The classic guestbook is a simple and sentimental way of remembering exactly who was at your wedding, and there’s plenty of opportunity to get creative with this concept. Still, some brides and grooms are putting a twist on this idea with the modern advice box. Let’s explore both options so you can make an informed decision for your special day.
Guestbook Basics and Ideas
The traditional wedding guestbook can be as simple as a notebook with lined pages or as glamorous as a special hardbound album with wedding-themed decor on the cover and pages. Most wedding guests sign the guestbook as they enter the venue for the reception, though if the reception and ceremony are held in the same location, they may sign upon entering the venue before the ceremony takes place. It’s a good idea to keep the book available throughout the night so guests have the opportunity to sign and leave a short message for the couple.
You can make your guestbook a special part of the event by choosing a deluxe option that matches or coordinates with the colors and theme of your wedding. For example, if your theme focuses on the season in which your wedding is taking place, you can choose a guestbook with florals, foliage or colors that recall the season and blend in with the general atmosphere you’ve created with your decor.
Advice Box Basics and Ideas
Advice boxes follow the same general concept of a guestbook; they allow guests to mark their presence at the event and provide the opportunity to leave a lasting message addressed to the couple. However, instead of simply collecting signatures and short well wishes in a book, an advice box is designed for the couple’s loved ones to give them advice for their new lives together. The couple might read these messages after an argument or on a happier occasion such as their anniversary in order to be reminded of all the love that supports the marriage.
If you’d rather not collect advice, you can opt for a wish box instead. Wish boxes use the exact same idea as advice boxes, only the guests are instructed to write a wish for the couple’s happiness and include that in the box. Again, the couple can read these sweet messages whenever they’re feeling sentimental or when they need a reminder of the happiness they felt on their wedding day.
Whichever approach you decide to take, you’ll want to offer both a box for the messages to go into and writing materials for guests to use in crafting their personal messages. Offer notecards or slips of pretty decorative paper along with plenty of pens to go around. You can place these materials with the box on a welcome table just as you would with a guestbook. Post a sign with instructions so the guests understand what to do with these materials and have members of the wedding party encourage your guests to fill out the cards accordingly.
