TL;DR
- The steps that match the phone: pick up the handset, listen to the greeting, wait for the beep, record your message, hang up to save.
- Our standard sign: "Hey there! Leave us a message we can listen to later", then four steps ending in "Head back to the party!"
- Keep it short: a heading, one inviting line and three to five numbered steps. Guests read it in a few seconds.
- Templates below: classic, funny, minimal and bilingual-friendly signs, plus round placemat wording.
- Greeting scripts: six ready-to-record greetings for the couple, from heartfelt to cheeky.
Good audio guestbook sign wording does two jobs: it invites guests to leave a message, and it tells them exactly how, in three to five short steps. The steps should match how the phone actually works: pick up the handset, listen to the greeting, wait for the beep, record your message, and hang up to save it.
Below you’ll find the wording on our real signs, complete templates in four styles, wording for round phone placemats, and greeting scripts you can record for guests to hear when they pick up.
How the phone works (so your sign matches)
Your sign should describe what guests will actually experience. With a Ghost Booth Events audio guestbook, the sequence is:
- Pick up the handset.
- Listen to the greeting. A personalised message, pre-loaded in your voice or ours.
- Wait for the beep.
- Record a message. There’s no limit on length or on the number of messages.
- Hang up. Putting the handset down saves the recording.
After the event, you receive an online gallery of every recording. The phone runs from a single power point with no Wi-Fi or attendant, so guests don’t need an app or their own phone.
Our standard arched sign beside a baby blue phone.
The wording on our standard sign
Every audio guestbook we hire comes with a “leave a message” sign placed beside the phone. Our standard arched acrylic sign reads:
AUDIO GUESTBOOK
Hey there!
LEAVE US A MESSAGE
WE CAN LISTEN TO LATER
1. PICK UP THE PHONE
2. RECORD YOUR MESSAGE
3. HANG UP TO SAVE YOUR MESSAGE
4. HEAD BACK TO THE PARTY!It works because it’s short. Four steps, the last one a little joke, and nothing a guest has to think about. If you’re writing your own, the one line we’d suggest adding is “Wait for the beep”, because guests who start talking straight away can end up talking over the greeting.
Some of our signs also carry a tech support line with our phone number, so a venue coordinator or guest can call us if anything needs attention.
A black acrylic version of the sign, with the same four steps and a tech support line at the bottom.
Template 1: Classic
Warm, clear and suitable for any wedding.
AUDIO GUESTBOOK
We'd love to hear from you!
1. Pick up the phone
2. Listen to our greeting
3. Wait for the beep
4. Leave us a message
5. Hang up to save it
With love,
[Name] & [Name]Template 2: Funny
For couples whose friends will appreciate a laugh.
RING RING!
Your chance to say what you really think.
(Nicely. Your mum might hear it.)
1. Pick up
2. Wait for the beep
3. Share advice, a memory or your best dance move
(described verbally, please)
4. Hang up to save
5. Back to the bar
[Name] & [Name] are not available right now.
They're busy getting married.A shorter funny variation:
LEAVE A MESSAGE AFTER THE BEEP
Advice. Stories. Embarrassing secrets.
We'll be listening on our anniversary.
Pick up. Beep. Talk. Hang up.Template 3: Minimal
For modern signage suites where less is more.
Leave us a message
Pick up · Wait for the beep · Speak · Hang up
[Name] & [Name] · [Date]Minimal signs work best when the phone is styled on its own table, so guests already understand what it’s for. If the phone sits on a busy guestbook table with cards and a wishing well, the numbered version is clearer.
Template 4: Bilingual-friendly
For families who speak more than one language. The trick is to keep the instructions so short that two versions still fit, and to use numbers and symbols that need no translation.
AUDIO GUESTBOOK
Leave us a message
[Same line in your second language]
1. Pick up / [translation]
2. Wait for the beep / [translation]
3. Speak / [translation]
4. Hang up / [translation]
Speak in any language you like.
[Same line in your second language]Tips for bilingual signs:
- Put both languages at the same size. One language in tiny type under the other feels like an afterthought.
- Ask a native speaker to check the translation. Then ask a second one. Script errors are easy to miss and hard to fix once printed.
- Invite any language. “Speak in any language you like” tells grandparents they don’t need to switch to English for you.
- Match your welcome sign. If your names appear in two scripts on the welcome sign, use the same treatment on the phone sign.
A linen welcome sign with the couple’s names in English, Arabic and Korean script. The same treatment can carry onto the audio guestbook sign.
Template 5: With prompts
If you’re worried guests will freeze, add two or three prompts under the steps.
AUDIO GUESTBOOK
Pick up the phone, wait for the beep,
and tell us...
