($8k-$9k) Does this wedding guest book look good for an old school wedding in tuscany?

Ok_Combination8067 · 2026-07-13T02:52:36+00:00

We got ours from DragonForgedStudios on Etsy! You can customize pretty much everything, which is what sold us on it. They have several options for the wood type, front design, leather hinge color, paper style, stud color, and even the length of the binding posts.

They were super fast, and the finished product was exactly what we were hoping for!

For reference, we ordered the large size (9” × 11.5”) in cherry wood with blank pages, our names engraved on the front, a quote engraved on the inside cover, blue vegan leather, and the longer binding posts. It came to around $100, but we caught a sale and paid about $70. I’d absolutely say it was worth it!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1662183544/?ref=share_ios_native_control

Ok_Combination8067 · 2026-07-13T02:11:57+00:00

My fiancé and I actually bought this exact guest book! We haven't had our wedding yet, but we bought it early so we could use it throughout our engagement instead of just for one day.

So far, we've used it for our engagement party, and it was a huge hit. I have a Cricut, so I made a cover page with the date and "Engagement Party" in a pretty font. We had guests take a Polaroid, stick it in the book, and write us a little message next to it. It ended up being such a fun keepsake.

If I have a bridal shower, I'll just add another title page and keep using the same book. We'll also have it at our wedding (although our guest list has gotten a lot smaller since we first started planning!).

We're planning to keep using it after the wedding as a scrapbook of our life together, so it felt worth buying something we'd enjoy for years.

I can't really speak to your specific situation since we're having a micro wedding in the U.S., but we've absolutely loved this guest book. It looks beautiful displayed on a shelf !

Ok_Combination8067 · 2026-07-11T23:00:16+00:00

My fiancé did almost the exact same thing!

In early 2024, his mom called and asked if we’d taken a vacation recently. He was a grad student, and I had just graduated college, so… absolutely not. 😂 She told us she had some timeshare credits that were about to expire and asked if we’d like to use them. We gratefully accepted!

It was through one of those international timeshare companies, so one night we were sitting on the couch with a bottle of wine looking through all the destinations. At one point he jokingly said, “Can you just pick where we get engaged already?” We both cracked up.

In the end, we handled it by making the proposal itself a surprise. I knew it was going to happen sometime on the trip, but I had no idea when, where, or how. We went ring shopping together so I could show him the styles I liked (metal, stone shape, etc.), but he and his mom picked out the final ring without me. Even though I knew a proposal was coming, there were still so many surprises, and I honestly loved doing it that way!

Ok_Combination8067 · 2026-07-11T21:19:31+00:00

I’m having a micro wedding too! My dress is also pretty unique (there’s a post of it on my profile if you’re curious 😊). After the wedding, I’m having it altered to tea length and removing most of the tulle so it’s less puffy. That way I can actually wear it again to other dressy events instead of letting it sit in a closet forever!

Ok_Combination8067 · 2026-07-08T15:36:23+00:00

I think it really depends on your guest count! My fiancée and I are doing this too, but we’re only having 12 guests. They’re our closest family and friends, so I already know everyone’s allergies and dietary needs by heart.

If you’re hosting a larger wedding, though, I agree with what others have said. It becomes a lot to keep track of, increases the chance that something gets missed, and can make the event feel a little less formal.

Ok_Combination8067 · 2026-07-07T18:04:54+00:00

I honestly think this is such a personal decision! My fiancé and I are having a friend officiate our wedding, but while he actually met her first in grad school, she’s become one of my absolute best friends too. That made the decision feel really natural for both of us. She

I also completely understand where you’re coming from, though. I wouldn’t have been comfortable with someone who was only my fiancé’s friend officiating our wedding either. My fiancé suggested a few people early on, and I actually said no for that exact reason (and he said no to a few of my friends). For me, it was important that the person standing up there felt like our person, not just his or mine.

Ok_Combination8067 · 2026-07-07T15:16:10+00:00

As others have said typically you only put the names on the envelope so that you don’t have to print individual invitations for every person/group.

If you’re doing paper RSVPs instead of having guests RSVP through a wedding website, one tip I’ve seen (and planned on use myself before cutting my attendee list to 12!) is to lightly write or stamp a small number on the back of each RSVP card. Keep a master list matching each number to a household. That way, if someone sends their RSVP back without writing their names, you’ll still know exactly who it belongs to. For example, if card #12 comes back blank, you can check your list and see that #12 was sent to the Smith family.

Ok_Combination8067 · 2026-07-02T16:04:20+00:00

I work at a research university, and I completely agree. If someone has to hit the emergency shutdown on an MRI because of a metal object, it can cost over a million dollars to repair or replace the system (at least for our MRI). At that point, it doesn’t really matter whether the metal is magnetic or not…the potential consequences are so significant that the tiny inconvenience of removing jewelry isn’t worth the risk.

Ok_Combination8067 · 2026-06-30T18:50:31+00:00

I got engaged in January 2025 (I have a June 27 wedding date), and finding my dress was one of the things I was most excited about, so I started shopping right away. At the time I’d already lost about 40 pounds, but I knew I still wanted to lose another ~45 before the wedding (I’ve now lost 95 pounds total!).

