By Jolyn Saramaga, WPICC - Nuance Occasions
URL:
www.nuanceoccasions.com
Email:
info@nuanceoccasions.com
As a bride and groom celebrating your special wedding day – you are sure to miss some of the antics of your guests during the reception. If you have a professional photographer at your reception, they often only cover up to your first dances, and there are at least 3 hours left of precious memories with your guests that don’t get captured.
In recent years, many couples have taken to placing disposable cameras on each guest table to ensure guests can participate in recording the reception through photographs. However, with a flash that requires priming, many photos don’t turn out well in dimly lit rooms, or you have cameras full of drunken antics recorded for eternity.
Now with the advent of technology, couples can present their guests with a modern twist, while still ensuring guests can participate in the recording of the special day.
Setting up a computer docking station by the exit at your reception will allow all your guests with digital cameras, to copy their high resolution photos onto a laptop, for immediate enjoyment by the bride and groom. Although these technological ‘docking stations’ take a little bit of advanced preparation, it’s truly an easy and unique way to capture hundreds of guest photos and precious memories of your wedding reception.
Preparation
The following are items you require to set up your own computer photo docking station:
- one laptop (you may be able to rent one from a library or an audio visual company)
- security cable for securing laptop to table
- USB operated mouse for ease of guest use (a corded one will ensure it doesn’t easily get lost)
- lots of open memory on your laptop
- multi-media card reader (USB) – can range from $15-$60 at any electronics store
- Instruction sign placed beside laptop
- Highboy cocktail table to place laptop on (easier to use computer at this height)
When using a laptop, it is best to clear off or back up all the data on the laptop prior to the wedding day. Although you don’t anticipate trouble, it would be horrible to loose a work related project if the power spike occurred during your reception. The more you can clear off from your laptop, the more room you’ll have for photos – you can have guests upload just a couple photos – to thousands of photos…and it wouldn’t be fun to run out of space.
Make a folder on your laptop desktop that is titled ‘UPLOAD PHOTOS HERE’ and place it in the middle of the desktop screen so it is easily found by guests. Do a test run with your memory card reader, and outline STEP BY STEP the process needed for guests to copy photos from there camera to your laptop – and place this info on clear and easy to read instruction sign right beside the laptop.
Before the Reception
Assign someone (not in the wedding party and not one of the parents) to go ahead to the reception site, plug in the laptop, mouse and media card reader at the designated table. Place sign beside computer. Make sure computer is fully operational. Ensure the security cable is securing the laptop to a sturdy table or other feature in the room that can ensure it cannot easily be moved.
During the Reception
As part of your MC’s initial announcements for the evening, the MC should ask guests to capture the night on film for the bride and groom to remember the day by. Ask them to focus on other guests in the room and activities throughout the night. Explain that there is a computer available for use by guests before they leave for the evening, to copy their photos to the computer – so that the newlyweds can look back on the photos the next day with fond memories.
Throughout the evening, the MC and/or DJ should make short announcements about the availability of the docking station – this is a new concept for your guests, so they will need reminding as it gets closer to them leaving the reception.
Appoint a friend who can monitor the computer and assist any guests who may have difficulty managing the transfer of the photos.
** Make sure the guests COPY the photos from their camera, rather than MOVE the photos from their camera. Once they move photos from their camera, the guest will no longer have original photos on their memory card when they get home. The copy function allows guests to share the photos with the newlyweds, but still have their own copy of the photos still on their camera that they can download onto their own personal computer after your wedding day.
At the End of the Reception
Appoint a friend to open the folder, and make sure photos appear to have been saving appropriately.
Follow the proper protocol for shutting down the computer – removing the security cable and pack the laptop in a proper carrying bag for easy transport. The laptop should not go to the hotel with the newlyweds, it is much safer to have the laptop go home with a family member or friend.
If there is a gift opening or other gathering the next day, the newlyweds will easily be able to right click on the folder on the desktop screen to open the file. If your client is running a Microsoft application, then most likely there will be an option on the left column to VIEW AS A SLIDESHOW – now set the laptop where everyone can view, and enjoy reviewing the memories of your wedding day!
Now you have a great digital record of your day – ready for editing in popular photo editing programs or readily available for emailing to guests and friends!
And the best part is that this can usually be accomplished for less than purchasing and developing film of disposable cameras!
Enjoy looking through all your photos!