Digital guest books are becoming a lucrative business in S’pore’s wedding industry

All it takes is two to three marriages to break up

Two to three marriages. That’s all it takes for businessman Edmund Teo Octopus Reels and Jessica Tay from Leave Your Message fully recouping their startup costs—and everything after that is a profit.

Their business? Hiring digital guest books that capture audio and video messages from wedding guests. As more couples seek a personalized, interactive experience, this niche service is quickly gaining popularity and turning into a profitable opportunity.

Setup is simple, requires only two to three people, and the equipment can be reused, which makes the margins compelling for the limited cost.

Vulcan Post talks to two founders to find out what it takes to run a digital guestbook business—and how profitable it can be.

What makes couples ditch traditional guest books

In Singapore, couples are increasingly moving away from traditional guest books because digital formats offer something more engaging and memorable.

Although handwritten guest books are sensitive, they are often kept far away and rarely revisited. Often, only a few pages are filled while others remain blank.

Audio and video recordings, on the other hand, capture the tone, laughter, and emotion behind each message, allowing couples to remember those moments for years to come.

We’ve had couples talk about how they were moved when they revisited their records.

Edmund Teo, founder of Octopus Reels

Jessica added that digital guest books make memories feel “more alive” by capturing expressions, voices, and interactions that a written page cannot convey.

He also noted that the proliferation of digital guest books is linked to broader cultures. “In recent years, there has been a strong return of nostalgia, like the rise of digital cameras and the beauty of Y2K, where people are drawn to things that feel raw and authentic.”

Generally, digital guest books use the old phone setup. Guests pick up a handset to hear a short, pre-recorded message from the couple, then record their own message after the tone. A retro phone design, complete with rotary dials or vintage mobile phones, adds a memorable touch.

Weddings, being highly emotional events, naturally attract formats that include mundane, mundane elements.

At the same time, the industry itself also provides fertile ground for niche services such as digital guest books. In 2024, the Singapore wedding market was estimated at US$153.22 million (S$196.57 million), and is expected to reach US$292.38 million (S$375.11 million) in 2033, growing at an annual rate of 7.46%.

With around 24,700 weddings registered in Singapore by 2025, the market for wedding vendors remains strong.

30% profit.

Both founders of Octopus Reels and Leave Your Message now run their businesses full time, although Jessica initially started hers as a side hustle before leaving her full-time job as demand grew.

At first glance, the business seems simple and low-cost.

The same digital video guestbook item sells for about S$533 on Amazon.sg, while each accordion-style column—often used to hold and lift old-fashioned telephones—costs between S$72 and S$101. That’s about S$797 for a digital guest book phone setup with three cylindrical columns of various heights.

With prices starting at S$295 for six hours for a basic digital guestbook setup by Octopus Reels and S$380 for two hours with Leave Your Message, both businesses can recoup their initial setup costs with just three bookings, making them a very profitable business.

However, running a business goes beyond buying equipment. Setup, setup, and staffing are all important to delivering a smooth and memorable guest experience. There is also additional technical support and post-production editing required to turn raw images into polished memories.

Edmund shared that an average breakdown of the cost per setup, excluding equipment, is as follows:

Remove all these costs, the overall profit margin of Octopus Reels is 20–30% with a simple setup, and often expands with large or customized events, making the business still very attractive.

Leave Your Message, however, declined to disclose the exact figures, with Jessica explaining that these are “commercially sensitive to the business.” However, he noted that there are “very obvious costs,” including seasonal fluctuations in bookings and downtime between events.

“While this can be a profitable business under the right circumstances, there is also a fair amount of work that goes on behind the scenes that people may not immediately see,” he added.

To stand out in a crowded market

The demand is increasing for these businesses to offer.

Octopus Reels currently runs 10 to 12 events every weekend, and by 2025, it will support 208 events in 98 locations, with demand peaking in Oct when the company hosts eight events in one day. Meanwhile, Leave Your Message has participated in more than 400 events since 2023.

While weddings remain a core revenue stream, both companies have expanded into adjacent markets.

Octopus Reels has supported corporate events, birthday celebrations, and community initiatives, including a meaningful project with Sport Singapore for people with dementia.

Similarly, Leave Your Message has recorded thank-you messages at company awards events and participated in major initiatives such as NTUC’s National Youth Day program, where messages collected from all centers were broadcast during the National Day Show.

This diversity reduces reliance on timing for digital guestbook sales—an important business strategy in an industry where demand fluctuates throughout the year.

As competition intensifies with many businesses offering similar services, differentiation becomes more important.

Therefore, both companies are also different beyond their core guestbook services. Octopus Reels now offers an interactive photo gallery installation, creating “mini-shows” of the couple’s memories and the low fog effects of the “walking on the clouds” entrance march. They also partnered with a local coffee cart vendor to bring the Vietnamese coffee experience to wedding venues.

Jessica’s company, meanwhile, expanded its digital guestbook concept with a virtual video option, where guests scan QR codes to record messages on their mobile phones. This extends the experience to overseas guests who cannot be physically present.

Will digital guest books last?

Edmund considers video guest books to be “an early trend,” with the potential to become a common feature at weddings.

But like any habit, it can start quickly—and disappear just as quickly. Despite this, Jessica is sure that it will endure, at least in terms of its main purpose.

“The format may continue to evolve, but the purpose of this, to capture meaningful messages from loved ones, will always work.”