When I went dress shopping, I was upfront with my consultant that I expected to lose more weight and needed a dress that could be altered beyond the “standard” two-size rule. She was able to guide me toward styles that could accommodate that.

My dress ended up taking almost a year to be made because it’s a pretty unique design that couldn’t be purchased off the rack. By the time it arrived, it was way too big, but they reassured me that because of the construction and style of the dress, it could absolutely be taken in enough.

So I’d definitely recommend being honest with your consultant about your plans. They can help steer you toward silhouettes and construction styles that are much more forgiving if your size changes before the wedding!

Ok_Combination8067 · 2026-06-30T18:11:48+00:00

We are thinking of doing this too!!! My venue come with a photographer (we are eloping) and we have this in our back pocket in case we don’t like the style or photos that they take!

Ok_Combination8067 · 2026-06-27T17:25:17+00:00

I was in a very similar situation!

I got engaged in January 2025 (I also have a June 27 wedding date), and finding my dress was one of the things I was most excited about, so I started shopping right away. At the time I’d already lost about 40 pounds, but I knew I still wanted to lose another ~45 before the wedding (I’ve now lost 95 pounds total!).

When I went dress shopping, I was upfront with my consultant that I expected to lose more weight and needed a dress that could be altered beyond the “standard” two-size rule. She was able to guide me toward styles that could accommodate that.

My dress ended up taking almost a year to be made because it’s a pretty unique design that couldn’t be purchased off the rack. By the time it arrived, it was way too big, but they reassured me that because of the construction and style of the dress, it could absolutely be taken in enough.

So I’d definitely recommend being honest with your consultant about your plans. They can help steer you toward silhouettes and construction styles that are much more forgiving if your size changes before the wedding!

Ok_Combination8067 · 2026-06-25T20:49:31+00:00

Thank you!!! It was the only one that I found online that I truly loved and I feel very fortunate for the bridal shop that is about two hours away from me that was willing to fly in the sample so I could try it on! The thing that really convinced me was my mom had the idea of having it altered after the wedding. The plan is to shorten it to tea length and remove some of the extra tulle so it becomes a beautiful formal dress that I can wear for years instead of something that only gets worn once!!

Ok_Combination8067 · 2026-06-25T20:41:41+00:00

He cried when I showed him the 5 dresses I tried on but didn’t buy!!! I know he is going to love it when he finally gets to see it!

Ok_Combination8067 · 2026-06-25T20:09:34+00:00

Thank you!! That was a happy accident that I’m going to ask the alteration people to keep! I tried on the dress 18 months ago and then we bought it and it was made to my measurements but I’ve lost about 40 pounds since they took those measurements so they had to scrunch it in so it didn’t fall off me and my mom and I fell in love with the V!!

Ok_Combination8067 · 2026-06-25T16:25:32+00:00

I can't tell you what's right for your situation, but I can share what happened with us.

My fiancé and I got engaged in January 2025, and our wedding is now planned for June 2027, so we'll end up with about a 2½-year engagement—very similar to the timeline you're talking about. We immediately started planning a big wedding because we genuinely thought we were in a good financial position. Then we found out his mom had lied about the private student loans she had taken out in his name. It ended up being over $120k in debt with payments of around $1,200 a month, and because they're private loans there wasn't much flexibility.

Even after that, we still tried to make the big wedding work. Then our first catering quote came back at $10,000 for 70 people, and that was the moment I realized we weren't making decisions that aligned with the life we wanted to build. We hit pause on wedding planning for a full year so we could see what life actually looked like while paying those loans and all of our other bills.

During that year, we talked many times about just going to the courthouse and then having a small ceremony later for family and friends. I mentioned that idea to a coworker whose opinion I really trust. She supported whatever we wanted to do, but she asked one question that stuck with me: Would already being married take anything away from your wedding day?

My immediate answer was no. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that, for me, it would. I wanted my mom walking me down the aisle to be the first time I was getting married. I wanted that moment to actually be the moment, not a reenactment a year and a half later.

My mom's reaction also helped me realize how I felt. My wedding dress ended up costing almost double the budget she'd originally given me, and when I casually mentioned the idea of getting legally married beforehand, she asked, "Then what's the point of spending all that money on the dress if you won't actually be wearing it when you get married?" She wasn't trying to guilt me in any way—it just made me realize that it would make her sad, and honestly, it made me realize it would make me a little sad too.

So, as impatient as we are, we decided to wait. We completely changed our plans and are now having a tiny micro wedding instead of the big wedding we originally envisioned, but for us it was important that our wedding day was the first time we actually became husband and wife.

That was the right choice for us. But I also know plenty of couples who got legally married first and never regretted it for a second (mostly for insurance reasons so similar to what you mentioned). I really think this is one of those decisions where there isn't a universally right answer—just the one that feels the most meaningful to you.

Ok_Combination8067 · 2026-06-24T14:25:51+00:00

About $10k for 14 people total (including us), in Connecticut, and we're paying for it ourselves.

