Ever since I saw the signature photo mat guest “book” made by Pottery Barn, I wanted one. Evidence (although this one isn’t from Pottery Barn–and ours wouldn’t be, either. 50% off at Michael’s, baby):
Image from weddingbycolor.com
I think it’s amazing. Yes, I know everyone does this these days, but you know what? Sometimes things are popular for a reason. I think this one is popular because it’s awesome. Mr. Cream Puff, on the other hand, is kind of indifferent. I don’t think he dislikes the idea, but he doesn’t exactly like it.
When I showed him what my friend Kathy did for her guestbook, he thought it was really cool. Basically, you buy these pages and a book from this place called the Guestbook Store. Then you leave them out with pens for your guests to take to their tables and fill out:
Images from guestbookstore.com
After the wedding, you put them in the book, which is a three-ring binder. I’m not as wild about this idea as Mr. Cream Puff is, mostly because it would involve yet another DIY project. Why? Because it would be preferable to have these be only one page, and I’m not too wild about some of the questions. For example, this isn’t exactly a “get to know you” thing. We know how everyone knows us (after all, we invited them) and we know where they’re all coming from. Kathy also mentioned that we might want to cut out the “Any advice for the newlyweds?” question, because most of the answers on hers were the same.
So I’m not sure what to do. MIL Puff doesn’t seem to think that most of the Chinese guests will feel like filling these out. She says, “Chinese people like things simple. Sign your name, be done, and that’s it.” Mr. Cream Puff says we’d probably get some really funny ones from everyone else and that he’d really like to look at these in the future. So part of me is like, “I don’t want another DIY project, especially if it’s not going to be utilized or appreciated,” and the other part of me is like, “Mr. Cream Puff hardly ever has an opinion or a preference when it comes to this wedding, so maybe I should just do it.” The other part of me (because I’m a complicated woman) is like, “Maybe we should just do both.”
If we did do both, I could make a funny sign explaining what to do. It could say something like, “The bride wanted the photo mat. The groom wanted the funny guestbook. So in the spirit of compromise, they decided to do both. Please sign your name on the photo mat, then grab a pen and a guestbook page and fill it out when you have a minute.” Or something to that extent.
What do you guys think we should do?
I vote keep things simple and do the frame 
Could you have a wish jar type of thing for advice so you could get the funny stuff in too?
I like the book, just because its something that you can easily flip through when youre bored and want to relive your wedding fun! I’ve seen a lot of people do the photomat, but often times it doesnt make it up on their walls at their homes, either because its kind of wierd to just have a huge picture of you guys hanging somewhere, or they just never get around to doing it. If I did the photo mat, I’d probably put some more “artsy” wedding photo of ours (maybe of us walking, or a detail shot) rather than a headshot of the two of us, or I know that thing would NEVER get hung in the house….I dont want to stare at my mug every time I walk in
I’m part of the two-guestbook crowd. First, I loved the frame mat, too! Then, I wanted the photobooth! Then, I thought I wanted both! Then, I finally fell in love, after not appreciating its aesthetics or hard work, with the wish tree…Now, I’m in complete LOVE of a concert-style poster like those on Etsy, because I’m getting married at a concert venue…AGH! Why are there so many great ideas?!
Well, there’s got to be a way to have the best parts of them all…I’m doing the photobooth and the concert-esque poster. I’m restricting the poster to only signatures, and I’m asking people to post their photobooth pics and write wishes of love and luck on pages that will be assembled post-wedding.
I say that all to assure you that if you want both, I think you can have both without it coming off too spastically. If people just sign their names on the photomat, and you make (only if you’re up to more DIY!!) up little cards more fitting to what you want to ask, I think that would turn out really nicely, Miss Cream Puff!
I was in the same boat as you CP. I was going to do both. Then decided against the mat, and chose the book since we’ve opted to do the polaroid guestbook. I was teetering with the same idea that guests would have two things they’d had to deal with it rather than one simple one.
I’ve been to one wedding with the guest book pages and those were sent out ahead of time with the invitations. If you want really thoughtful responses, it’s probably better to have people fill them in at home.
