Customizing guestbook field labels

Learn how to customize all the field labels in your guestbook form to match your wedding style and prompt specific messages.

Want your guestbook form to say exactly what you want? You can customize all the field labels! Change "Your message" to "Share your advice", or personalize any label to match your wedding style.

What you can customize

The guestbook form has several text labels you can change:

Photo (field label):
- Label for the photo field
- Only appears if photo uploads are enabled
- Default: "Photo"

Upload a photo (placeholder text):
- Text that appears in the photo upload button
- Only appears if photo uploads are enabled
- Default: "Upload a photo"

Your message (field label):
- Label for the message text area
- Where guests write their message
- Default: "Your message"

Your name (field label):
- Label for the name input field
- Where guests enter their name
- Default: "Your name"

Customize them all to match your tone!

Accessing field label settings

  1. Go to Site > Guestbook > Guestbook settings
  2. Scroll to the Field labels section to see text fields for each label

The section heading is "Field labels" with the description "Wording for the guestbook form fields."

Customizing field labels

To change any label:

  1. In Guestbook settings, find the Field labels section
  2. Click in the field you want to change and type your custom text (or leave blank for defaults)
  3. Click Save changes at the bottom

Your guestbook form now uses your custom labels!

Photo field labels

The photo labels only appear if you've enabled photo uploads:

Photo:
- The label that appears above the photo upload area
- Default: "Photo"
- Example alternatives: "Add a photo", "Your photo", "Share a picture"

Upload a photo:
- The placeholder/button text for uploading
- Default: "Upload a photo"
- Example alternatives: "Choose photo", "Add image", "Select file", "Share your favorite memory"

Enabling photo uploads:
1. In Guestbook settings, find Upload photos toggle
2. Turn it ON
3. Photo field labels will appear below the toggle
4. Customize if desired
5. Click Save changes

Message field label

Customize what you call the message field:

Default: "Your message"

Alternative ideas:
- "Share your well-wishes"
- "Leave us a message"
- "Your advice for the happy couple"
- "Share a favorite memory"
- "Tell us your favorite story about us"
- "Write us a note"
- "Your words of wisdom"
- "Message"
- "What do you want to say?"

Make it specific to what you're asking guests to share!

Name field label

Customize what you call the name field:

Default: "Your name"

Alternative ideas:
- "Name"
- "Your full name"
- "Who are you?"
- "Sign your name"
- "From"
- "Guest name"
- "First and last name"

Keep it simple and clear!

Using prompts in labels

You can use your labels to prompt specific types of messages:

Examples:

For advice:
- Message label: "Share your best marriage advice"
- Creates a theme for entries

For memories:
- Message label: "Share a favorite memory with us"
- Encourages storytelling

For predictions:
- Message label: "What do you predict for our future?"
- Makes it fun and interactive

For gratitude:
- Message label: "We'd love to hear from you"
- Warm and welcoming

Use labels strategically!

Matching your wedding style

Formal wedding:
- "Please share your well-wishes"
- "Your name"
- Keep it traditional

Casual wedding:
- "Drop us a note!"
- "Who's this from?"
- Fun and relaxed

Romantic wedding:
- "Share your love and blessings"
- "With love from"
- Sweet and sentimental

Fun/quirky wedding:
- "Spill the tea! What's your advice?"
- "Your name (or your alias)"
- Playful and unique

Match your overall vibe!

Keeping labels clear

While you can get creative, make sure labels are:

Clear: Guests should understand what to enter

Concise: Don't make labels too long

Friendly: Use an inviting tone

Obvious: Don't be so creative that it's confusing

Balance personality with usability!

Placeholders vs labels

Note the difference:

Labels:
- Appear above or beside the field
- Always visible
- Guide what goes in the field

Placeholders:
- Appear inside the field (like "Upload a photo")
- Disappear when typing
- Example text

The settings let you customize both labels and placeholder text for photo uploads!

Restoring defaults

To go back to default labels:

  1. Go to Guestbook settings
  2. Delete your custom text from any field label
  3. Leave the field empty
  4. Click Save changes

The default label will be used!

Placeholders show you what the defaults are.

Testing your labels

After customizing:

  1. Visit your live wedding website
  2. Find your guestbook section
  3. Check that labels make sense
  4. Try it on mobile too
  5. Ask someone if it's clear what to do

Make sure it's user-friendly!

Labels and translations (Pro plan)

If you have multiple languages, you can translate field labels:

Default language:
- Set custom labels in Guestbook settings
- These apply to your default language

Other languages:
- Go to Site → Guestbook
- Select language from dropdown
- Click Translations
- Translate each field label
- Click Save changes

Each language can have its own customized labels!

See our article on "Translating guestbook text" for more details.

Character limits

There's no strict character limit, but keep labels:

  • Short enough to fit on one line
  • Mobile-friendly (smaller screens)
  • Easy to read at a glance

Generally, aim for under 50 characters for labels.

Common customization examples

Memory-focused guestbook:
- Message: "Share a favorite memory of us"
- Name: "Your name"

Advice-focused guestbook:
- Message: "What advice do you have for us?"
- Name: "From"

Photo-heavy guestbook:
- Photo: "Add your photo"
- Upload: "Choose your best pic"
- Message: "Caption your photo"
- Name: "Your name"

Simple and clean:
- Message: "Message"
- Name: "Name"

Pick what feels right for you!

Labels and section description

Labels work together with your guestbook section description:

Section description:
- Explains what the guestbook is for
- Sets the tone
- Example: "We'd love to hear from you! Share a message, photo, or piece of advice."

Field labels:
- Guide what goes in each specific field
- Example: "Your advice"

Use both to create a clear, engaging guestbook!

Mobile display

Labels display on mobile devices too:

  • They adapt to screen size
  • Shorter labels work better on mobile
  • Test to make sure nothing is cut off

Keep mobile users in mind!

Changing labels mid-wedding

You can change labels anytime:

  1. Update labels in Guestbook settings
  2. Click Save changes
  3. Form immediately uses new labels

Existing entries:
- Not affected
- Keep the data they have
- Labels only affect the submission form

Feel free to adjust as needed!

Accessibility

Good label practices help all guests:

  • Clear labels help screen readers
  • Obvious labels help confused guests
  • Simple labels help non-native speakers

Think about accessibility when customizing!

Customizing guestbook field labels lets you personalize your guestbook form to perfectly match your wedding style and guide guests to leave exactly the kind of messages you want!