Everything You Need to Know About Digital Guest Books for Your Wedding

You've probably heard that your wedding goes by in the blink of an eye. Since so much happens so quickly, a digital guest book is a great way to capture memories from your wedding day as well as a way for guests to share their well-wishes.

There are many options for guest books. From traditional physical guest books where loved ones sign their names to wedding guest book alternatives that incorporate things that are important to both of you. New on the scene are digital wedding guest books. Read on to figure out if a digital photo guest book is right for you.

In this article: What It Is | Types | How to Choose| The Best Virtual Guest Books | How to Let Guests Know

What Is a Digital Guest Book?

A digital guest book is a way for your wedding guests to share their excitement and well-wishes for you and your new spouse. "Virtual guest books have seen a significant rise in popularity," explains Alejandra Carvajal of Always Be Creative Flowers and Events based in Miami. "Primarily, they offer invaluable inclusivity, allowing guests unable to attend in person to contribute heartfelt messages. The dynamic nature of digital entries, incorporating photos, videos and voice notes, adds a delightful and personal touch."

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Types of Digital Wedding Guest Books

Digital guest books come in many forms and incorporate everything from videos and voice notes to photos and written messages. Here are a few types to choose from.

Virtual Video Guest Book

"A video guest book captures the essence of your wedding day. It's not just words, but the laughter, the tears, the genuine expressions of love," explains Ben Creelman, co-founder of Voast, a video guest book company. "It's like having a documentary video of your wedding, starring your favorite people. Some of our clients choose Voast in place of a videographer for budget reasons or because they prefer unscripted video of their guests over a cinematic video."

Virtual Audio Guest Book

"Audio guest books for weddings have become extremely popular in the past few years because of the nostalgic effect the voicemails have on couples," says Jacob Yackley, CEO of After The Tone, an audio wedding guest book. "Many of our couples say they didn't even realize how great of a decision After The Tone was until after their wedding day when they receive the voicemails. Some have even reached out saying that the voicemail they received from a loved one via their audio guest book was the last recording they had of that person before they passed away."

Online Guest Book

Provide a link on your wedding website that allows guests to send you a note of congratulations. This gives them time to think through what they want to say and make it heartfelt, versus quickly moving through a line at the actual celebration. This gives them the reflection time they need to properly celebrate and congratulate you.

Digital Guest Book

If you want to have a keepsake of all the memories from your big day, consider a digital guest book for your wedding. All of your guests can send their videos and photos from the day to one place so you can look through them any time you please. Think of it as a shared folder specifically for your wedding. There's no better gift than the gift of a beautiful memory.

Physical vs. Virtual Guest Book: How to Choose

How do you know if a wedding digital guest book is the right choice for you? Here are a few things to consider.

Do you have guests who are unable to attend?

"Virtual guest books give couples the opportunity to include messages from everyone they care about, not just the people who could make it to their wedding in person," Yackley explains. "For grandparents who are too old to travel, friends who just had a baby, or loved ones who are ill, the virtual guest book gives them a chance to wish the couple well, even from afar."

Are you environmentally conscious?

"An audio guest book for a wedding is an eco-friendly way to capture messages from guests," Yackley says. "All guests have to do is leave a voicemail on a rented, reusable phone, or dial a number and leave a message from their cell phone. No waste, no hassle."

What is the age range of your guests?

"This will help gauge comfort levels with digital platforms. Additionally, it's prudent to anticipate and mitigate potential technical challenges, taking proactive steps to safeguard against any disruptions that could hinder message collection," Carvajal recommends.

Do you want to capture the vibe of your wedding day?

"It captures the essence of your wedding day. It's not just words, but the laughter, the tears, the genuine expressions of love," Creelman says. "It's like having a documentary video of your wedding, starring your favorite people. We find that having a physical booth at your wedding creates a designated space for these stories to be told, a place where guests gather and connect."

Do you want to preserve the memory of loved ones?

"The ability to preserve these voice recordings provides a precious connection to loved ones, especially those who may live far away or who are sadly no longer with us," Carvajal says. "These captured voices become cherished keepsakes, keeping their presence alive in our hearts long after the celebration."

The Best Virtual Guest Books for Your Wedding

There are tons of options for you to choose from when it comes to a virtual wedding guest book. We've rounded up a few of our favorite options below.

Our favorite virtual guest books: Voast | After the Tone | Kululu

Voast

Photo: Voast

How it works: Rent the video booth (which is the size of an iPad) and set it up in an area of high visibility but away from the speakers. Don't worry; it takes less than five minutes to assemble. Guests will walk through the easy-to-understand prompts to record a message. Then, after you mail the video booth back, Voast will send you a digital file with a professional edit of the event, along with the raw files.

What couples love:

• It takes less than five minutes to assemble
• It's intuitive enough for all ages to use
• You receive all the raw files as well as a digital edit
• Guests can receive their recordings instantly from the video booth

After the Tone

Photo: After The Tone

How it works: Place the phone in a high-visibility area at your reception and offer signage that encourages them to pick up the phone and share their well-wishes and memories, preserved in their voices. The messages are recorded, and you'll receive them as an audio file, USB or vinyl record within 72 hours.

What couples love:

• Having voices from loved ones digitally preserved
• Virtual guest books come with a landing page that is totally customizable with the couple's story, prompt ideas, free design templates, the phone number to call and photos
• Guests who can't make the wedding can visit the landing page and leave their own audio message for the couple
• You can use our exclusive code KNOT15 for 15% off

Kululu

Photo: Kululu

How it works: It's an easy and fun way to capture photos of your wedding that you can project onto a live photo wall. This way, you can enjoy your memories as they happen. All guests have to do is scan the QR code and upload their images.

What couples love:

• Not having to track down the pictures guests took at the wedding because they're all in one place
• You can display a live stream of the images at the wedding
• You can create your own wedding album right in the app

How to Let Guests Know About Your Digital Guest Book

There are many ways to let your guests know about your digital wedding guest book. "Sneak a line into the program, 'Share your love with the newlyweds,'" Creelman suggests. "Honestly, it's not even too much to announce it in your thank you speech, 'Hey everyone, we want to thank each of you for coming, and we want to hear from you!'"

You can also add signs around the reception to encourage guests. "It's a great way to remind people to call in and leave a message during the wedding itself," Yackley encourages. Include a note on your wedding website to let guests know about your digital online guest book in advance.