Polaroid Guest Book - Party Ideas by a Pro

the idea

Snap it, shake it, stick it, sign it! Invite guests to illustrate their guest book entry by using an instant camera

Polaroid instant photo guest book and cameras set up on a party table

Polaroid instant photo guest book filled with photos and messages

the how

Pick up an inexpensive Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 instant camera and some spare film (see below)
Choose a customizable guest book (see below)
Display both—with pens—alongside a printable ‘Snap it, Shake it, Stick it, Sign it!’ sign on a table at the entrance

Polaroid instant photo guest book and camera set up on a party table

instax mini Polaroid style instant camera and photo

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 looking at other people’s photos and messages
Bestseller; an idea that’s proved popular with my site’s visitors

Polaroid instant photo guest book and cameras set up on a wedding party table

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

Polaroid instant photo guest book filled with messages and photos

Polaroid instant photo guest book instructions sign set up on a party table

ADVICE FROM A PRO

Matt’s tip

“This is such a popular idea for weddings and birthdays that are now lots of different printable signs available to help automate the entire experience.

In addition to the traditional ‘Snap It, Shake It, Stick It, Sign It’ instructional sign, you can also display illustrated signs showing guests how to use the camera, take the best shot, and load new film when it runs out. (see examples below).

So you won’t need to worry about supervising or missing out on photos because the film ran out.”

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