photo frame guest book - The PASH Wedding Forums and Message Boards

maroki13 · #1 05-24-2006, 04:40 AM

Did any of you have the photo frame guest book, where guests sign the mat of the picture frame and you can put a picture in the middle? I'm considering doing that at our wedding, and wanted to know how well it worked for all of you. And where you got them.

Any info would be helpful!! I found one online and it was about $55. I'm not sure how big of one I would need for about 150 guests either.

kenzies_mama · #2 05-24-2006, 05:02 AM

You can buy them like you found or go to your nearest framing store and find out how much they'd charge you to cut you a mat, then you can decide how to frame it later. If the price you listed is for the mat frame and glass, that's a good deal (I've worked in framing). But if you go to a framing store, you can also pick a unique color versus white like most of those pre-made sets are, I'd say the mat will run between $10 and $30 for a plain colored mat. Framing stores, or stores witha framign dept. I know of off hand are, The Great Frame-Up, Michaels, Deck the Walls, and Hobby Lobby.

As for size, do you expect all 150 guests will sign or are there a bunch of families that might sign as such?

wynelle · #3 05-24-2006, 05:09 AM

We did this for my daughter's wedding. Used a pale lavender mat, dark gold and dark purple pens. I think it was about 17x21 outer lengths, with a 4 inch mat. We had 125 guests plus wedding party and had plenty of room. A calligrapher did their names and the date centered at the bottom.

Marge129 · #4 05-24-2006, 02:56 PM

I did it for my first wedding. One of my BM's worked at Kinko's at the time, so she got/made the mat for free. I had a 16X20 frame with a 8X10 picture.

We had over 150 people at the wedding, all of which were able to sign and write a little note along with their name. There was plenty of room left over, too.

555Ann555 · #5 05-24-2006, 03:50 PM

We did it too! It went down really well with the guests

None of ours had seen it done over here, so it was a nice touch.

Anyway, I bought ours at Ikea for £15!

It is (Bugger. I just went to measure it & realised it is at my MIL's house.) quite big

But they do a really big size, and a lovely square one too...

The frame on ours is black (but so are all the pictures in our lounge) and the mat is cream, but they do the frame in a light wood too. I used black permanent pens so the sun wouldn't bleach the colour over the years.

ladedah · #6 05-24-2006, 04:33 PM

We did it too....and it's so awesome.....we had a 16x20 mat, with a 5x7 pic in the middle...it's hanging in our spare room now and several times I've caught DH reading what everyone wrote.....

Ours was given to us as a gift..but I know she got it at Kirklands....(if you have those where you are)...otherwise, I've seen them at Target....and we used a fine point sharpie marker...

555Ann555 · #7 05-24-2006, 04:46 PM

Aw..

I caught Mo reading a few times too!

It is lovely to see

ljeagle · #8 05-24-2006, 05:06 PM

I got mine from Joann's for 6.99 I think. Mother also got one from the dollar tree

It was the same size and just as good. I had about 80 guest not every person signed it but at least one person from each family did and there was enough room for more. I'll take a picture tonight and post it.

Kim&Bob2004 · #9 05-24-2006, 05:29 PM

We had one. One Guest book lady didn't know what it was for and then decided to mingle instead of having folks sign it!

A lot did though.... It's on our wall and it's a nice little touch to remind you how much many people care, a guest book you rarely look at, a matted frame you have up on your wall and can look at often!

I bought mine at Micheal's I think (so long ago!

), or maybe even wallyworld!

SuzyBride · #10 05-24-2006, 06:35 PM

We did that too! I love it. My SIL/MOH got it for me.

555Ann555 · #11 05-24-2006, 06:44 PM

I remeber yours Suzy! And those huge big photos you had, was it you MIL that made those (I can't quite remember...) the ones in the big dark frames...

SuzyBride · #12 05-24-2006, 07:02 PM

Here is a pic of mine: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/suzyan...c1.jpg&.src=ph

Is the picture screen behind me in this pic what you are talking about Ann?
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/suzyan...01.jpg&.src=ph
If so, my SIL/MOH made those for me and it was a total suprise! I lost it when I saw them!

555Ann555 · #13 05-24-2006, 08:21 PM

Yeah! That's the thing I meant Suzy! I think it was an amazing gift from her

autumnwillow · #14 06-01-2006, 12:36 AM

Hi

We're doing that for our wedding. We just bought a big piece of silver colored posterboard and cut put pictures of us on it. One side has pics of him growing up, the other pics of me growing up, and in the middle (more or less) we're pics of us together. We also got a few permanent markers in different colors for guests to sign with (the back of the posterboard had gold so we used that to test out pens). We also bought a snap on frame for it. Its really cheap, but allows the guests to sign. We'll get a nicer frame with glass later to put it in after the wedding. All of this was from Fred Meyer's and cost maybe $25 (about $15 for frame, approx 4- 5 for posterboard and another $5 or so for pack of different colored pens).

If you want something a little nicer, I also know of a good website that does framed caricatures. We're planning on getting one for my fiance's parents 25 wedding annivesary last year. I know someone else you received one as a retirement gift and they're pretty nice. We'd already made our "guest book" when we saw the site (plus funds are low!) but shouldn't have a problem buying one later for his parents. Good luck!

labeadel · #15 06-01-2006, 12:53 AM

We got ours from Target and it was $60. Kinda expensive, but when I saw it, I bought it b/c I knew that I wanted it. I just didn't think about going to a frame store!

Oh well! Here's some pics of ours. It held 3 8x10's. Yes, we're vain.

I really enjoy having it. Ours is in our bedroom and I love it!

ljeagle · #16 06-01-2006, 02:14 AM

labeadel I wish I wold of spotted that b-4 the wedding. It looks great!

Kim&Bob2004 · #17 06-01-2006, 03:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by autumnwillow

Hi
All of this was from Fred Meyer's and cost maybe $25 (about $15 for frame, approx 4- 5 for posterboard and another $5 or so for pack of different colored pens).

Welcome AutumnWillow

. I see you mention Fred Meyers, so you must live in the northwest? Where abouts? I live in Tacoma WA.

555Ann555 · #18 06-01-2006, 01:54 PM

Amy: Did you swap your engagment photos for wedding ones?

That frame is lovely!

labeadel · #19 06-02-2006, 12:20 AM

No, we kept the engagement pics in the frame. We have enough wedding pics of us floating around now!

fallbride · #20 06-02-2006, 12:48 AM

I have seen this things at the dollar stores now.

maroki13 · #21 06-02-2006, 01:37 AM

Amy, I love yours!!! I haven't decided whether or not we are going to have one; I haven't even had time lately to be looking around.

I'm keeping all of your suggestions in mind though!

555Ann555 · #22 06-02-2006, 01:48 AM

I've kind of got a photo of mine... It's from the reception & I didn't have a photo in it:

It holds a big photo (I don't have it here to measure it)... But yeah Amy, I'm a bit vain too

Jennifer · #23 06-02-2006, 05:50 PM

I went to a wedding in April where they had a silverplatter on the guest table and an electric engraver. You would engrave your message on the platter. It was really unique and very different.

I really like the mattes too. I bought one for my brother and SIL. They loved it! It's hanging in their hall and I always stop to read it.