Recently I finished gathering everything we will need for our guest book. This was a great thing to cross off the ever-growing to-do list before we get too close to the wedding.
There are so many unique and fun options for guest books these days and not many people still opt for the traditional book of signatures anymore. Something I've always wanted to do was the the photo guest book. I love photography and I have scrapbooks and photo albums jam-packed with photographs. I was sort of the record-keeper as a kid and I took and kept most of the photos and films of my friends as we were growing up. Therefore, the photo guest book seemed like a natural choice for us -- plus something Mr. C and I will enjoying flipping through for years to come!
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| Image source via: Ruffled / Photography by: Alexandra Roberts Photography |
Mr. C gave me a Fujifilm Instax MINI instant film camera for Christmas a few years ago. Granted, I don't use it very often (the film is rather expensive) but as soon as we got engaged I knew that it would come in handy! The idea is to have each couple or group of guests photographed. The instantly developed film will then added to our guest book with a personal message. We plan to have an attendant stationed at the table for a while in order to assist guests in taking photos. There is also a cool little fish eye mirror at the front of the camera which will allow guests to take selfie photos as well, in case the attendant has left for the evening.
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| Image source via: Amazon |
In order to cut down on confusion we also plan to have some of our groomsmen and bridesmaids add some of their photos and messages first so that other guests can get a feel for what they should do. Overall though, I don't care if it is disorganized or messy -- part of the fun will be seeing what silly photos our guests take and what messages they will write or draw for us.
1) An Instant Film Camera:
A Fujifilm Instax MINI 25 Instant Film Camera (around $100) or its cheaper, smaller cousin the Fujifilm Instax Mini 7s (around $65).
2) Instant Film:
This will vary depending on which camera you choose, but it's cheapest on Amazon. I bought the Fujifilm Instax MINI film on Amazon at around $17 for 20 photos. I've also seen this same film sold at Wal-Mart and Urban Outfitters at slightly higher prices. I bought a few of these two packs so that we'd have around 60 photos. I figured most people would take photos as a couple or a group and we are expecting around 100-120 guests at the wedding.
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| Image source via: Amazon |
3) A Guest Book:
You need a book that can accommodate the photos and room for a personal message. The photos are actually fairly thick and I imagine they will add a lot of height to your book, if that makes sense. We went with this one from Amazon:
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| Image source via: Amazon |
There might be better options out there, but honestly I just wanted something simple that would get the job done. This one has a beautiful color that will match our wedding decor and it was inexpensive.
4) A Sign with Instructions:
Here's the sign I made in Illustrator that will be framed and sitting next to the guest book and camera.
And here it is printed out and in a frame I bought at the thrift store and spray painted white (it looks a little more washed out in this photo than it is in reality):
5) Adhesive:
Instead of tempting fate with messy, slow-drying glue, we decided to go with cute, colorful washi tape! What is washi tape? It's sort of a gentle masking tape, usually with fun, colorful patterns and designs. I picked up an insane amount of washi tape in Japan over the summer and I have been saving it for a rainy day. Well, I'm glad I did because it will make the perfect addition to our guest photo book. The multi-pack you see below is one of the exact same ones I bought in Japan!
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| Image source via: cutetape.com |
6) Archival Ink:
You don't want those endearing messages from guests to fade over time, so make sure they are written in acid-free archival ink! I bought some Pigma Micron pens in a variety of colors.
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| Image source via: Amazon |
What type of guest book will you have at your wedding?
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