There are certainly some beautiful choices when it comes to wedding guest books. Many are elegant and classic with their plush covers and soft colors. While they certainly suit the more formal atmosphere, what to do if you’ve a more casual venue? What if you just want something that reflects a little more about you?

If you’re looking for something besides an actual book but still want a beautiful piece to display, engraved trays and photo mats could fit the bill. Having your engagement picture framed with a large mat board is an alternative to the engraved one. Instead of a picture, use your favorite poem or painting as the center.

If you’re the crafting kind, you can take a page from Martha Stewart’s book with this colorful cards guestbook. Personally, I like this idea. The receptacle could be anything that fits your theme. You could use anything from a bowl as shown or a vase in your wedding colors to baskets or other pretty containers to collect the cards. Use pens with colored inks or all the same ink if you’re using lots of different colors for cards.

With scrapbooking having become just a popular pastime, it was just a matter of time before some creative minds substituted a scrapbook for a guestbook. I found a number of posts and articles about involving your guests by having a number of Polaroid cameras with the guestbook for them to take pictures to include with their comments and wishes. (Check out this example at Americanbridal.com) The techo savvy can quickly see how digital cameras could be substituted for Polaroid’s and make online albums available much faster post-event. If you still want something to hold in your hands from the digital pictures, check out this software and service at Picaboo.com.

Be sure to assign wedding party members to rotate through the guest book duty. Have them encourage and remind guests to sign as they come in or leave. That way, no matter which you choose, you’ll have a lovely memento to cherish.