Probably a majority of guest books I have seen while photographing weddings, are either the generic office store sign in books with name and address lines, or the scrap book kind, which is the more creative choice of the two. What I am about to show you is a unique and relatively affordable alternative for the common guest book. It is a collages.net coffee table book with a matte cover (though I prefer the uv coated cover), and lay flat pages, standard finish. The purpose of the book is to showcase the photos from the couple’s engagement session, and leave some negative space for guests to sign and write a random message if they choose. Yearbook style, no lines, to make it interesting and off the cuff. This particular design shows the couple on the cover, and all the left pages contain engagement photos, and the right pages are blank for signing. This particular finish requires an acid free pen so it won’t smear.

One thing I tell my wedding clients, that if they opt for an engagement photo session as part of their package, they really should do at least one of the following things to justify their time and investment. Prints or gallery wraps in their home of their engagement photos, make a story board for display at the wedding (always a great idea), and later at their homes….And / or this guest book option. This way guests get to enjoy the photos and get creative when signing. But, for this to work, the couple needs to make this a part of the event, and make it a fun game….like instead of leaving it on a table, pass it around at the reception and everyone write a brief and fun wish or note to the couple, then it’s a valuable memento for the couple. And the photos help tell the story. There isn’t much reason to do engagement photos if putting them on Facebook is the only thing you plan on doing with them. This is certainly a nice unique option to showcase the photos, and have a priceless keepsake to keep and enjoy the rest of your lives. Here are a few samples, pretty neat concept