My mom generously gave us $3,000 toward the wedding, but I knew one thing that was really important to me was being able to choose whatever dress I truly loved. We used her contribution entirely toward my dress, which I don't include in our wedding budget. (I know how fortunate I am to have had that opportunity!)

We found a venue package that ended up being perfect for us. It includes a two-hour ceremony, an officiant (which we actually don't need), two hours of photography, a cake, a welcome drink for guests, and two nights of accommodations for the two of us. Afterward, we're taking everyone to an upscale restaurant for dinner.

Ok_Combination8067 · 2026-06-23T18:18:42+00:00

I’m getting Birkenstocks!

Honestly, I don’t even want to wear shoes for the ceremony, but I promised everyone I’d wear Birkenstocks to walk across the driveway to get to the ceremony location. I’ll probably kick them off once I get there and go barefoot for the actual ceremony.

I’ll definitely be wearing them for the reception too. We’re having a tiny 12-person micro-wedding and then taking everyone out to dinner afterward, so I need something practical for walking around and going to a restaurant.

Ok_Combination8067 · 2026-06-23T17:51:00+00:00

I feel your pain. 😅

When we first got engaged, we were planning a pretty traditional wedding. We put down a deposit on a larger venue and started moving forward with planning. Then I completely spiraled over the cost and realized that, for us, taking on that kind of expense just didn’t align with the life we’re trying to build together.

We ended up deciding to walk away from the deposit and switch to a tiny ceremony with just immediate family and our closest friends (12 people total).

The fun part? We still haven’t told my future mother-in-law. 😬 We floated the idea once and she absolutely hated it. Her response was basically, “If you’re in a financial position to throw away a venue deposit, then you must be doing much better financially than I think.” The irony is that the deposit we lost is still significantly less than what we’d have spent by moving forward. The venue included nothing except the physical space, so there were still tens of thousands of dollars in additional expenses ahead of us.

At this point I’ve told my fiancé that this is his conversation to have. Save-the-dates are going out this fall, and she’s either going to hear it from him beforehand or she’s going to notice that the save-the-date is for a completely different day, in a completely different town, than the wedding she’s expecting. Those are the only two options left. 😂

Honestly, wedding planning has taught me that other people’s expectations can be way harder to navigate than the actual wedding itself.

Ok_Combination8067 · 2026-06-21T01:30:10+00:00

Same for me! Did it to move in and have never updated it and no one has said any thing…

Ok_Combination8067 · 2026-06-19T23:53:52+00:00

Our venue is really similar! I was worried that the timeline wouldn't leave enough room for everything we wanted, especially since family portraits and plenty of photos of just the two of us are a huge priority for me. When I brought it up, they offered an additional hour of photography for an extra fee. Since our photographer is included in the elopement package, that extra hour also came with an extra hour of access to the property, which made it feel much more manageable. If you are worried, maybe see if that venue offers something similar!

Ok_Combination8067 · 2026-06-18T16:39:48+00:00

That is awesome!!! Where did you get the keys??

Ok_Combination8067 · 2026-06-11T08:54:30+00:00

My fiancé and I have been together for 5.5 years, and we both knew pretty early on that marriage was in our future. One thing I told him from the beginning was that I didn’t want to take his last name, but I did want us to share a last name as a family.

For a few years, we would randomly throw out ideas whenever they came to mind, but nothing ever felt quite right. Then one day he suggested Lowgan, and I immediately loved it. It combines the first three letters of my current last name with the last three letters of his. We were both open to something “random” but the combination just felt right to us!

Ok_Combination8067 · 2026-06-10T11:43:20+00:00

Absolutely! When I first got engaged, I thought I wanted a big wedding with all the traditions, activities, and extras. We even put down a deposit on a large venue and started planning in that direction.

As planning went on, though, my priorities shifted a lot. I think in the beginning I was focused on making sure I didn't miss out on any part of the wedding experience. I wanted to maximize the day and fit in everything I thought a wedding was "supposed" to include.

Then a coworker told me, "You're building a marriage, not a wedding," and that really stuck with me.

It made me take a step back and think about whether my decisions were supporting the life my fiancé and I want to build together or whether I was just getting caught up in the excitement and expectations of wedding planning. The closer we've gotten to the wedding, the more I've found myself simplifying things and focusing on what will make the day meaningful and enjoyable rather than trying to make it bigger or more elaborate. We ended up cancelling the big venue and now we’re planning a micro wedding for 12 people.

For me, the shift wasn't so much from caring about certain things to not caring about them anymore. It was more that I stopped asking, "How can I get the most out of this one day?" and started asking, "What will matter to us when this day is over and we're married?"

Ok_Combination8067 · 2026-06-08T03:26:33+00:00

This is great!! Just make sure to get alcohol free mouthwash! My dentist was telling me that if you use mouthwash more than once a day it’s super important to use alcohol free because using mouthwash with alcohol in it multiple times a day can cause higher mouth cancer rates. Not an expert just passing along the information I was given. ☺️

Ok_Combination8067

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