Many people have a guest book at their wedding reception for guests to write a nice message in. We wanted to do this but decided we wanted to have an extra twist. We can’t remember where we got this idea – either Cassie came up with it or it was on a forum or in a magazine.
Instead of a blank guest book for people to sign, we got a big (heavy!) art book – the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Catalog. We put it on the table with a nice framed sign which said the following:
Art is very important to Cassie and Matt and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has been a big part of their lives. Please find a page with an image of a piece of art that speaks to you and write them a note with anything you’d like to share: advice, your impressions of the wedding, a recipe, or just draw them a picture!
Be sure to mark the page you’ve written on with a tag so that they don’t miss it.
We provided multi-colored Sharpies (the pages were glossy and we didn’t want smeared ink) which we got at CostCo, and some of those page marking tabs. People lined up to add a message, and when we got back home, we were able to leaf through and find many warm, sweet and funny messages from our guests.
Some people wrote once earlier in the day, and then again later when they had “loosened up”. Others defaced pieces of world-famous art with crude graffiti. I was surprised someone didn’t make a comment on a Rothko saying something like “this is your future“. I would have.
All in all it was a great success, and it means that we can leave this book out on our coffee table, pick it up from time to time and check out the art and lovely messages. It’s going to be a great keepsake.
When we went to our friends (and wedding guests) Alex & Jason’s wedding just recently, we found that their guest book was Oh, the places you’ll go by Dr Seuss. They admitted they had got the idea from us, which was flattering – they have awesome taste is so many things.
Verdict – recommended. Get a book that means something to you, and use that as a guest book – it’s lots of fun, and a talking point at the wedding and long after.