• how you know us
• your favourite memory of us
• your best marriage advice
Hang up to save your message.Our post with 50 audio guestbook message examples has more prompts and sample messages to share with guests.
Placemat wording
A round acrylic placemat under the phone is another place for wording, and it frames the phone beautifully on a side table. Because the phone sits in the middle, wording runs around the edge. A real placemat we made reads, around the circle:
RING RING ♥ LEAVE US A MESSAGE ♥ [NAMES] ♥ JUST GOT MARRIED ♥ [DATE]
A pink placemat with the wording running around the edge, separated by small hearts.
Other placemat combinations that fit a circle:
- “PICK UP ♥ SAY HELLO ♥ [NAMES] ♥ [DATE]”
- “LEAVE A MESSAGE AFTER THE BEEP ♥ [NAMES] ♥ [VENUE OR SUBURB]”
- “TELL US EVERYTHING ♥ [NAMES] ♥ [DATE]”
Audio guestbook placemats are one of the small acrylic pieces on our decor hire page, and they can match the rest of your wedding signage.
Greeting scripts for couples
The greeting is the first thing guests hear after picking up, so it sets the tone. As general guidance, keep it to around 10 to 20 seconds: long enough to sound like you, short enough that guests don’t lose their nerve waiting for the beep. End with a clear cue so they know when to start.
1. Warm and simple
“Hi, it’s [Name] and [Name]! Thank you so much for being here today. We’d love to hear a message from you, a memory, some advice, or just hello. Leave it after the beep, and hang up when you’re done.”
2. Heartfelt
“Hello, it’s [Name] and [Name]. Today means the world to us, and so do you. Tell us anything you’d like us to remember from tonight. We’ll listen to every message, probably more than once. Speak after the beep.”
3. Funny voicemail
“Hi, you’ve reached [Name] and [Name]. We can’t come to the phone right now because we’re busy getting married. Please leave your name, your best advice, and any embarrassing stories after the beep.”
4. Playful
“Ring ring! It’s the newlyweds. This is your chance to say what you really think about us. Nice things only. Well, mostly nice. Go after the beep!”
5. With prompts
“Hi, it’s [Name] and [Name]! Not sure what to say? Tell us how you know us, your favourite memory of us, or your prediction for us in ten years. Start after the beep.”
6. Bilingual
“Hi, it’s [Name] and [Name]. [Same line in your second language.] Leave us a message in any language you like. [Same line in your second language.] Start after the beep.”
Tips for recording your greeting:
- Record somewhere quiet, with your mouth close to the phone or microphone, and both of you speaking if you can.
- Smile while you talk. You can hear it.
- If you’d rather not record it yourselves, we can pre-load a greeting for you.
Where to put the sign
- Right beside the phone, at eye level when someone is standing at the table. Our arched signs sit on a small base so they stand upright.
- Facing the room, not the wall, so guests understand what the phone is for before they reach it.
- Away from the loudest speaker. The sign gets them to the phone; a quieter spot gets you clear recordings.
For more on placement, timing and getting more messages, see our audio guestbook tips and the full Melbourne audio guestbook hire guide. If you’re still choosing a format, our wedding signage ideas show how the phone sign fits into the rest of the suite.
Hire an audio guestbook in Melbourne
Ghost Booth Events audio guestbook hire starts from $350. It includes a vintage-style phone in white, black, beige, baby blue, red or pink, a personalised greeting pre-loaded in your voice or ours, a “leave a message” sign placed beside the phone, unlimited messages of unlimited length, and an online gallery of every recording. It’s discounted when bundled with a photo booth.
Want your own wording on the sign? Send us your date and venue and we’ll confirm availability within 24 hours.
Audio guestbook sign questions
What should an audio guestbook sign say?
A heading such as "Audio guestbook", one inviting line such as "Leave us a message", then three to five numbered steps: pick up the phone, wait for the beep, record your message and hang up to save it.
Does the audio guestbook come with a sign?
Yes. Every Ghost Booth Events audio guestbook includes a "leave a message" sign placed beside the phone. Personalised placemats and custom signs can be added to match your signage suite.
How long should our greeting message be?
As a general guide, keep it to around 10 to 20 seconds. Thank guests, suggest what they could say, and finish with a clear cue such as "Start after the beep".
Do we have to record the greeting ourselves?
No. The personalised greeting is pre-loaded before the event, either in your voice or ours. Recording it yourselves means guests hear your voices first.
Can the sign be in two languages?
Yes. Keep the steps very short so both languages fit at the same size, have a native speaker check the translation, and add a line inviting guests to speak in any language they like.
