TL;DR
- Placement first: put the guestbook right beside the photo booth, not at the entrance.
- Make it effortless: a second print for the book, tape already cut, good pens and a short sign.
- Give guests a prompt: "caption your strip" or "a date idea for us" beats a blank page every time.
- Match the design: a print template and cover that match your stationery make the finished book look intentional.
- Someone has to champion it: on Attended packages our attendant encourages every guest to sign.
A photo booth guest book works when signing it is part of the booth, not a separate errand: guests take their photos, stick one copy in the book and write a line beside it. The 20 ideas below cover where to put it, how to set it up, what to ask guests to write and how to finish it after the wedding.
If you have ever seen a traditional guestbook come home half-empty, this format fixes most of the reasons why. We cover those reasons in why most traditional wedding guestbooks fail; this post is the practical playbook.
Set-up ideas: make signing the easy option
1. Put the book beside the booth, not at the entrance
Guests arrive in a rush and walk straight past an entrance table. Next to the booth they are standing still, holding a fresh print and waiting for friends. That is the moment to catch them. A small table to one side of the booth, out of the queue’s path, works best.
2. Let the booth print the guestbook copy
Our booth uses face-detection to print one copy per person in the shot, and it prints an extra copy per session for the book. Nobody has to choose between keeping their strip and sticking it in. If you are using a different supplier, ask whether they can do the same.
3. Pre-cut the tape
Double-sided tape or glue dots, already cut and stuck along the table edge, remove the fiddliest step. Skip glue sticks: they wrinkle prints and dry out by the end of the night. Test your adhesive on the actual guestbook paper before the day.
4. Choose pens that work on your paper
Fine-tip pens in black, plus a gold or white paint pen if your pages are dark. Put out more than you need; pens wander. Try every pen on a spare sheet so nothing smudges against the glossy print.
5. Add a short, clear sign
Three steps is plenty: “Take your photos. Stick one copy in our book. Leave us a message.” Matching it to your other wedding signage keeps the table looking tidy and intentional.
6. Size the book to your guest list
Our guestbooks have 30 sheets (60 sides) as standard, which comfortably holds prints and messages from a 150-guest wedding. Bigger weddings can add extra sheets. A book that runs out of pages at 10pm is worse than one with a few spare at the back.
One page, three strips and three handwritten messages fitted around them.
Design ideas: a book that looks finished
7. Match the print template to the cover
When the strip design uses the same fonts and colours as the cover, every page looks like part of the same piece. Every Ghost Booth Events package includes a custom print template, and we can design it alongside the guestbook cover.
8. Pick strips or 6x4 prints based on the page
Our 6x2 strips are the fastest to print and fit two or three across a page, leaving space for writing. A 6x4 postcard print holds up to four photos and suits a book where each guest gets more of a page. Decide this before you choose the book.
9. Choose ring-bound or hardbound on purpose
Acrylic books come with ring binders (silver, gold or black), so you can add pages or reorder them later. Linen books are hardbound and feel more like a traditional album. Both start from $80 and come with 30 sheets of premium paper and a custom cover design.
The strip footer repeats the couple’s monogram and date, so the prints and the linen cover read as a set.
10. Make the cover part of the styling
A mirror or 3D acrylic lettered cover looks good propped on the table during the reception, so the book doubles as decor. Premium 3D acrylic covers are quoted per design.
11. Go first
Put your own strip on the first page with a short note to your guests. People copy what they see. An opening page that is already filled in tells everyone how the book works without a single instruction.
Prompt ideas: give guests something to write
A blank page makes people freeze. A specific question gets a specific answer. Print one prompt on the sign, or put a different prompt card on each page.
12. “Caption your strip”
This is the easiest prompt there is, because the photo gives guests the joke. It also gets shy writers past the first line.
13. “Your best advice for our first year”
Simple, warm and answerable by everyone from teenagers to grandparents.
14. “A date night idea for us”
Guests suggest a restaurant, a walk or a weekend away. You end up with a list of plans for the year, each with a photo of the person who suggested it.
15. “Tell us how you know us”
Useful at big weddings where partners, plus-ones and colleagues all sign. In ten years you will be glad someone wrote “I sat next to you in Year 9 maths.”
16. “Open on our first anniversary”
Ask guests to write a prediction for your first year together, then fold the page or clip it shut. It gives you a reason to open the book again in twelve months.
People ideas: get everyone involved
17. Give kids their own page
Leave a page or two at the back with crayons for drawings. Kids love seeing their strip go in “the real book”, and a wobbly crayon portrait of the couple makes a charming page.
18. Make someone the guestbook champion
On Ghost Booth Events Attended packages, our attendant encourages every guest to sign after their photos, so the book fills up over the night. On a Remote package, ask a cousin or friend to keep an eye on the table for the first hour and nudge each group.
19. Add a voice option for non-writers
Some guests will never write more than “Congrats!” An audio guestbook beside the booth lets them say what they mean instead. Our comparison of audio guestbooks, photo booths and traditional books shows how couples combine them.
A white linen cover with the first strips of the night waiting to go in.
After the wedding
20. Fill the gaps from the online gallery
Some guests will miss the book. Your online gallery link arrives within 24 hours, so you can print a few extra shots, add them to empty spaces and ask those guests to write a line next time you see them. Ring-bound acrylic books make this especially easy.
Choosing the right book
If you want the book to match the rest of your day, start with your invitation. Send us a photo of it and your colours, and we design a cover proof to match. Allow three to four weeks for design, proofing and production; every book is handmade in our Melbourne studio.
A white acrylic cover with gold lettering and matching gold ring binders.
| Option | Cover | Binding | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard acrylic | Acrylic cover and backing, custom design | Ring binders in silver, gold or black | $80 |
| Premium 3D acrylic | Acrylic with 3D acrylic letters or design | Ring binders in silver, gold or black | Quoted per design |
| Linen | Linen hardbound cover, custom design | Hardbound | $80 |
All guestbooks are discounted when added to a photo booth package. For more ways to set up the table itself, see our wedding guestbook table ideas, and if you’d like the strips to look their best, these photo booth poses help guests fill every frame.
Ready to plan yours? Tell us your date and colours and we’ll send a quote for the booth, the book, or both.
Photo booth guest book questions
How does a photo booth guest book work?
Guests take their photos in the booth, stick one copy of their print into the guestbook and write a message beside it. The Ghost Booth Events booth prints an extra copy per session for the book, so guests keep their own print as well.
How many pages do I need in a photo booth guestbook?
Ghost Booth Events guestbooks have 30 sheets, or 60 sides, as standard, which comfortably holds prints and messages from a 150-guest wedding. Extra sheets can be added for larger weddings.
What should I use to stick photo strips into a guestbook?
Double-sided tape or glue dots, pre-cut and ready on the table. They hold glossy prints flat and are quick for guests to use. Avoid glue sticks, which can wrinkle prints, and test the adhesive on the guestbook paper before the day.
How much does a photo booth guestbook cost?
Ghost Booth Events handcrafted acrylic and linen guestbooks start from $80 each with 30 sheets, a custom cover design and, for acrylic, matching ring binders. Premium 3D acrylic covers are quoted per design, and every guestbook is discounted when added to a photo booth package.
How far in advance should I order a custom guestbook?
Allow three to four weeks for design, proofing and production. Each book is handmade in the Ghost Booth Events studio in Melbourne.
