- Julianna Sweeney
A Creative Way To Get Your Wedding Guests' Contact Info In The Modern Age
I don't own an address book.
I still remember the one my mom and dad used to use all the time. Since the advent of more modern technology though, the tradition of owning and using an address book hasn't been as necessary to maintain as it once was - you typically only need one form of communication anymore.
That is, unless it comes to formal invitations...
When Tyler and I started building out our guest list, we quickly realized that we were going to need more information than just a cell phone number.
That's where google forms comes into play!
I'd used google forms a ton at my old job. Once you create a google form, you can send a link to fill it out through just about any form of digital communication (cell phone, email). You can also specify what information you'd like to collect and it will automatically capture all of the answers into a google sheet for you. It made a lot of sense for me and turned out to be perfect.
Another great thing? The sheet that records the answers is editable - we created a directory where we can track not only the information but notes on whether or not we send save the dates, invites, etc. and whether or not someone is going to attend.
Here's How To Create A Google Form To Collect Your Wedding Guests' Contact Info:
Go to https://docs.google.com/forms and make sure you're logged into the account that you want to create the form under
Click on the plus sign in the top lefthand corner that says "blank"
Then you're gonna want to add a title on there (I think we put something generic like "Wedding Guest Contact Information Form")
Next, you can add a description of the form (Tyler and I just wrote a little note explaining what the form was to our friends and family and why we were doing it)
After that, you can create the questions that you want people to answer (i.e. name, email, phone, address, etc). You can also specify whether the question is required or not.
Now comes the fun stuff! If you click on the little color pallet that says "customize theme" (In the top right you will see a list of icons - it's the one all the way to the left), you can customize the fonts, colors, background and you can also add a header. The header can be a photo or a graphic of your choice.
Once the form is to your liking there's just a few more things to check... First, head over to where it says "responses" (right above the form. You are on "questions" right now). Then click on the green icon that says "create spreadsheet." Make sure you keep it on "create a new spreadsheet" and then add the name you want so that it can be easily found when you search in google forms. Then hit "create."
Next, head over to settings and click the dropdown menu for "presentation." This one is optional, but if you want, you can edit the confirmation message that will appear whenever someone fills out your form.
The last thing you'll need to do is grab the link and start sending! Click on the big purple "send" button and then click on the little link icon. Next, select the box that says "shorten URL". Then click "copy" and you're good to start sending it out!
To see the recorded answers sheet, head over to google sheets and search for the name you used for the answers sheet.
I hope this gives you a neat and fun little way to interact with your guests and get their contact info as needed! Wishing you all the best with your wedding planning!
Be sure to share this with a bride in need that you think will appreciate it!
Sending love always,
J.S.