Thursday, February 11, 2010

The updated versions of a guest book

Can you believe the old school guest books? They were almost as boring as the old 3 ring binder photo albums. Here's a few ways to update this tradition to make it your own:

1.River rocks~Have your guests sign rocks and display them in large glass jars.

2.Photo booth~Have a photo booth set up to take pictures for the HD hour and then let guests assemble them in a book and sign them.

3.Typewriter~Have a vintage typewriter with a long scroll of paper inserted and let guests type a sentiment.

4.Wish tree~Tall glass vase filled with tree branches that guests can tie their wish to...love this one!

5.Polaroid~ Set up a polaroid table and assign someone to take guests photos.......clincher is to have all the guests holding a chalkboard that they wrote a message on for the couple.

6.Blankie~Have the guests sign quilting squares that will later be made into a blanket or stitched for a wall hanging.


The possibilities are endless so get creative and make your "sign in" your own!!

Destination Wedding Rehearsal Dinners

~Who pays? Traditionally, the grooms parents pay, but I've seen aunts, cousins, even the wedding couple foot the bill.
~Do we invite everyone that came in town to the dinner? Yes, you should invite everyone to a "welcome" party. If it's not the actual rehearsal dinner then you should have some sort of event after or before to include everyone! It's a great time to meet n greet with all your guests that have driven a long distance, taken off from work, that you haven't seen in a long time, etc... You have so much going on all weekend that it's a great time to speak to everyone that is attending so you aren't too overwhelmed at the reception.
~Where should it be held? I am a huge fan of not using the same venue for both events! Save the "wow" of the location for the wedding. With that being said, there's always dinner cruises, restaurants, state parks......the list goes on, but always make sure it's an easy trip from where all your guests are staying.
~Should my planner, officiant, musician, etc....that were at the actual rehearsal be invited? It's a way of thanking them for being part of such a memorable and special occasion. It's not necessary, but it a really nice gesture.