Add to party fun with an alternative to a traditional party guest book.
Retirement parties present an opportunity not only to celebrate an employee's contributions to a company or team but also to commemorate those contributions. Instead of a traditional, somewhat boring party guest book, consider having guests sign one of these more personal, sentimental gifts that you can present to the guest of honor.
Scrapbook
Use craft supplies and scrapbook paper to make a guest book alternative.
Put together a scrapbook of the guest of honor's years of work. Try to include photos or memorabilia from all jobs he has held, even those held as a teenager or young adult. Track down old name tags, paycheck stubs and training materials, or print logos and company histories off of the companies' websites. Make the company histories humorous and personal by inserting details about the guest of honor, and dedicate a page in the scrapbook to this small joke. If photos or information from old jobs prove too hard to find, ask the guest of honor's co-workers to write down a memory or a short, uplifting letter that can be included next to each co-worker's picture in the scrapbook. The Scrapbook Scrapbook website offers a number of background pages that can be downloaded for free and used as part of any scrapbooking project. Add embellishments to colorful scrapbook pages like stickers, glitter, scrapbooking tags or borders.
Photo Book
Design a photo book that retirement party guests can sign with colorful markers. Stores with photo centers, such as Walgreens and Walmart, often offer kiosks where you can design and order photo books. Another option is to use online software such as the program available for free download at MyPublisher.com. Customers can use this software to design professional photo books, complete with words and illustrations. If neither of these options is appealing, modify the scrapbook idea to a simple collection of plain pages containing pictures of the retirement party guests. Print each guest's name neatly next to the appropriate photo, and allow ample space for guests to record their thoughts in writing.
Signed Photo Frame
Purchase a matted photo frame, one with blank space inside the frame, bordering the photograph. Place a photo of the guest of honor inside the frame, and pass the frame's mat from guest to guest at the retirement party. When everyone has signed the frame, wrap the frame, and place it with other gifts for the guest of honor to open.
Tags: guest honor, guest book, retirement party, company histories, from jobs