She’s right, Chinese people don’t like filling stuff out. The end product will not come out like you imagine. Could you do that kind of guest book for your shower?
My sister had the same kind of guestbook from the guestbook store… it was nice, but honestly, it was a bit of pain. I guess it depends where you put the actual table that it’s gonna be on. Due to her limited space, the guestbook table totally caused the guests to “bottleneck” near the entrance. Maybe you could put them on the tables… but then again, someone could get their food on it.
I can’t speak for the Chinese culture, but I am Filipino, and I KNOW for a fact that the old folks wouldn’t have a clue with what to do with those pages!
I’d just like to plead with all brides and grooms and shower hostesses to stop asking guests to provide advice for the newly-weds.
As a single person, what the heck do I know?!?! I always feel like an idiot when faced with the question.
Oh sorry, didn’t finish my comment. With that said - I have to go with the funny book (with alternate questions). Mostly because when I look back at my senior book as such things, the comments are still hilarious and give me warm-fuzzies about the person. Random signatures? Not so exciting.
We do the photo mat signatures at work all the time for going away parties. They never look as nice as the one in your photo. People sign all bunched up together, there are big empty spots, some people sign with their own pens so the ink doesn’t match, somebody writes too soon after somebody else and smears their signature all over the place. Of course these are just to put up in your office, so it doesn’t matter that much.
I looked at the pages on another website and thought they were just too much - people won’t want to do that much at the wedding. If you send out pages ahead of time, half the folks will forget to bring or send them back. I would also try not to ask people to do more than one thing.
We are going to do 3 x 5 cards on really nice cardstock, along the lines of a wishing tree, but with a birdcage or punch bowl to drop them into. I figure that a 3 x 5 card is big enough for people to write a nice sentiment, and not so big as to be intimidating. And they are a nice size to go into photo album pockets later. We will preprint them on one side with various appropriate words and phrases for inspiration (kind of like the expressions cards from paper source).
One of my friends did both at her wedding — a signature photo mat and the fun guestbook — I only signed the signature mat. The fun guestbook was just too much work and too much writing 
We did more or less a variation on suzanno’s suggestion, and people participated exactly as much as they wanted. As a bonus, the boxes people dropped their cards into were marked “Wit,” “Wisdom,” and “Wishes,” and we got all kinds of stuff: signatures, limericks, drawings, jokes, equations (seriously!)…it let everyone do what they wanted, without the pressure of having everyone else read it. Man, I’ve signed too many group cards with just a signature, while everyone around me has written a gorgeous sentiment, and the well-sealed boxes took that pressure off.
I am doing something like suzanno (above). I will be using small squares of scrapbook paper and scrapbook pens. I have decorated a mini trunk that the guest can drop the squares into once they are done. I am going to make a sign explaining the process on the table. Since the wedding plans have been such a huge part of my life, I will be making a scrapbook of my wedding planning and non professional pictures. I am going to put the squares on a few pages. My photographer will make coffee table books, but I am going to preserve everything else in my scrapbook. It is another DIY project, but I think I will welcome it in the lull after my consuming wedding planning phase!
As a wedding guest, I would advocate choosing one instead of doing both–I know it makes me terrible, but I tend to not have a lot of patience with too many “sign here!” commands at wedding events… When put on the spot in my dress-up clothes, I suddenly go blank.
That said, I am partial to the guestbook store idea–and plan on doing a slightly different version myself. One thing I’m thinking is to incorporate the blank cards into the seating or maybe the cocktail hour–so folks don’t have to bunch around a single table. Also, I’m thinking that there should only be one or two creative prompts for the whole thing, so it’s not an ordeal to do, and so that there’s the option of just being simple and writing “I love you guys!” and signing off…
I like your funny sign idea… that’s cute and clever.
We are doing the polaroid guestbook, it was one of the first wedding things I bought as I loved it when I saw one all done up in a store. It was pretty pricey (for a guestbook) as I had to order the kit with the camera and film along with the book, but I love it so its worth it. I got ours at Addessoalbums.com, and its really nice, covered in raw silk and high quality paper pages. I love that we’ll have pictures of all of our guests right away instead of waiting for the photographers pics. I’ve already ‘assigned’ a friend to take the pictures….. 5 months from now!
