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Why You Need a Bridal Shower Guest Book (or One of These Alternatives)

Guests can leave a sweet message you'll hold dear.
Collage of four bridal shower guest books
Photos, from clockwise: We Do Pretty Paper, The Knot, Bridal Poetry, Zazzle
Ariel Tarankski headshot
by
Ariel Taranski
Ariel Tarankski headshot
Ariel Taranski
The Knot Contributor
  • Ariel writes on a variety of wedding-related topics for The Knot.
  • She has previously worked for Southern Bride Magazine, Miss Design Berry and other woman-owned wedding brands.
  • She received her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Memphis.
Updated Aug 01, 2025
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Congrats! You're officially engaged, and it's time to start party planning. First things first, your family will want to throw you a wedding shower. And one major component of this party is having a bridal shower guest book to keep up with all of your loved ones. A bridal shower is the perfect way to jumpstart your wedding planning journey, and if you're wondering, "Do you have to have a guest book at a bridal shower?" We're here to convince you why it's a memorable addition to any prewedding event. You'll love having personalized messages from your favorite people, especially as the years go on. Plus, guest books no longer look like just one thing, with many alternatives taking their place for an exciting keepsake that you and your future spouse will treasure. From posters to photo books, no matter the size of your wedding shower, there are limitless choices. With all of these unique and modern wedding shower guest book ideas, we bet you'll find the right option for your day.

In this article: Guest Book Ideas | Guest Book Extras

The Best Bridal Shower Guest Book Ideas

Having a guest book at any of your prewedding parties is an easy way to keep track of who attended, but it's also a priceless memento you can look back on. And these days, there's no shortage of bridal shower guest book ideas, which is why we rounded up some of our favorites that will make your wedding shower unforgettable.

Elegant, Custom Bridal Shower Photo Guest Book

Custom bridal shower photo guest book from The Knot
Photo: The Knot

You can easily turn this Polaroid guest book into a dual-purpose bridal shower photo album. Encourage guests to take snapshots and add their own sweet message to the guest book. And what makes this one especially perfect for a photo album is the picture of you and your spouse-to-be on the cover.

Library Card Advice Guest Book Alternative

Library card advice bridal shower guest book from Etsy
Photo: We Do Pretty Paper

Here's one for the book lovers. These individual library cards give your guests ample space to leave well wishes for the to-be-weds, in a fun format. Bonus points if your wedding shower guest book (where you'll tuck these notes away for safekeeping) looks like your favorite love story.

Vintage Rotary Phone Guest Book

Vintage rotary phone guest book from After The Tone
Photo: After The Tone

You won't need to dial in for this guest book alternative—a vintage rotary phone that saves audio messages. What better way to memorialize the day than with the actual words from your guests? And you can choose from many different exciting phone colors to match your shower theme and color palette. Use exclusive code KNOT15 for 15% off.

Drop a Heart Framed Guest Book Alternative

Guestbook token frame for bridal shower from Amazon
Photo: Amazon

Here's another adorable idea that lets guests create a bit of home decor for your future space. This guest book option comes with wood hearts that your loved ones drop in after leaving a short message or their names.

World Map Wedding Shower Guest Book

World map wedding shower guest book from Zazzle
Photo: Zazzle

Need guest book ideas for bridal showers focused on travel? Honor the world travelers with a map they'll want to proudly display. Bonus points if guests sign this guest book poster on their favorite spots or countries.

Aesthetic Bow Bridal Shower Guest Book

Aesthetic bow bridal shower guest book from The Knot
Photo: The Knot

Wrapped neatly in a bow, this retro-style guest book easily fits any themed wedding shower. With The Knot guest book options, you can customize it for free for bridal showers and other prewedding day events. Plus, it's got eight gorgeous colors to choose from for your cover.

'Leave Us a Message' Audio Recording Guest Book

Audio recording couples shower guest book
Photo: LifeOnRecord

Leave a message after the beep with vintage-style audio guest books. An audio recording is the perfect way to capture a moment in time and your loved ones' voices. Trust us when we say you'll be replaying these voice notes long after the wedding shower weekend.

Pop Some Bubbly Wedding Shower Guest Book

Rose gold pampas grass wedding shower guest book from Zazzle
Photo: Zazzle

This spiral notebook-style guest book has the perfect design for a champagne celebration. You can tailor this to your needs, with different spiral colors, paper designs and customizations with your name.

Sign the Jenga Tower Shower Guest Book

Jenga wedding shower guest book from Amazon
Photo: Amazon

Who's up for a game of Jenga? This is one of the best bridal shower guest book alternatives for the board game lovers, and it offers four different sides for your loved ones to get creative with their message.

Bridal Shower Fingerprint Guest Book Sign

Fingerprint bridal shower guest book poster from Etsy
Photo: SEEONEE

There's nothing as unique as a fingerprint, and this wedding shower guest book lets your friends and family put their own stamp on it. With the fun balloon design and option to sign your thumbprint, guests are sure to love this one-of-a-kind sign.

