Indian weddings, especially the ones held in India, do not have the concept of a wedding guestbook. But the western traditions and ideas are catching up, and many Indian couples, in spite of getting married in a typical Indian ceremony, are still opting to have their guests sign a wedding guest book. This can help them relive their wedding day memories over and over.
Naturally, the more unique the wedding guest book is; the more appreciative your guests are going to be about the amount of thought and consideration you have put into the tiny details to make everything perfect. Here we shall present some ideas that can indeed make your wedding guest book unique and unforgettable.
1) Use the photographs of your engagement ceremony/mehendi/sangeet (or simply of the couple-to-be) inside the pages of the Guestbook. This way, your guests can choose which photo they like and sign beneath that. Some other unique, though rather extravagant ideas include: having a photo booth at the venue, wherein guests can have their Polaroid photos snapped. These photos can be then pasted inside the wedding guestbook with the guest’s signatures.
2) Wedding tree guest books are also popular and readily available online and offline. Guests can simply sign small notes that can be pasted on the ‘branches of the tree’. These make wonderful mementoes for the bride and groom at a later stage.
3) Indian wedding guest books in the form of the Indian national bird Peacock are also popular- the bird’s feather can be utilized to paste the notes having the guests’ signatures.
4) If you are having a themed wedding ceremony(including wedding colours) your guest book can conform to this theme and colours. Just like your wedding Invitation cards, you can include traditional Indian patterns, religious symbols, and other popular heart warming designs that are unique to the Indian culture (e.g. Om, Swastika etc). The guest book can even be covered with embellished Indian fabrics.
5) Indian wedding guest books can also be cut out in the shape of The Lord Ganesha and other deities. Additionally, you could have the guest book shaped in the form of a scroll, heart, leaf, or even Indian musical instruments like the Shehenai or Tabla etc. These are unique patterns that are sure to reflect the Indian culture.
6) A guest book need not be in the form of a book; you can even have your guests sign small cards and leave their thoughts and well wishes in decorative bowls/vases. Add envelopes so the cards can remain private and for the couples-eyes-only.
7) Instead of a guest book, you can have guests sign on a piece of cloth or linen which can then be framed, or quilted. This is sure to create lasting memories of the Wedding Day.
Indian wedding guest books, though not officially a part of the ceremony, can still be included in the weddings to help the couple create long-lasting keepsakes of this most important day in their lives!
Photos 1. theindianweddingblog.com; 2. beehiveartsalon.blogspot.com; 3. & 4. photo: etsy.com