I bought the same guest book, but the one with more general simple questions! i think it is fun and creative and im not going to force anyone to do it, so whoever doesn’t want to dance can hang out and fill one out! We will see how it works, but I thought it was sooo cute!
We used the book from the guestbook store at our wedding last year… complete with wacky corny questions and everything. It was a complete success. I assumed most people would fill it out as a group, couple or family, but it turns out that my guests didn’t want to share… almost everyone did their own page!
The best pages were filled out by our youngest guests who had the funniest advice for us and the most random “best memories”!
I’m sure it doesn’t work for every wedding. But it was perfect for our small casual fun zoo wedding. Also, to keep from having a line form we left the pages in a basket along with brightly colored markers and note that guests could take a page to their table with them. I think a lot of guests filled them out during toasts and between dinner courses.
Someone bought me a signature frame for my shower even though I didn’t ask for one. Despite the lovely gift, I don’t particularly care for the idea, since all the signatures usually don’t aesthetically look good. But I guess I have to put it out now. I was going to do a simple guestbook, or a version of the one you posted Miss Cream Puff, which I am more inclined to. I think our guests will have some funny and sweet things to say on that. But now I don’t know if I can do it- I don’t know if there’s room for 2 and I don’t really want 2. *sigh.
Here’s my guestbook opinions. I think that the ‘just a signature’ thing is kinda boring. Yet - it accomplishes the goal of knowing who was at the wedding. It’s simple. But really - are you ever going to look at it again?
Not every guest will want to leave you a note - but these notes are so heart felt, lovely, and cherished when they do leave them! Plus it gives your guest the option to show off a little creativity!
I decided to do a quilt guest book - just cause I thought it’d be cool to also photocopy wedding photos onto fabric and create a beautiful quilt for our bedroom wall - which incorporates the guest book. And it’s something that will actually be enjoyed! I didn’t really have any expectations for what people would write. Let me tell you - I’m so glad we went with this option. As I flipped through the quilt squares after our honeymoon I almost starting crying! It took me right back to our wedding day and I thoroughly enjoyed the kind thoughts everyone left. Even the kids got into tracing there hands and leaving little notes that will be cherished forever. They are unique and special just like every guest
You are also correct that this does add another DIY projects - which I haven’t started yet and we’re coming up on our first anniversary I’m planning to rope my mom into helping with this one!!!
I liked the idea of the guestbook store book but wasn’t head over heals with the design and length of the pages/and certain questions…
So I’m going to create my own template and print them on card stock and buy a nice cloth album from Kolo to assemble it in.
I’m requesting that guests send back a photo with a memory that we’ve shared together with their response card and hope to attach the photo to the templates and leave them at the table that those guests are seated at.
I have been a huge “picture taker” my whole life so if people forget to insert a photo I figure I’ll pick one out for them
I’d just do the signature matte. As a wedding guest, I think it’s unappealing to do so much “work” for a guest book by answering all of those questions. I also don’t like the pressure associated with the ever-popular “wish bowls”. I just don’t like having to give on-the-spot words of wisdom — but understand how fun it is to recieve them, and that some guests enjoy it.
For that reason, we’ve purchased a coffee table book featuring our honeymoon destination (but you could buy a book that features any location of importance to you) and asking guests to sign that — anywhere in the book they way, in whatever way they want. Like a yearbook. And because it’s a beautiful coffee table book, hopefully that means we’ll want to keep it out in our home!
I love the coffee table book idea! That was our second choice
Also just a random note - even if you have a sign with directions it may be a good idea to have someone monitoring the table and available to answer any guest questions. Also maybe to offer some encouragement to ensure your vision is accomplished. I’d also send someone around the tables after dinner to remind guests about the guest book and what they have to do - to make sure no one forgets. Especially important for those guest books that take a little extra time. People may skip the line while entering the reception - but you don’t want them to forget altogether
I love the idea!! The only thing I would change, is to put all the info on one page. Front and back even.
