How to Set Up a Wedding Video Guestbook (Step by Step)

A wedding video guestbook lets guests tap an iPad, record a short video message, and leave you a keepsake you keep forever. To set one up, install the Votive app on an iPad you already own, add your names and date, lock the screen with Guided Access, place the iPad at chest height, add a sign, and let it run.

The whole setup takes about 20 minutes. Here is each step.

What do you need to set up a video guestbook?

You need three things:

1. An iPad on iOS 17 or newer. That is an iPad 6th generation (2018) or any newer model. Check your version in Settings > General > About.
2. The Votive app, free to download from the App Store.
3. A stand or a case that holds the iPad upright at chest height, plus a charger for the day.

You do not need a booth, a rental, or an attendant. Premium video guestbook rentals cost up to about $1,500. Votive turns the iPad you already own into the same keepsake, so your only cost is the app.

How do you set up the Votive app?

1. Download Votive from the App Store onto your iPad.
2. Open the app and add your details. Enter both names and your wedding date. This sets the welcome screen your guests see.
3. Record a test clip. Tap the screen, speak, and stop. Watch it back. This confirms the camera and the microphone work before the day.
4. Charge the iPad fully the night before. A full charge lasts a typical reception, but keep the charger nearby for a long night.

Your guests never touch this setup. They need no app and no account. They only tap and record.

How do you lock the iPad so guests cannot leave the app?

Use Guided Access. It pins the iPad to Votive, so a curious tap cannot open your photos, your email, or another app.

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access and turn it on.
2. Set a passcode you will remember.
3. Open Votive, then triple-click the top or side button to start Guided Access.
4. Tap Start. The iPad is now locked to Votive until you enter your passcode.

Test it once. Try to swipe away. If the iPad stays on Votive, you are ready.

Where do you place the iPad at the reception?

Put the iPad at chest height near a spot where guests naturally pause. Good places include the welcome table, the bar, the guestbook table, or beside the cake. Chest height keeps faces centered and the lighting soft.

Add a small sign with three words of direction, like "Tap to leave us a message." Guests record more when they know what to do. For more placement detail, see where to put your video guestbook at the reception.

Then let it run. Votive saves every clip on the iPad, offline. No wifi is needed, so a weak venue signal never blocks a message.

How do you back up the clips after the wedding?

1. After the reception, bring the iPad home and connect it to wifi or power.
2. Open Votive and follow the prompt to save or export your clips.
3. Copy the full set to a second place, such as cloud storage or a computer, so you hold two copies.

Two copies protect the one keepsake you cannot re-record.

---

Want the full picture first? Read how to turn an iPad into a wedding guestbook, then walk through our simple setup guide when you are ready. Your guests bring the words. Votive keeps them.