Michele’s Baby Shower Book, vol. I

In the Winter of 2015, I teamed up with the women of my family to plan the baby shower to end all baby showers for a young woman named Michele. The matriarchs handed creative planning over to me while they handled logistics. The guest book was part of that checklist of decorative items that I needed to create.

Traditional guest books in which attendees simply sign their name and jot down well wishes or advice are always a solid option, but I knew I could create something more dynamic that would add a little something special when Michele wanted to look back on the day. Instead of providing the expectant mother with both a guest book and a photo album, I combined the two, using an accordion style book to allow guests a fold each for notes next to which I affixed a photo of them from the event alongside photos of Michele and the event itself.

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This structure was only possible because I had access to the guest list and was also serving as the event’s photographer, so I could ensure that every attendee made it into a snap and could then match faces to signatures after printing. To allow for inclusion of photos of the event and any extra snaps Michele wanted included, I designed the accordion style book to contain more folds than guests.

The book required some sort of housing after I edited, printed, and affixed the pictures using photo corners. Michele wanted the top photo tantalizingly visible, so we settled on a clear acrylic box that she could secure using some of the ribbon from the event’s decorations, turning it into a bit of shelf decor in her own home.

See the gallery below for paintings I created as take-home decor for Michele’s nursery. For the decor that I coordinated and/or made for the full event, see my blog post on planning the baby shower. See post Baby Shower Book, vol. 2-3 for more books Michele commissioned to contain memories from the baby shower.

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