The wedding guestbook is a beloved tradition where loved ones can write heartfelt notes of joy and hope, inside jokes, or even some marriage advice for the years ahead. Alongside your wedding photos and film, it’s a precious keepsake that will let you look back and remember all the friends and family who celebrated your special day.
Now, this sentimental tradition has an even more immersive option: wedding video guestbooks.
Why should you jump on this new trend of recording your guests in the moment instead of asking them to write a note?
Here are a few reasons why video guestbooks are surging in popularity and how you can make the most of this must-have element at your ceremony!
What is a Video Guestbook?
The guestbook is a well-known part of most wedding celebrations, allowing guests to share their well wishes, stories, and advice with the newlyweds. Traditionally, these have been written books that the couple takes home with them. They can flip through the pages when they want a reminder of that special day and all the loved ones who were there to support them.
A wedding video guestbook is a fresh twist on this tradition and can be a fantastic idea to eternalize heartfelt, authentic connections with your guests.
Video guestbooks allow your guests to film themselves sharing a heartfelt sentiment with you up close and personal. For those who struggle to put things into words or don’t want to hold up the line, it gives them more freedom and flexibility to share what’s in their heart.
It’s also a meaningful video record of aging friends and family members who were there to celebrate your big day. You have something you can look back on and enjoy for decades to come.
Benefits of a Video Guestbook
While the wedding video guestbook may be a relatively new phenomenon for couples, it comes with many benefits that can enhance your experience of the day.
First, it’s more personalized than a written guestbook. On video, your guests can leave heartfelt, personalized messages for you that aren’t limited by the space on the page or the time it takes to write everything out. Video captures their tone and emotions for well wishes in a way that written messages simply can’t.
For those who struggle to put their thoughts on paper, this is a simpler, more natural way to share their messages with the happy couple.
It also enables you to capture the spontaneity of the moment. Joy, laughter, and even tears are all a part of a video guestbook – all things that you would never see from a signature in a standard guestbook.
Of course, this is a precious keepsake that the couple can revisit for years to come. They can relive the special moments and messages from their loved ones even if they live far away or only get to see them rarely.
When combined with the wedding day footage, the guestbook enhances the storytelling of the entire wedding day. It adds depth and variety to the footage of your event and tells the full picture of what your big day was truly like, not just for you but for your guests.
5 Tips and Ideas for Video Guest Book Participation
The truth is that while some guests will be absolutely thrilled to record a message for your wedding video guest book, others will be hesitant or self-conscious about talking into a camera. If you want to make your guests more comfortable with this new way of sharing well wishes, here are five tips to follow.
1. Make Sure They Know
Guests can’t participate in your wedding video guestbook if they don’t know it exists. Because this is still a relatively new approach, people may not understand or expect there to be a booth.
Signage and strategic placement can encourage participation. You could also ask the wedding hostess to direct people to the video recording area.
2. Offer Privacy
Couples are far more likely to share their memories and feelings about your wedding with you if they know they don’t have to explain all those inside jokes in front of a crowd.
To this end, you could set up one or more private booths where guests can go for their recording. This will also provide some noise insulation to help capture an audible message.
3. Provide Prompts
Some people want to leave you a message to look back on in the decades ahead, but they just don’t know where to start. There may be decades of shared experiences and memories between you!
To jog some ideas, provide them with prompts like:
- How do you know the couple?
- What is your very first memory of meeting the couple?
- Share a funny story about the bride or groom.
- What is your best advice for making a marriage last?
- What is one unique thing that you think makes the couple special?
4. Provide Props and Accessories
If your wedding leans more toward the silly, then you might consider including props that help people let their guard down in your video recording area.
These can include party jewelry, hats, flags, and other themed items that coordinate with your design. It takes the pressure off your guests to say the perfect thing, instead transforming the recording into something fun and candid.
5. Encourage Groups
Some people may feel pressure to get into the booth by themselves and may find themselves at a loss for what to say. Encourage hesitant guests to record a group message with friends and family to relieve some of the pressure. Better yet, they can bounce off what other guests are saying while sharing their own memories.
Capture the Moments Worth Remembering
Film captures the memories of your special day in a way that photos and handwritten notes just can’t. If you want to see and remember the movement, energy, and emotion of your wedding day, then videography is a must! Alongside your wedding film, the video guestbook lets you relive the excited jitters, anticipation, and thrill of the moment over and over.
Reverent Wedding Films is the largest wedding cinematographer in Texas. We do more than simply capture video – our cinematic storytelling style tells your unique love story, expresses the emotion of your day, and captures your memories so they’ll last for a lifetime. Reach out to us today to learn more!
