Wedding Guest Bench

As I previously mentioned, Mr. R&R and I have been working on decorations for a very special wedding:  burlap wrapped mason jars, scrap wood table markers, and even custom containers for bug repellent.  The “rustic elegance” theme would not be complete without a unique guest book. I was struck with the idea of guests signing a wooden bench built by Mr. R&R.

Bench of 2×4’s

Step one was finding a bench design. Mr. R&R settled on a simple clean-line bench made of 2×4’s. We found the instructions and free plans from DIY Candy.comon Pinterest. The easy-to-follow instructions took Mr. R&R about 3 hours to build the bench. Mr. R&R is quite the perfectionist when it comes to finish work and spent another 3 hours sanding the bench. He did not quit sanding until he was unable to feel the edges of the individual pieces of wood.

Monogram sticker applied

When the sanding was complete, I applied a custom vinyl monogram sticker to the center of the bench top. Mr. R&R applied the stain directly over the vinyl sticker. After the stain dried, the monogram sticker was removed to reveal the natural wood color (same process as the paisley-stenciled coffee table). Mr. R&R applied two coats of polyurethane to create a base level of protection.

Ready for signatures

Wedding guests were provided with classic black Sharpie markers to sign the bench. (Mr. R&R tested a scrap piece of wood pre- and post- poly and the marker worked well in both cases). After the wedding, the bench returned to Mr. R&R’s garage to apply the final coats of poly.

The newlyweds will have this bench for years to come. Unlike a guest book that can be misplaced, this bench will stand a constant reminder to the couple of the love and support they received on their wedding day and for years to come.