Gone are the days of the OG guest book where at just about every wedding, you could find a personalized book where guests would write their well wishes to the bride and groom on their wedding day.
Over the years, we’ve seen new guest book ideas come up like the finger print tree that was Very popular during the rustic wedding era. If there was burlap included, you were sure to find a thumbprint tree and sharpies! And who can forget about the Jenga blocks (our editor did this at her own wedding- FYI half have been lost or chewed by the dog…)
But moving into the 2020s, things got weird and we saw guest counts diminish or obsolete and couples and their loved ones needed a new way option for those sweet love notes. Enter: The Audio Guest Book.
We had the opportunity talk with After The Tone, the husband and wife team who started the audio guest book trend and today they’re sharing all about the sweetest way You can hear your loved ones voices for a lifetime to come!
In 2020, husband-and-wife duo Jacob and Bailey Yackley started an audio guest book company after first introducing the idea at their own wedding. It was then that, After The Tone was born. Their unique service provides a vintage rotary phone for guests at any event to leave voicemails on. Then, the phone is shipped back to the company’s Southern California headquarters where the messages are transferred onto a digital file, USB, or vinyl record as a way to relive those special memories through the voices of loved ones.
PW: How does the process work?
ATT: Ordering an After The Tone Audio Guestbook for your wedding is super simple! Here’s how it works:
We ship you a vintage rotary phone of your color choice (all of our colors are the exact shades from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s). Then, with included instructions to guide them, the client or their planner sets up the phone at the event (no wifi or plug-in needed). At the reception, wedding guests record their voicemails, whether they be heartfelt, funny, motivational, whatever comes to mind!
All the couple has to do after the event is turn off the recorder, ship the phone back using the provided box and prepaid label, and approve the voicemails upon receipt in the following weeks! After The Tone will then send the final voicemails via a digital file, USB, or custom vinyl record as a forever keepsake of the best day of the couple’s lives.
When should couples reserve their phones?
We recommend that couples reserve their phones as early as possible, preferably at least a month prior to the wedding. If you’re having a destination wedding, we recommend booking even earlier, as we will most likely ship the phone to you before you leave on your trip, so you can travel with the phone.
It looks like couples have the option to have a virtual number vs a phone? How does that work?
Best case scenario, everyone you could ever dream of will be at your event in person, but sometimes, life happens! Enter: Our Virtual Dial-In Package. Our virtual dial-in add-on is perfect for those who can’t make the wedding but still want to leave a voicemail for the couple. We open a custom phone line for people to call in and leave a message on their personal device. Then, we add those voicemails to the mix of in-person messages from your wedding! The sound quality is the exact same, and the end result is an audio guestbook that includes every single one of your loved ones, near and far, young and old!
Any differences between the vinyl or digital recordings? Is there one that’s more popular?
We have three options when it comes to delivering your voicemails: the included digital file at no additional cost, the USB for a small additional fee, and the custom vinyl for an additional fee. We find that many of our clients either order the vinyl from the jump, or listen to their voicemails for the first time and then decide to add on the vinyl record later.
The cool thing about the vinyl record is that you can customize the jacket to include wedding photos, text, really whatever you want to make it special. Some clients even buy a record player specifically for their audio guestbook vinyl!
Other clients will take the digital file and use it as the primary audio behind their wedding video—the choice is really up to you, and the possibilities are endless!
Could phones be rented out for other special events? Like bridal showers/engagement parties, etc?
Absolutely! Our phones have been at every type of celebration under the sun, whether it’s a bridal shower, engagement party, baby shower, milestone birthday, product launch, even a sorority event! Whenever you’re wanting to remember a special moment through the voices of your loved ones, family members, employees, or customers, our phones are here for you. Learn more at afterthetone.co.
