Alternatives to the traditional guest book

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Puzzle pieces

We love this fun puzzle idea. Your guests write a message on the back of the wooden jigsaw pieces and then you fit them together after the big day and create a wonderful, original work of art to display long after the big day. Just make sure you ask guests to write their messages before the drinks start flowing!

Celebration Tree

Let your guests design an original work of art for you to treasure and admire in your home for years to come with the Celebration Tree! Your friends and family simply ‘leaf’ their fingerprint onto a chosen branch. They can sign the leaf if you wish but celebration tree also offer a self-adhesive signature plate that you can stick to the back of the frame picture if you wish.

Vintage typewriter

Your guests type a message on the long scroll of paper set up on the old vintage typewriter. Hear the clonking of the keys and again another fun interactive way to engage with your guests. Great nostalgic idea and will make a wonderful table piece. If you can’t borrow – or you don’t want to buy – a vintage typewriter just for one day, how about hiring one?

Wishing well cards

These wishing well cards are a fun alternative to traditional wedding guest books. The pretty bird designs work especially well if you’re planning an outdoor or nature-inspired celebration. Your guests simply write their good luck messages, or their advice for the future, and then mail them into a beautiful birdcage. There are lots of colour options available, too, so you can easily find the one that works well with your theme.   

Wooden hearts

This idea is oh so romantic! Ask your guests to sign their love on a wooden heart keepsake that you can keep in your treasure chest to look over on your anniversary. You could even make these wooden hearts your inspiration for your whole wedding theme, and offer heart favours and incorporate a heart onto your thank you cards.

These five cool guest book alternatives are also great entertainment for your guests.

Unwritten wedding rules

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Falling foul of the unwritten rules of wedding day etiquette may be easier than most of us realise – don’t be one of these wedding guests!

Over half of guests (52%) say they have attended a ceremony where they have cringed at the antics of a fellow family member or friend of the happy couple, according to a new survey.

Call the fashion police

Wearing the wrong outfit is classed as the most common mistake, with 36% of people saying they have witnessed guests dressed inappropriately. One in five (21%) say they have been embarrassed by attendees in very revealing clothing, while 15% know someone who has worn white or come dressed all in black, to a couple’s big day.

Men are not immune to getting their outfits wrong either, with 4% being seen in jeans and another 2% left feeling foolish by mistakenly believing black tie and dinner jacket is the same as a morning suit.

Too wide a hat was mentioned by 14% who thought it rude as it blocked the view at the ceremony, and wearing a similar dress to the bridesmaids was regarded by 11% as thoughtless. Keeping sunglasses on in church was found to be pretentious by 9%, while fake tan that was too dark or streaky, and heavily applied make-up was seen as a faux pas by 6%.

Not the right time

Nine out of ten thought getting drunk and causing a scene was the worst offence, but only 8% said they had witnessed such an event at a wedding. Taking flash photos during the ceremony was loathed by over eight out of ten, though just 12% had experienced this happening. A further 7% said they had been to weddings where a mobile phone ringing had ruined the atmosphere, either during the service or in the middle of speeches at the reception.

Inconsiderate guests causing problems for the organisers had been witnessed by 13% of those asked, either by not replying to an invitation and turning up with a friend who wasn’t invited, or changing the place cards to sit on a different table. People turning up late were another bug-bear for 10% of respondents.

Speech time

Best men are known for walking a tightrope between good and bad taste when giving their speech, and 37% said they had attended weddings where previous girlfriends and past exploits – best left unsaid – had been mentioned.

Leaving before the reception speeches are finished was regarded as unacceptable by one in four, while 5% claimed to have watched unseemly tussles as women tried to catch the bride’s bouquet.

