Polaroid guest book: how to set one up
A polaroid guest book is a guest book with photos: guests take an instant picture, stick it on a page and write a note next to it. To set one up you need an instant camera, enough film for about one photo per couple and a sign that tells guests the three steps.
It is one of the most popular guest book ideas because the result is a book you will actually look at. Most of the work is in the film count and the light, and both are easy to get right.
What you need
- An instant camera, with fresh batteries if it takes them
- Film: the table below shows how much
- A guest book or album with thick pages
- Photo corners or double-sided tape to fix the pictures
- Two or three pens that write well on the pages
- A sign with the steps
- A tray or a bowl where photos can develop
- A friend who checks the table once an hour
Instax or Polaroid film
Two families of film cover almost every instant camera. Fujifilm’s Instax Mini is the small one: Wikipedia lists the picture at 46 by 62 mm, on a card 54 by 86 mm, about the size of a credit card. Instax Square pictures are 62 mm square and Instax Wide pictures are 99 by 62 mm. Mini and Wide packs hold 10 photos each, and a print takes around 90 seconds to develop, a little longer when it is cold.
Polaroid film gives bigger, square pictures, and Polaroid’s own wedding tips say each pack holds 8 photos. The same page warns that Polaroid cameras and film need a lot of light, so unless the wedding is outdoors in direct sunlight, it recommends shooting with flash.
Either works. Instax is cheaper per photo and fits more pictures on a page. Polaroid pictures are larger and have the classic white frame people expect.
How much film to buy
There is no official formula, so here is ours: plan one photo per couple or small group, which is roughly one photo for every two guests, then add 20 percent for blinks, retakes and the people who want a second try.
| Guests | Photos to plan for | Instax packs (10 each) | Polaroid packs (8 each) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 30 | 3 | 4 |
| 100 | 60 | 6 | 8 |
| 150 | 90 | 9 | 12 |
| 200 | 120 | 12 | 15 |
Order early. Polaroid recommends ordering film at least two weeks before the wedding, and unboxing the camera to take a few test shots beforehand. Leftover packs are never wasted at a wedding: hand them to the photographer for the after-party.
Setting up the table
Put the table in good light, near a window or under a lamp, and keep the flash on indoors. Set it somewhere guests pass anyway, with room for two people to stand side by side.
Lay the book open at the first page, with one example already done: a photo of the two of you and a note. People copy what they see, so the example does more than any sign.
The sign still matters, because the steps happen in a set order. Our free printable signs include a photo guest book sign with three steps: take a photo, stick it in the guest book, write a note next to it.
Give the photos a place to develop. A shallow tray beside the camera stops guests from shaking them or stacking them face down while they are still wet.
Wording for the sign
- “Snap a photo, stick it in, sign it”
- “Take a picture, add it to the book and write us a note next to it”
- “Smile! Then leave us a few words next to your photo”
The signs guide linked above has more wordings, for every other kind of guest book too.
The online option
A photo station gets a queue at busy moments, and some guests will not wait. A QR code on the same table lets them leave a written message from their phones instead. We make a free online wedding guest book that works this way, so weigh this with that in mind: you print its QR code for the table and read every message after the day, next to your photo book. For more ideas like this one, see our list of wedding guest book ideas.
Quick answers
How many photos come in a pack of instant film? Instax Mini and Instax Wide packs hold 10 photos. Polaroid packs hold 8.
How much film do I need for 100 guests? About 60 photos with our rule of one per couple plus 20 percent: 6 packs of Instax or 8 packs of Polaroid.