out. The most I’ll ever do is quickly sign my name. And I think I’ve only done that at the last two of the ten weddings I’ve been to…oops!
Of the 2/3 who signed, they just signed names and maybe “Congrats” but not a big long message. About 1/3 forgot to sign, or were busy getting cocktails, or didn’t see the book.
If you can assign a friendly person to pseudo monitor the guestbook, it helps get more signatures, but that poor person feels like a hound pestering people. So… ya takes your chances. If the person is really friendly and not too much of a badger, it’s OK to be reminding people to please sign the guest book.
Best bet it to display it somewhere really obvious where they’ll pass by it 15 times, so they’re sure to see it or notice when there’s no line.
Ours was WAY too long. So, we’re using the extra pages in the back to log gifts received. (I would not save a place next to each person’s signature, because that could look gimmie gimmie.)
some people didn’t even know we had a wish table (especially the older guests), and we didn’t have a person manning it either which wasn’t a good idea since the polaroid camera kept running out of film and not everyone knew how to load it.
it really does help to put it in a very conspicuous area (on the way to the bathroom for instance), because guests most likely will not seek out your guestbook.
Yeah, I decided to forgo the big purchase too. I made mine for about $16. Here’s how I did it
http://lilkidthings.blogspot.com/2007/05/could-i-have-your-autograph-please.html
My biggest problem with a standard guest book is that even if every single one of our guests signed it, more than half the pages would still be empty! Pluse, what exactly do you do with it afterwards? I’m not sure it makes a great coffee table book.
Instead of a traditional book, we are doing a signature photo mat. We found a big one on sale at Joann’s (wait until they have their 50% off framing specials) and for a mat that will be big enough for all 125+ guests to sign, it cost us less than $20. We will eventually put a wedding picture in it and get it custom framed, then it will go on the wall in our new house where people will actually be able to see it, and it won’t get tossed in a box in the back of the closet!
I’m thinking of having my guests sign flat river rocks as they come in so that I can put them in a display jar or bowl afterwards as decoration for our house. It’ll be a nice to rummange through the rocks later on and remember who was at the wedding.
I put our wish bowl near the venue entrance, on a table with nothing else other than a vase of flowers. There was a good-sized sign asking for wishes for the bride and groom, plenty of cards, envelopes, and pens. How many cards did we get? Nine. Not even twenty percent of the guests. Sigh. I’m glad I didn’t go overboard with that project. Many people told me they didn’t see the wish bowl at all. Instead of going in a book of their own, I guess they’ll go in the scrapbook.
I’ve always signed a traditional (just lines for signatures) guest book at a wedding. I think the trick is that at most weddings I’ve been to (and that will be true at mine) the guest book is at the end of the receiving line (if you’re having one, which we are). Everyone wants to say hi to the bride/groom and parents, so no one really minds waiting in that line too long. The book only asks for a signature, nothing else too elaborate. That book I’ve always seen used. And at ours, a good friend of mine will be at the end of the line behind the book reminding people to sign as they leave the receiving line.
We’re going to have a wish bowl which is separate from the guest book and that will be right on the way to the bathroom.
As to what to do with a guest book after that - if you don’t make it too wedding specific, you can use it as a guest book for the rest of your lives together. My parents had a guest book that we used whenever there were guests in town and it’s great to look back and see who has visited us through the years. This is especially true if you someday have a vacation home (in my dreams, but a girl can dream!) Those guest books are great and what better way to start one than with who was at your wedding?
That is a fantastic idea thistleorchid!
Dear Ms Raspberry,
I too am getting my bridesmaid dresses made in Thailand. My sister is going on friday and bringing the sample dress and measurements. I can tell you are happy with your dresses. could you give me the name and address of the dressmaker. Or if anyone else can recommend a dressmaker in Bankok, we’d really appreciate it.
Best Regards, Ms Lilly
Ms Lilly -
The woman who made our dresses makes them for the Queen of Thailand and Miss Universe. She is very well known and in Bangkok… Her name is Kat. I have emailed my friend who coordinated all of the dress stuff to get her contact info.. I will let you know when I get it.
Thank you, Ms Raspberry,
Was she very expensive? I’ve no idea what to expect to pay per dress.
kvartiry gorod dolgoprudnyy kupavna gorshkova kvartira prodazha kuplyu kvartiru caricyno prodazha kvartir malahitovaya novopodrezkovo prodazha kvartir sdam kvartiru m yasenevo kupit kvartiru g lyubercy prodazha kvartir m planernaya moskva kuplyu kvartiru obyavleniya
Mrs. Raspberry, DC/New York
Age and Occupation in 07: 24, Owner/Chief Creative Director
Fiance's Age in 07: 24, Special Investigator for the government
Engagement Date: August 5, 2006
Wedding Date: July 2007
Venue: The Roycroft Inn, East Aurora NY
About Me: I love wedding and event planning. I am having a great time with all of my DIY projects and can't wait to share them with all of the WeddingBee Readers (some have to wait until after our wedding)! Other favorites include: cooking, running, tennis, knitting and making crafts. Mr. Raspberry and I also have two dogs - Gewurz, a 2 year old
yellow lab and Stella, a 1 year old old cock-a poo.
i’m having the same dilemma. i really liked the whole ‘what was your favorite wedding memory’ idea that miss eggplant posted about here http://www.weddingbee.com/2007/06/05/be-our-guestbook/
but when asking the FI and other BM about it, they weren’t so hot for the idea… didn’t think that people would enjoy filling something out, esp when we barely notice people wanting to sign the guestbook at most weddings we work at. :\