Taking Pictures

I'm always looking for exciting new takes on old wedding traditions, and right now I'm obsessed with personalised wedding guest books. The leather bound book bursting with well wishes is lovely, but what's hot is adding a little snapshot of the guests beside their messages. At a recent wedding I went to, the bride hired a photobooth, and guests dipped in and out of the booth throughout the evening capturing the party mood of the reception. (The box of props with the obligatory feather boas and hats helped to make for fun pictures). The photos are processed within minutes so were stuck into the bound photoalbum there and then. Guests scribbled messages alongside their - mostly silly - poses and voila! their fun and modern guestbook was complete. If your budget doesn't stretch to a booth - £495 for three hours at www.pictureblast.co.uk) - then use a handheld polaroid camera to take snapshots of each guest. It's a good idea to assign this task to a bridesmaid or usher with a photographic eye, and ask them to do this early on before people drift off. Finally, choose your guestbook carefully. Remember this is something you will keep forever. For a really special memento, opt for a leather bound album personalised with your initials. Take a look at the chic selection at Kiki James (www.kikijames.co.uk).