Hi! I’m Aya Ishibashi from The Guestbook editorial team.
How’s your wedding planning going? The invitations are done, the music is more or less decided… and then along comes the big question: what special moments should we include?
“We want our guests to have fun, but we feel bad asking friends to put on a performance…” “We want something that’s uniquely us, but we can’t come up with anything…”
I totally get it. Every time I go to a friend’s wedding, I think, “Aww, this is so lovely!” But when it comes to planning your own, there are so many options you don’t even know where to start 😂
So instead of the usual “10 best ideas” list, this post sorts guest participation ideas into five types to help you get your thoughts in order!
By the end of this post, you should be thinking, “Oh, so that’s how to look at it!” and “This type might be right for us.” You’ll have some clues for finding the ideas that fit you perfectly. Let’s take a look together!
Guest participation ideas fall into 5 types
Social media and magazines are full of ideas. At first they seem all over the place, but they actually sort roughly into these five types, based on what you ask your guests to do.
- Posting: collecting photos and messages from guests
- Co-creating: making one thing together with guests
- Voting: having guests guess or vote on something
- Experience: guests experiencing a game or event themselves
- Sharing: sharing the wedding as it happens, in real time
Just knowing this framework (a way of organizing your thinking) makes everything click into place, and you’ll start to see what you really want to do. Let’s go through them one by one, with examples!
① Posting: ideas that collect photos and messages
“Posting” ideas are ones where guests “post” photos, messages, stories and more.
Key points:
- Many of them are easy for guests to join from their phones
- They’re easy to take part in, so even shy guests can join in
- You collect memories that last long after the wedding
Examples:
- I Spy photo mission: Give guests prompts (e.g. “Capture the groom’s best smile”) to shoot and post, like a game. It’s going viral on TikTok overseas!
- Message posting: Guests scan a QR code and send the couple a message from their phone. It’s like a digital version of an instax (Cheki) guestbook, where guests write messages next to their instant photos.
- Audio guestbook: Guests record voice messages on a retro rotary phone. It’s a huge trend overseas and has only just arrived in Japan! Keeping memories in people’s own voices really hits you in the feels.
Best for:
Perfect for casual parties with mostly friends, or weddings where you want to mingle with lots of guests.
② Co-creating: ideas where everyone makes one thing together
“Co-creating” ideas turn each guest’s small action into a one-of-a-kind piece.
Key points:
- Guests get to feel “I helped make this wedding”
- The finished piece becomes a keepsake you can display in your new home
- It gets guests talking to each other
Examples:
- Fruit liqueur making: Go around the tables and have guests drop fruit into a jar. Finally, the couple pours in the liquor and it’s done! You’ll have something to look forward to opening on your anniversary.
- Paint art ceremony: Guests pour or brush their favorite colors onto a big canvas to create a single artwork. Hugely popular with stylish brides-to-be!
- Wedding drops: Guests write their names or messages on small chips and drop them into a frame. Many couples use it in place of a wedding certificate signed by guests.
Best for:
Great for cozy, intimate weddings, or couples who want memories they can keep.
③ Voting: ideas where guests guess and vote
“Voting” ideas have guests vote in a quiz or a guessing game. They’re a long-standing classic, and they’re still really popular.
Key points:
- The rules are simple, so everyone can join in, whatever their age
- When the answer is revealed, the whole room gets excited together
- Add prizes and it’s even more fun!
Examples:
- Guess the dress color: a classic where guests guess the color of the bride’s dress for her outfit change (in Japan, brides often change into a second dress partway through the reception). Guests can wave glow sticks, drop votes in a ballot box… there are lots of ways to do it.
- Shoe game: the couple sit back to back and answer questions like “Who’s more likely to…?” by holding up the other’s shoe. Guests just guess which shoe goes up! You get to see unexpected sides of the couple, and it gets huge laughs every time (lol).
- Guess the song: guests guess the song for the couple’s re-entrance or the cake cutting. Great for music-loving couples.
Best for:
Want to get the whole room going? Want all your guests having fun together? Then you can’t go wrong with this type.
④ Experience: ideas where guests try a game or event
“Experience” ideas let guests try something themselves and feel the thrill.
Key points:
- Everyone shares the excitement of “Could I be next?”
- Guests naturally start mingling
- It fills the times when guests might have nothing to do, like when the couple step out of the reception
Examples:
- Scratch cards: hand out cards at the welcome desk, then on cue everyone scratches at once. Winners get a gift! It’s easy to prepare, too, which is a big plus.
- Lucky call: guests write their phone number at the welcome desk, and during the reception the couple draw numbers and make the call! Whoever picks up gets a gift. The thrill of “my phone might ring…” is the best part.
- Barrel game: a giant version of Pop-Up Pirate (called Kurohige Kiki Ippatsu in Japan). Someone from each table sticks a sword into the barrel, and when it’s the one, a party popper goes off! No rules to explain, and everyone gets into it.
Best for:
For couples who want to surprise their guests and help them get to know each other.
⑤ Sharing: ideas that share the “now” of your wedding in real time
Last is “Sharing.” These ideas let everyone at the venue (and sometimes guests far away, too!) share the fun and emotion of your wedding as it happens, “right now, in this moment.”
Key points:
- The whole venue gets a live feel
- Photos and comments from guests become part of the moment right away
- Guests who live too far away to come can still feel the atmosphere
Examples:
- Real-time photo sharing: photos guests take on their phones appear in real time as a slideshow on the venue’s screen. Watching everyone’s photos from all different angles roll by is so much fun!
- Live streaming: share a private livestream of your wedding. Grandparents and friends who couldn’t come because of illness or living abroad can still see you on your big day.
- Live polls and comments: guests answer polls or send congratulations from their phones in real time. When the comments scroll across the screen, everyone feels connected.
Best for:
Perfect for couples who love using tech tools, or who want to thank faraway guests too.
Which type should you choose? If you’re unsure, think about the feel of your wedding
So, what did you think of the five types? If you’re wondering, “Okay, so which one should we pick?”, try starting from the feel you want for your wedding.
- Mostly friends, and you want a lively party! → Lots of games with “Voting” and “Experience” ideas
- Mostly family, and you want it cozy → Heartwarming memories with “Co-creation” and “Posting” ideas
- You want a stylish, unique wedding! → Bring in trends from abroad, like “Posting” (an audio guestbook, for example) or “Co-creation” (paint art, for example)
- You want guests to get to know each other → “Experience” ideas, or “Voting” games with tables competing
Combining them works great too!
Of course, you don’t have to pick just one. Combining a few types gives your program a nice rhythm.
Example combinations:
- [Posting × Sharing] Give guests a photo mission (Posting), then share the photos they take on the screen in real time
- [Experience × Voting] Have guests guess who wins the shoe game (Voting), then hold a draw among those who got it right and give them scratch cards (Experience) with even bigger prizes to win
Once you start thinking in combinations like this, the ideas are endless!
Wrap-up: there’s no one right answer. Find the ideas that feel like you!
In this post, I sorted guest participation ideas into five types.
- Posting: “collect” memories
- Co-creation: “make” something together
- Voting: guess and “get it right”
- Experience: “try” a game or event
- Sharing: “share” the “now” in real time
What matters isn’t doing every trending idea. It’s thinking about what kind of time you want to spend with your guests, and choosing the type of ideas that fits.
I hope this post can be a kind of map to help you find the best ideas for the two of you among all the options out there.
Wishing you a wonderful wedding! I’m rooting for you ✨