Gold and Black Luxury Monogram Guest Book

Gold and black luxury monogram guest book from The Knot
Photo: The Knot

Keep it chic and classic with this luxe guest book design. Black and gold go with everything, or you can opt for one of the five other sleek colors to match your shower decor. And you can use this same style for your invitation suite and other paper goods.

Leave Your Favorite Recipe Guest Book

Bridal shower recipe book from Zazzle
Photo: Zazzle

If you want to skip a traditional bridal shower gift, having your guests bring their favorite recipes is a fun twist. And this recipe guest book gives you somewhere to keep your new dishes in a safe place. Guests can even leave a sweet message with their recipe card.

Fold-Away Wedding Shower Guest Book Sign

Blue floral fold-away wedding shower guest book sign from Amazon
Photo: Amazon

This foldable guest book for wedding showers helps save space when it's not on display. This can count as your "something blue" for the party, with its timeless design and toile artwork. Its magnetic closure makes it easy to peruse through your messages anytime you'd like.

Signable Deck of Playing Cards for Bridal Shower

Deck of cards wedding shower guest book from Etsy
Photo: Hello Jory

Go fish for some well wishes when you use this deck of playing cards as your guest book. With 24 color options and many personalizations, this custom set is an exciting alternative to the classic book style, and you can use these to play your favorite card games.

Missing Piece of Our Jigsaw Puzzle Piece Guest Book

Jigsaw puzzle guest book from Amazon
Photo: Amazon

Any puzzle fans out there? This one's for you. Have your guests sign individual puzzle pieces to create a unique picture that is full of heartfelt notes from your favorite people.

Custom Hometown Map Guest Book Poster

Custom hometown map wedding shower guest book poster from Zazzle
Photo: Zazzle

Whether it's the city you met in or where you'll be tying the knot, a custom hometown map makes for a fun guest book poster. Zazzle has a ton of options to choose from, including your favorite city.

Draw Your Face Guest Book Alternative

Draw your face personalized wedding shower guest book from Etsy
Photo: Bridal Poetry

Have your friends and family show their artistic side with one of the best wedding shower guest book alternatives. Guests can draw their own face, so make sure you add a variety of pens or markers so they can get creative.

Wedding Shower Guest Book Extras

Now that you have some guest book ideas for wedding showers, you'll want to be sure you have all the supplies for guests to sign, personalize and attach photos to your book or poster. Add these must-have items to your bridal shower checklist to ensure your guest book has everything it needs.

Multi-Colored Signing Pens

Papermate pens for bridal shower guest book
Photo: Target

Let each signature and note stand out with a multi-colored variety of pens. If your guest book or book alternative is on paper, gel pens make for a wonderful, long-lasting choice that brings a pop of vibrancy.

Snapshot Polaroid Camera Kit

Polaroid camera for bridal shower guest book from Amazon
Photo: Amazon

No Polaroid guest book is complete without this handy kit, a mini instant camera and film. Stock up on film for the wedding shower, and you can even choose between four colors of cameras (including eye-catching blue and purple).

Bridal Shower Guest Book Signs

Bridal shower guest book signs
Photo: Zazzle

Guide your loved ones with a helpful guest book sign so they know where to leave their wedding wishes. You can even coordinate your guest book design with a sign.

Decorative Wedding Emoji Stickers

Wedding emoji stickers for bridal shower guest book from Etsy
Photo: Liumy Albums

Stickers are always a fun time, and these emoji stickers are a great way to let your guests embellish their wedding shower message. Consider buying themed stickers for your shower to match the vibe.

Gold Heart Washi Tape

Gold heart washi tape from Amazon
Photo: Amazon

Washi tape is popular with scrapbookers, meaning it's perfect for guest books, too. This gold heart design will seamlessly fit with any guest book or poster, but you can also search for multi-packs with other styles.

Decorative Frames

Decorative frames to display bridal shower guest book from Artifact Uprising
Photo: Artifact Uprising

Once your wedding shower poster or guest book alternative is signed, you'll want a decorative frame to display it in your home. Choose between tabletop or wall frames, depending on your needs.

Put Your Stamp On It Pad

Stamp pad for wedding shower guest book from Etsy
Photo: Everything Is Ok8

For a fingerprint guest book, you'll want a variety of ink pads. What's wonderful about these particular stamp pads is how they have a gradient of the same color, so you can craft an ombre aesthetic easily.

Glue Tape for Photos

Glue tape for bridal shower guest book from Amazon
Photo: Amazon

For Polaroid guest books, glue tape makes the process simple for any shower guest. This pack of double-sided roller tape lets your loved ones add their snapshot in no time.

Metallic Permanent Markers

Metallic permanent markers for bridal shower guest book
Photo: Target

Some guest books and alternatives will benefit more from permanent markers (especially wood boards). This set of metallic markers adds some shimmer and sparkle to match your new engagement ring.