Turn Engagement Photos Into Guest Books!

Shooting on average 20 weddings per year, I get some pretty hefty exposure to changing trends in wedding styles. On the topic of guest books and other means of collecting signatures and well wishes, I've seen everything from signed notes hung on trees to a family member mulling about with a video camera asking guests for candid statements. Those are great ideas, but how are they preservable? If I had a stack of note cards, I'd want to put them into a book anyway. If I had a video of verbal comments, I'd have to dig up the video from a buried Facebook feed or its disc from some trunk. The key to a keepsake is something you'll enjoy revisiting and something easy to access. I personally like books :).

Even in our advanced digital age, the good old fashioned Book still stands the truest test of time. Interesting, hm? Those who want guest books have long been tiring of traditional lined books with the frilly "Guests" inscription heading each page. And so, I've analyzed some trends in photo guest books and designed my own as you see in two samples here. Images from engagement sessions or pre-wedding bride/groom shoots work great for these! It's like a pre-wedding album. See more album layouts in my portfolio.

Design is collage style and fully customized (including a full front/back photo wrap cover) and designed by myself, taking cues from the atmosphere of the shoot. Guest books are created as an Art Book style album. Collage design means no guest is bound to lines. They can get creative with their personal statements. Paper can be chosen in plain, pearlized or linen textures. Designs are prepared strategically and spaciously with room for signatures and messages. Lighter and half opacity backgrounds are designed for dark colored marker pens and darker backgrounds are designed for metallic pens. Art Book albums lay flat when left open and stand a bind-tight test of time with acid free pages that won't yellow or degrade.

Your guests will be so floored and intrigued by your fabulous photo rich guest book, you'll need to put up a sign telling them you intend for them to sign it. (Because they won't think it's ok to sign fabulous images, you will have to remind them!)