Weddings go by in an absolute blur of great times and fun memories, which is why it’s so important to do all you can to capture that big day as best you can. Now, while your photographer and potentially videographer are a great starting point, there are many other ways to capture your day from all angles – and all guests.
One traditional way to do this is with a guest book, but times have changed. You aren’t restricted to just a paper guest book any longer. You can also go digital and create a photo booth guest book – or both!
Budgets matter when planning your wedding, so let’s go through each option’s pros and cons to help you choose the right guest book option for your big day.
Photo Booth Guest Book
A photo booth is a great, fun experience for your guests. They’ll absolutely love having photos of themselves on the big day, as well as the fun of posing and being silly in a photo booth setup. But did you know that you can also use your photo booth as a guest book?
You can opt for guest-book specific photo booths like the selfie post box, which offers a place for guests to pop their cards in, and also take a photo or video message for the couple, or simple photo/video photo booths like the mirror photo booth.
Pros
You’ll capture images and videos of your loved ones wishing you well and sharing their love. You can then have your videographer (if you have one) incorporate these clips into your wedding video or create a separate video for your wedding guest book, making it easy for guests to view.
Cons
Since photo booth guest books aren’t the norm, people may not know what to do or that they should create videos for you. To avoid this, add large signs that say, “Send Us a Message! Record a short message for our digital guestbook” or something similar.
Traditional Guest Book
A traditional guest book is where your loved ones can write messages and well wishes to you. If you have a means to print photos instantly (for instance, with a Polaroid-type camera), you could even have them put their message next to their photos. Traditional guest books are a sweet and affordable option.
Pros
Everyone knows what a guest book is and how to use it, making it a very easy addition to have (just make sure it’s in a visible location). It’s also far more comfortable for people who may not be able to create a heartfelt video they like on the spot.
Cons
Guest books may not be read through as often after your wedding. On the day, guests may skip pages, leaving large collections of them empty, or may forget entirely.
Why Not Both?
The good news is that the traditional guest book can be very, very affordable. Sure, you can splurge on a stunning custom book, but you can also create a binder with sheets and then digitize those messages. The point is, why not both? If you can add a mirror photo booth to your wedding, your guests are going to love it, so why not get more value out of the booth and have them send you a little message? Then you’ll have written and video messages to remember your big day.
