Sea Scene: An Artistic Alternative To The Traditional Wedding Guestbook

Ever since Whitney and Anthony James of Corvallis were high school sweethearts, they’ve collected the aquatic-themed works of Oregon painter Magda Moor while on trips to summer art festivals. They wanted to include their favorite artist in their September ocean-themed nuptials at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, so while planning their wedding, they reached out to Moor about creating a custom piece that would serve as an alternative to the traditional guestbook.

“I didn’t want an actual book that we would throw in a drawer and never look at again,” says Whitney. Instead, Moor created an oceanic scene for guests to sign with markers. After the wedding, she introduced three-dimensional features such as shells and bits of sea glass; then she painted in additional sea creatures and aquatic plants. Finally, she sealed the painting to prevent guests’ signatures from fading over time. “It’s displayed in our home, and we couldn’t be happier,” says Whitney.