Guest Book Alternative Signing Poster

the idea

Invite guests to write messages for the guest of honor on a signing poster to be framed as a keepsake

50th birthday guest book alternative signing photo poster with photos of the birthday boy now and as a child

young man holding 21st birthday guest book alternative signing poster filled with signatures of party guests

the how

Choose single, double, or no photo options
Choose framed and shipped or instant download printable
Customize the text and choose colors
Display with a printable ‘Please Sign’ sign on a table at the entrance as a guest book alternative

65th birthday party guest book alternative signing poster filled with guests signatures and messages

Retired guest book alternative signing poster for a retirement party

the why

This Idea

Contributory; sharing a memory, anecdote, photograph, or well wishes allows guests to participate in something meaningful
Personal; celebrates the guest of honor and your relationship with them
Feel good; makes the guest of honor feel special, loved, and appreciated
Touching; gives people the opportunity to articulate things they might think, but rarely say
Keepsake; creates tangible memories for the guest of honor to revisit in future
Thoughtful; shows you’ve made an effort to create something special for the guest of honor
Entertaining; guests will enjoy reading what everyone else has written
Custom photo; opportunity to show the guest of honor when they were younger or at different ages ‘through the years’
Funny; guests may not have seen funny or embarrassing old photos of the guest of honor
Inexpensive; a cost-effective party idea that won’t blow your budget
Bestseller; an idea that’s proved popular with my site’s visitors

60th anniversary guest book alternative custom photo signing poster with photos of the happy couple now and on their wedding day

Good Luck guest book alternative signing poster

party activities

Engagement; essential for creating atmosphere and ensuring people have a good time
Circulation; activities encourage circulation, which raise energy levels
Atmosphere; keeping guests moving, exploring, and discovering creates a lively atmosphere
Mingling; activities help prevent guests clustering in corners with people they came with
Flow; giving guests things to engage with diffuses crowds, prevents bottlenecks, and helps flow
Introductions; allows guests who arrive alone or don’t know many people to connect with others
Ice-breaker; arrival activities let guests ease in gently before walking into a room full of people
Conversation-starters; funny, creative, or quirky activities give guests things to talk about
Interactive; allows guests to participate so everybody feels included
Bonding; a shared experience creates a bond and unites different groups as one; people that are all important to the guest of honor
Entertainment; activities keep guests entertained and prevents boredom or leaving early
Distraction; gives guests an excuse to change the subject or extract themselves from awkward conversations
Memorable; gives guests something to talk about, photograph, share, and remember
Experiential; guests leave feeling as though they’ve had an experience

birthday guest book alternative custom photo signing poster with old retro photo of the birthday boy as a young man in military uniform

birthday guest book alternative custom photo signing poster with photo of senior man

ADVICE FROM A PRO

Matt’s tip

“I think these look best when you go for the two-photo option, so you get to show the guest of honor then and now. It just makes it more fun for everyone to see old photos of the guest of honor.

Alternatively, if you prefer the one-photo version, I’d suggest using an old photo showing the guest of honor when they were younger, perhaps as a child or young adult.

Of course, you don’t have to use a traditional photo for the guest book alternative. You can also choose from digital watercolor portraits, caricatures, or ‘The Simpsons’-style cartoon caricatures. Check out the examples and links below for more info.

If you need to transfer old prints to digital format this can be done very inexpensively nowadays ($20-$30 for 100 photos, link below) and it’s a great opportunity to preserve them for years to come.

Similarly, old photos that are fading, discolored, or damaged can often be restored at the same time (see link below).”