Top wedding guest faux pas:

  • Bad taste best man’s speech
  • Leaving before the reception speeches are finished
  • Guests wearing outfits that are far too revealing
  • Wearing all white or all black
  • Blocking out the view of others in church with very large brimmed hats
  • Bringing someone who was not invited/failing to RSVP but turning up
  • Taking flash photography during the ceremony
  • Wearing a dress similar to the bridesmaids
  • Wearing sunglasses in church
  • Getting drunk/rowing and causing a scene
  • Forgetting to turn the ringer off your mobile phone for the ceremony or speeches
  • Turning up in jeans
  • Aggressively trying to catch the bride’s bouquet
  • Mistaking morning suit for black tie and dinner jacket

Don’t let your wedding end in disaster

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We all love weddings. Who doesn’t? The breakfast, the ceremony, the drinks, the dinner, the reception, the dancing. To be honest, there’s a whole lot to love! Of course the actual planning isn’t quite so carefree and more often than not runs into a number of difficulties along the way. Nothing encapsulates this more than the BBC’s Don’t Tell the Bride, which has just returned to screens and we’d celebrate this return by recalling some of our favourite ‘just what were they thinking?’ moments.

The One Under Water

“I don’t even have a quid for the locker…”Lovebirds Ian and Jane met at work, which happens to be the local leisure centre. Wanting to recapture that wonderful moment, Ian decides that it makes perfect sense to actually get hitched underwater in the deep end of the pool. Watch in horror as poor Hayley realises her fiancé hasn’t quite thought this through as she ruins her makeup, hair and dress by jumping in. And Ian’s new mother-in-law is none too happy at sitting on the side-lines, staring at the water, well aware that vows are being exchanged beneath the surface “I can’t work out where I’ve gone wrong. “There’s something to be said for a man who bets one of the biggest days of his life on red or black. Simon does exactly that, ultimately deciding that a good way to spend his budget of £12,000 is by flying to Las Vegas and paying for a small portion of family and friends to fly out for the wedding as well. His fiancée Kaleigh unsurprisingly disagrees, at one-point exclaiming that the engagement is off and that she won’t be flying. A quick phone call later and all is (kind of) forgiven, with the family ‘enjoying’ the day… Minus Kaleigh’s brother who couldn’t be paid for.

The One in New York

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, am I marrying a fool? “This is probably our favourite because of the way the entire wedding comes about. Juan is put in charge of organising his wedding to Alice and her favourite book just happens to be from a film. In fact, she’s got her heart set on one day visiting the statues of the characters in New York’s Central Park. Without thinking too much about it, Juan decides to fly out there with his best man, fully intending to get married next in front of this wonderful park display… Until he sees them in person for the first time and declares them ‘a bit tacky’. Still, having committed to his plan he then sets about seeing what else New York has to offer, leading to a whole host of enjoyable moments including ordering a wedding dress from a seconds store and housing his fiancée and her friends in a drug den!!!

The One with the Island

“We aren’t actually married. “This wedding features as a wonderful parable for us all. When it comes to your wedding, research, research, research. For a reason known only to himself, David has his heart set on getting married to Rosie on the Isle of Lundy, a place she once nearly drowned, leaving her with a phobia of water for life. Things go from bad to worse for David when he discovers you have to be a resident of the island for seven days to get married there. Ignoring the fact that you only have three weeks to plan the entire wedding on, David triumphantly completes the seven days before discovering both partners have to spend seven days there before the wedding.  With everything already paid for, the duo end up enjoying a fake wedding with their family and friends before confirming everything at the registry office the next day!!

Don’t worry we are sure that your Wedding is never going to be as extreme as these stories, but careful planning and conversing with each other is the key to a very special day.

Planning the fun for your wedding

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Hiring entertainment for your wedding can seem like a struggle but it doesn’t have to be. It’s natural to stress over all aspects of an event but if you follow these five basic event planning rules, you’ll be a brilliant event planner in no time! So whether it’s your first time booking entertainment for an event or you’re an old hand, here are a few tips that it’s always worth remembering.

Make a List of Entertainment Ideas

 There are a lot of superb entertainment acts out there but not all of them will be suitable for your special event. As such, it’s best for event planners make a list of the sort of thing you’re looking for even if you have quite a broad spectrum of what it is you’re after.

