Audio guest book on a budget: which one suits your wedding?
Audio guest book for a UK wedding on a budget: retro phone hire, voxu.fm or QR Album? Which one suits you, what it costs and why a guest album gives more.
Martin Freiwald · Founder of QR Album
· · 3 min read
The short answer: on a budget, QR Album is the best-value audio guest book, with voices, photos and videos in one guest album from £29. Retro phone hire runs from £89 at Audio Guest to £390 at Audio Guest Book, and voxu.fm charges £49 for up to 100 voice notes. Prices checked 16 October 2026.
Which audio guest book suits you?
- You want a vintage phone as a talking point and mainly voices: hire a retro phone, if the budget allows.
- You only want voice notes, from guests' own phones: voxu.fm does exactly that.
- You want voices, photos and videos for less, in a guest album everyone enjoys: QR Album is the best choice, especially on a budget.
QR Album: the guest album that stays
- Voices on the day and after: guests record their wishes at the reception and can still send photos, videos and voice notes days later.
- With names: guests can add their name to each message. On Grand, every voice note is transcribed automatically.
- One album for everyone: public or private, with likes and comments. New posts appear instantly, and from Celebrate on the live photo wall at the venue.
- Simple: no app, on any phone or device, and no cap on how many messages guests send. You choose the album design.
voxu.fm: voice notes only
- Strength: built only for voice messages. Guests scan a code or open a link and leave a message with a selfie.
- Cost: £49 covers up to 100 voice notes. If guests send 2 or 3 each, you soon need Pro at £89 for unlimited.
- Limit: no photos or videos from the day, so you still need a second way to collect those.
Retro phone hire: lovely, but pricey
- Strength: guests pick up a restored vintage handset, hear your greeting and talk after the beep. No Wi-Fi needed.
- Cost: from £89 at Audio Guest to £390 at Audio Guest Book (£100 deposit on booking). Even the cheapest hire costs about 3 times QR Album's Essential plan.
- Limit: it stands in one place, one guest speaks at a time, it collects no photos, and it goes back after the wedding.
Free: a WhatsApp group
- Pro: costs nothing, and nearly every guest already sends voice notes.
- Con: no transcripts, photos often arrive in reduced quality, and voices, pictures and chat end up mixed together. You end up chasing guests for the originals.
- Pro tip: print the group's invite link as a QR code on the table cards. Guests scan, WhatsApp opens and they post straight into the group.
GuestCam, Wedibox and EventShare: other audio guest book apps
- GuestCam: photos, videos and voice notes in one album. Guests record in the browser, or by phone call on Premium. £37 Standard, £77 Premium (sale prices).
- Wedibox: a wedding album with a voicemail button for guests, on the Wedding plan at £39 or All-In-One at £62.
- EventShare: voice, video and written messages from guests' phones, priced in US dollars only: $47 Plus, $97 Premium.
Pro tips for voice notes worth keeping
- Ask a question: a sign that says “Your best advice for our first year?” gets more guests talking than “Leave a message”.
- Remind them afterwards: send the album link with your thank-you note, so more messages arrive after the day.
- Invite those who can't come: guests abroad can send their voice through the same link. Our guide to placing your QR codes shows where guests scan most easily.
Prices at a glance
- Cheapest way to voices, photos and videos: QR Album from £29, one-off.
- Most expensive: the retro phone, from £89 to £390 for the day itself.
QR Album
- Price (one-off)
- £29 · £69 · £89
- What you get
- Album online for 3, 6 or 12 months. Live photo wall from £69, transcripts with £89. No cap on messages.
voxu.fm
- Price (one-off)
- £49 · £89
- What you get
- Voice notes with a selfie: up to 100 for £49, unlimited for £89. No photos or videos.
Retro phone hire
- Price (one-off)
- £89 to £390 per phone
- What you get
- A vintage phone for the day, delivered and collected. Voice only, one guest at a time.
Good to know: QR Album plans are one-off payments with no subscription. Every plan is on the pricing page.
Asked before, answered properly
What is an audio guest book?
Guests leave spoken messages instead of writing in a book, either on a retro phone or on their own phone via a QR code.
Can guests send voice notes after the wedding?
With QR Album, yes. While the album is online, guests can still send voices, photos and videos through the same link.
Do guests need an app?
No. With QR Album guests record in their phone's browser.
