OMs- are you glad you had a guest book?

I am glad we didn't spend a lot of money on one... ours was half empty.

If you do have one, make sure you have someone in charge of it who takes it round to all the tables.

Another alternative is to maybe have postcards at each place setting asking them to write a message and send it on to you, then there is no pressure to write it there and then...

We had a "scribble board" rather than a guest book - my dad cut down a piece of mount board and cut an aperture for a picture, and we asked guests to sign that. I wasn't sure we'd get it filled but we did, and we've got a good mix of lovely messages and funny messages. Some of the children even wrote a little something and drew little pictures of hearts and people holding hands. It might not suit everybody, but we love it.

Mrs C and Trickers- I suggested both these ideas (cards and picture) and he poo-pooed them (he said the cards will get lost and he doesn't want a signed framed photo hanging up in the house)...

miserable s0d!

Thanks for the tip - having ordered a fancy one I want to make sure it gets used properly so we'll pick someone to go round and make sure everyone has written something.

Can't agree more with what Mrs C has said. My BMs were supposed to be in charge of the guestbook (their only job) but it was hardly signed. Still really gutted about this.

The messages we do have are lovely to read.

I was adament we were having a wish tree but then I thought what the hell will I do with it afterwards, after a few months the novelty will wear off and it will just get in the way, so for the same reason I thought a guest book was out of the question and would be a complete waste with about 10 pages being filled and the rest of the book empty so I had a look at oh so cherished and they have these books with card inserts, we are putting one between a couple at there seats, putting a few pens on the table this means the guests can fill them out at there leisure, afterwards we can either put them in our scrap book with a pic of said person, or insert them back in the book simples. Cheap as chips to.

I saw a polaroid guest book a few years back (guests have their pictures taken when they arrive which are then styuck into a guest book and people sign next to them), I thought it was a lovely idea because the bride said it gave her a picture of everybody looking their very best which she could look at afterwards and see what people were wearing when she possibly didn;t notice properly on teh day. Does this sound a naff idea?

Yes although we had a photobooth so that did encourage people to write in it more. Everyone apart from the oldies and some lazy cousins wrote it in. We had some lovely messages and some people just stuck their photo in and signed their names. Eitherway its lovely to look back on (although we've only been married a month!)

I'm glad we did it though!

We are havings our in photo's via our photobooth as we were worried about the above issues - it getting filled/abused/people avoiding it.

We've got lots of silly outfits, and message cards, making it much less formal and uncomfortable. OH loved the idea (more-so than me!).

Basically you come, have your piccy taken, then write a message and the TOG makes them into a formal little book, so we'll also not have it half full, and we'll also be able to tailor our any real rude messages, and it means guests can leave just a picture if they want. We have a mini chalk board so i'm thinking people may use that too.

We had a beautiful one that was a gift from Teri and David. Most people managed to write in it and it was lovely to take away to read on our honeymoon.

We also had a thumb print tree that people used and that's with the framer at the moment. When we move it's going to take pride of place in our downstairs loo!

Hi,

Not sure if this suggestion will go down any better, but we are having a wishing tree (sorry if this has already been mentioned, I didn't look at all the replies ?!)

Basically, I've got a bucket filled with stones, and then three fake tree branches from Hobbycraft that have got all these little flower on them so it looks pretty (and a bow for the bucket). All of the branches and twigs are wired so that you can pull them about. Then I've made a load of little luggage tags, and the idea is that our guests will write their note on the tag (one side only!), and then hang it on the tree. Hopefully everyone will want to write a nice little message which will look pretty hanging on the tree, and then when the wedding is done I'm going to take all the tags and put them in a scrap book along with a photo of the person(s) who left the comment, and other photos of the day/ evening that my friends and family have taken (call it the 'unofficial' photo album!)

I'm really looking forward to doing it - the wedding is on Saturday so I shall try and flash some photos afterwards!

We just ordered a photobooth. The guests get two sets of prints and the booth attendant helps them (!) to glue one set into a guest book and write a note next to it. They can also leave us video messages, we will get a guestbook of pics with messages and an edited DVD of all of the video messages about a week or so after the wedding.

Also start the circulation early...

We started it during the meal as soon as people sat down.

We are also having this option. I will get my BM's to encourage the older people to just sign the book if they dont want to use the photobooth

We had a guest book, we didn't buy it ourselves it was a gift from my Sister before the big day. Our reception venue put it on the table with our post box and other bits so it was right there as people came in. Our best man circulated it when everyone sat down for the meal and during the evening it was put back on the table. We were so delighted when we read the book at the hotel that night, the comments people had put were amazing, it was so lovely to read how they had enjoyed the day and all the individual personal messages, there were some real funny ones too. I'm so glad we had the guest book, its something we can look back on and treasure forever when we remember our day

No!!! Idiot of a wedding co-ordinator told me he had never received it and apparently his staff searched everywhere. It happened to be in amongst all the things they had packed away for me to take home the next day- unsigned!!! Was very upset and as you can probably tell, it is still a sore subject...

I think it's a fab idea when it is actually used though!

Totally agree with circulating it early - every wedding i've been to, the guest book has come out after the meal, towards the start of the evening reception when we've been basically drinking for 3 hours! I dread to think what i've written in some books.....

I so agree. I was BM for my BFF a couple of years ago and by the time I got round to writing in hers I was absolutely hammered, no idea what I wrote, just hope it wasn't rude. She never mentioned it so hopefully it wasn't too bad.

Personally I don't think I can be bothered with one ?

I am going to assign this job to my daughters. Thanks for the tips.