You’re at a wedding. You’re having a great time. Then you notice the wedding guest book. Oh no. What should/can you write? What is a good message, and what should be avoided? Well, you’ll be pleased you ran this search – even if you had to do so sneakily on your phone. Well, not to worry; I’m here to help.
So, what do you write in a wedding guestbook? A heartfelt message of congratulations, a welcome to the family message, or even a thoughtful quote or poem can work really well in a wedding guestbook. Short and sweet is best. In most cases, you will want to avoid any crude messages and inside jokes.
If you are still a little unsure about what to write, then keep reading.
I’ll be giving you some examples you can use (or even change/swap a few words around from).
Then I’ll be turning to those things that are best left out. So let’s get into it.
What To Sign In A Wedding Guest Book
If you often find your mind going blank when you are put on the spot, but you still want to craft the perfect wedding guestbook message that really stands the test of time, here are some examples to get you inspired.
Wedding Guest Book Message Examples
1. Welcome to the family
2. What a beautiful day, congratulations, and thank you for asking us to be a part of your wedding.
3. Best wishes to the happy couple on their magical day! From your first day of saying ‘I Do’ to marriage and every day beyond, I wish you lots of love
4. So, you have finally found someone who understands and appreciates your sense of humor. About time! Congrats my friend
5. You both mean the world to me, and I am so proud to have shared this wonderful day with you both. Congratulations.
6. I have always wanted a (brother/sister/daughter/son), and now I have got one
7. Congratulations to the two most wonderful people I know. What an amazing day for our family
8. Thanks for all the free booze!
9. Thanks for inviting us to your special day. Now, when do we cut the cake?
10. Best wishes on all of your future adventures
11. I am so glad I got to chance to celebrate this incredible day with you both. Congratulations to the newlywed couple
12. Congratulations on finding your happily ever after
13. Your wedding day may come and go, but may your love forever grow
14. Today is the beginning of the most exciting adventure
15. Wishing you a long and happy marriage
16. Best wishes for a fun-filled future together
17. If today is anything to go by, your future together is going to be filled with lots of love and laughter
18. Really happy to be celebrating this special day with you both
19. Bravo on getting hitched! Here’s to more years of love
20. It’s official! You are stuck with each other. Congrats, and here’s to many more years of crazy love
What Not To Sign In A Wedding Guest Book
Now, before you go ahead and start planning your guest book note, keep in mind there are a few things you may want to avoid including in your message.
That being said, each couple is different, and their sense of humor and respectable etiquette will vary.
If you are close to the couple, you may be able to bend these rules a little, but if you are more of an acquaintance, there are definite things to avoid.
Profanities
Unless a couple makes it very clear that a big part of their personalities and relationship include curse words, this is definitely something you want to avoid.
A couple’s wedding guest book is something physical they will have to look through and remember the fun and beauty of their big day.
The last thing you want is to be that one person who ruins their journey down memory lane with a slew of cursing.
Embarrassing Messages
Again, unless the wedding couples are jokesters or pranksters who love a good jackass-style embarrassment, avoid any embarrassing or cringe-worthy messages that have the couple reeling at your attempt at humor.
Especially if those types of embarrassing messages allude to how many relationships or sexual relationships have preceded the marriage.
It may seem common knowledge, but there is always the odd person who thinks it’s a little funny to try and embarrass one or both halves of the newly wedded couple.
Personal Jokes
Personal jokes can sometimes get lost in translation when they are written down, especially if only one-half of the new couple gets the inside joke.
That being said, if you are close to the couple, they both share the fun of the personal joke, and it’s not crude or slightly shaming, then this may be the perfect kind of message for your to write in their wedding guestbook.
Wedding Guest Book Message Tips
So, we’ve covered some of the don’ts and given some examples of what you could write in a couple’s wedding guestbook.
Are you ready to write a message that will be ageless? If not, here are some more tips to help you come up with the perfect wedding guestbook note.
Keep It Short And Sweet
Most wedding guestbooks only have a small amount of space for each guest to write their message. So, try not to write an essay.
Just a couple of sentences at most will be plenty.
Remember, the wedding guestbook is a way for the couple to remember who was a part of their big day.
If you have a lengthy amount of words you want to write to the couple, you could always write this on a separate card.
Use Your Relationship With The Couple
Use the kind of relationship you share with the married couple to guide you as you decide what to write in their guestbook.
If you are incredibly close with the couple, supported them through struggles, or just generally been an important part of their life together, you may want to put something a little more personal.
However, if you are just an acquaintance or a work colleague, a simple congrats will be more than plenty.
What Is The Guest Book Format?
The format of the couple’s wedding guest book will really influence what kind of message you write to them.
A traditional guestbook provides a little more room for a heartfelt message of congratulations.
However, if it’s a polaroid guestbook, other than a quick sign on your photo, nothing else is needed.
They have your faces, and that is enough. Perhaps they have gone for a chalkboard that will be sealed at the end of the night.
This kind of format has very little room for a long message. Sign your name and perhaps a congratulation if there is space.
Some other formats that the wedding couple may choose that won’t require written messages are:
- Video compilation
- Disposable cameras
- Sign a pebble
- Marriage tips box
- Sign a jigsaw piece
Pre-plan What You Are Going To Write
You don’t want to spend someone’s wedding hunched over a guestbook, trying desperately to find something to write.
Pre-planning this part of your duties as a wedding guest means it will only take a quick 5 minutes.
Plus, you won’t second guess or regret what you have written, and it takes any wedding-related stress off your shoulders.
Leave It Later
If you are already at the wedding and find yourself stuck of what to write with a big blank open page. Take a break.
Go off for a bit and have a think.
Besides, by doing so, you may come back to a wedding book filled with messages – and then you can simply leverage some of those comments – perhaps merge a few together!
Mention Both Members
You may only know one-half of the new couple well, but it is important to remember this day is about both of them.
So, when writing your wedding guestbook message, be sure to include both of them in your congratulations.
This doesn’t mean you can’t write about your friendship with the side of the couple you are connected to; just remember to put a little mention of their new spouse in there too.
It’s Time To Sign The Wedding Guest Book
It seems like such a small part of a couple’s big day, but once the fanfare of the day is over and the dust begins to settle, it’s those small things that serve as beautiful reminders of a couples day.
So, try to make a little effort to sign a message that has meaning, especially if you are close to the couple.
If you are a little worried about writing a guestbook message, don’t be.
As long as you avoid any subject matter that might upset the couple and keep it short and sweet, you really can’t go wrong.
If you’re not sure about the format of a couple’s wedding book, be sure to ask.
No couple will be offended at you taking the time to plan your role as a guest on their big day.
In fact, many couples will appreciate the thought and effort you go to.
Hey, I’m Allison – a recent bride, an expectant mother and the chief editor here at Everlasting Occasion. Here I document all the knowledge and experience I accumulated while researching and planning my dream wedding and ahead of our new baby. Here, I try to answer those many questions couples have when planning their dream wedding, while equally, helping expectant parents ahead of their new arrival!