· Bring a vintage wooden chair or porch bench and purchase a small high quality wood carving set or a good knife to let your guests carve their initials or a small message. Refinish the wood once the wedding is over and have a lovely piece of custom furniture for your home together. If carving seems a little difficult, pens and markers can also work. You can also have your own initials professionally carved into the center of the bench or carve them yourself! Another carving idea is to melt a large piece of wax into a textured plate and have guests initial once dry.
· Grab a decorative box or tin from a hobby or craft store and ask each guest to bring a small item or memento that reminds them of you. With twine or thin ribbons have guests attach a small note to their item and place it in the box to create your very own wedding guestbook time capsule. Make sure that someone closes it up before the wedding is over, and then pull it out at your first anniversary or years down the road to relive your big day. Make sure if you are having a large wedding that you get a large enough container for all of your guests.
· Hire a caricature artist and have him or her draw each of your guests throughout the night into one big picture that you can bring home and add to your wall. You can ask the artist to make sure that each guest’s personality comes out in their small portrait and have some fun doing poses and making memories for the two of you!
· Bring a piece of unfinished pottery, a platter or a bowl, and have guests sign it during the reception. Afterwards, have the piece of pottery glazed and fired to finish it. Your guestbook now becomes a functional addition to your kitchen for special occasions and everyday use!
· Have a photo of the two of you made into a large puzzle with lots of pieces. Break up the pieces of the puzzle and put them in a basket and have guests pull them out and sign them. Later on you can put the puzzle back together with each of the signatures and have a fun activity to put together again and again with each of the little signatures and notes a happy reminder of your friends and family.