We got a signature frame as a gift from my husband’s brother & his wife, but I really think it was my MIL who pushed for it because she said, and I quote, “I love those!”
Well, I’m glad *she* loves them, but my husband and I don’t really. Ours turned out as others have mentioned–sparse in some places, cramped in others, nothing really insightful said, and now we’re left with we feel is the married equivalent to a high school yearbook page that we’re expected to hang up…bleh. I would’ve gladly passed on this gift.
@cs: thats funny that you mention the single-guests-offering advice thing…I totally agree
I used to write stupid things like “dont forget to brush before you go to bed at night” or “dont forget to scrub behind your ears” cause WTF advice could I really give couples? I’m single and looking! Haha.
Buy a cool coffee table book that reflect you and your fiance’s theme, taste, relationship and have people sign that..
for example: getting married on a beach, buy a book with beautiful pictures of sea shells and just have people sign their name, write a messege…whatever they want!
OR, go to blurb.com, or iphoto (for you mac users) and create a photo book of you and your future hubby and your families and let people sign that. That way you can get it out on occasion and look through it.
This is what we are doing, and I’m really excited about it!
We did the photo mat and it turned out really well! I think this is because A) we had a small wedding of less than 40 people and B) some family members forgot to sign the day of, which was fine because they had time to form their thoughts more clearly and also see where the spacing was lacking.
I did feel a little conceited hanging it up, but since my family is rarely able to be together at once, I love looking at the heartfelt messages. We chose an artsier shot as well, an engagement picture where we’re not looking at the camera. Good luck!
i dont think chinese guests will sign the guestbook pages with questions- it looks too overwhelming. plus the older chinese people may not understand some of the questions? i dont know, but that’s how it is with my family. they’d just sign their name then look for their friends and their tables.
i like the idea of a photo mat, but i second the idea that it doesn’t always look as great as you think- i dunno. i’ve been to some weddings where it looks good with signatures and others where it’s just signatures everywhere. but really it’s up to you.
for myself i just bought a kolo scrapbook and used rub-on phrases to dress it up a lil. i’ll let guests decide if they want to just sign or write a lil more.
It looks like everyone agrees with the Fun Book! I went to a wedding recently that privided a half page (or less) to each guest that was simply scrapbook paper. There was a square on the page where your photo would eventually go — and someone attending the table equipt with a digital camera — and in the open area you could give advice, only sign your name, etc. etc. I thought it was very cute! However, yet another DIY project. If you are able to enlist someone to take on the task I thought it was great.
Sorry to cause such problems!
If I were you I’d probably do both. The sign is cute but I don’t think you’d necessarily need it. If I were a guest I don’t know if I would really notice that both were types of guestbooks since they’re so different.
Without being asked, the moms passed out our guestbook pages and pens at the tables of family members and instructed them to fill them out (even the ones who were like “do we have to?”). If you did the Guestbook Store option it would probably help if the MIL encouraged people to sign them.
Mrs. Cream Puff, San Francisco Bay Area
Age and Occupation: 25, Illustrator
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Merchandise Planner
Engagement Date: May 27, 2007
Wedding Date: August, 2008
Blogging Since: February 7, 2008
Venue: Ceremony at Crissy Field and Reception at the Green Room
About Me: I never dreamed about my wedding as a little girl because I was too busy playing in the mud or pretending to be Martha Stewart–but now that it's here, I'm having a fabulous time DIYing everything in sight! We’re planning a very fun multicultural wedding (I'm Jewish and Mr. Cream Puff is Chinese), filled with as many personal details as I can muster.
Oh I love the idea of the funny sign– that is so cute!
I have mixed feelings about the photo mats only because at a couple weddings I’ve gone to, the signatures got a little out of control and the end product didn’t look very nice. But at the same time, when done properly, it is so lovely and such a nice keepsake to have.
I think the guestbook pages are cute too, but some of the questions are kind of goofy. You could create your own pages with your own fun questions, print them out, and put them in a book, but that would be another DIY project.
Maybe have them both out? Mr. Jasmine so rarely has a wedding related opinion that when he actually says he *wants* to do something, I feel like I might as well listen. Plus, you still get your photo mat too!