Know the Trends

One of the most important things about being an event planner is that you need to know what is available on the market. After making your list of wedding entertainment ideas, it’s now time to look out for any other acts the people seem to be excited about and consider the date as well.! Like any industry, events go through trends and it’s important to be on the ball to ensure that you’re getting what you pay for in terms of the latest exciting entertainment act.

Budget Wisely

Decide on a budget far in advance of when you sit down to allocate the funds to each part of your event or wedding. Entertainment can be pricey, as can each part of wedding event planning, but shrewd event planners are the ones who do not waver from their initial costings and ensure that they are getting a good deal. Musicians in particular vary widely in price.

Give Yourself Some Time

People like to plan early so don’t leave it until the last minute before booking the entertainment for your event. Some popular acts are being requested by event planners for weddings late in 2017, so don’t delay if there’s a piece of entertainment you just have to have! It’s better to book sooner rather than later as this also gives time to deal with any possible song requests or dealing with venue difficulties like sound limiters.

Think About Everything Else

Well, once you’ve booked the entertainment for your wedding, it’s time to focus on other things. Event planning is all about juggling tasks and assigning time to each of them. Once your entertainment is booked, start thinking about how to improve your venue by picking a nice theme. Then onto the catering and flowers. It feels like it’s never ending but it doesn’t have to be. So book your entertainment early and then allow yourself some time to think about everything else. Booking through an entertainment supplier certainly gives yourself some piece of mind too as we may well be able to aid in the other areas and should an unforeseen problem occur with your choice act, we will always provide a replacement at no extra cost.

Unique wedding entertainment ideas

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If you are looking for unique wedding entertainment or something a bit different, here are five unusual wedding acts that your guests may never have experienced before!  Obviously these ideas may not be perfect for every wedding, but if these brilliant ideas fit the wedding theme, then the bride and groom certainly have an opportunity to help make their wedding stand out in people’s minds.

Petting Zoo

Yes, we’re jumping right in on the unique wedding entertainment ideas by picking something that the Best Man and Maid of Honour will love: a petting zoo. Even the hardiest members of your family will struggle not to smile at stupidly cute fluffy animals in attendance. But if that’s not enough, then a unicorn can also be made available! Okay, it’s actually Tony the Pony in costume, but it’s still incredibly cute and perfect entertainment for your big day. Just think of the photo opportunities!

Pianist

Band or DJ is a classic conundrum for every wedding couple. Not least because saying ‘band’ comes across as a simple choice between one or the other but neglects to mention that there are so many different types of band from a Ceilidh band to a swing band, a quartet to an a cappella trio. There is just so much choice that it’s difficult to know where to look.  A pianist is also a great alternative to a DJ where you and your guests could dance and sing around the piano.

Games Room

Yes, you read that right. Most people want a games room in their house but how about a games room at a wedding? This can take the form of old school classics made large like Giant Jenga, Giant Chess and Giant Connect 4 to your favourite arcade games from days gone by. Pacman, Tetris, Galaxian… How about a game of Pong at your wedding? All doable and great fun for kids and big kids alike!

Dance Lesson

Although many of us learn a few short dance moves and steps, another inspired choice is to hire professional dancers to teach a room a more traditional dance will have you dancing the Charleston in no time! Having a choreographed dance with your guests seem to be all the rage at the moment, and you never know it may be put on You Tube? If some of the wedding guests are from a certain part of the world, this is also a brilliant choice in having an entire room learn a national dance, breaking the boundaries between the guests.

Quiz

Who doesn’t love a good quiz? Although ordinarily associated with a good old British pub, a wedding quiz is a superb choice of entertainment for the post-dinner discussions. At this time, it’s common place for the wedded couple to walk from table to table and thank guests for attending, sometimes leaving guests unsure what to do in the meantime. With this in mind, a quiz is perfect for getting everyone involved. And who’s to say there won’t be a round testing just how well you know the bride and groom?!