Entertaining Your Wedding Guests with Truly "Moving Images"
While nothing enhances a party like great slides and images, nothing kills the mood if you do it wrong: Think bland home movies from childhood and you’ll get the, um, picture. Projecting images of your wedding—or images from the past—at the reception is a wonderful way to add a little spirit and personality to your affair. If you go this route, make sure you figure out the best way to incorporate it into your day. (Remember, too, that you can always save a projection show of the wedding and reception for a later date, so that guests can reminisce, and those who couldn’t make it can get a fun feel of the day.)
Vision quest.
Videographers (and home movie kits) specialize in creating slide shows and projections, and you have a variety of choices: You can create a show that shows images of the wedding day (guests will ooh and ah over witnessing on the big screen what they’ve just witnessed for real), or you can pepper older photos of the two of you, or a blend of you, your family, and your friends. Throwing in those old photos with bad hair and worse clothes lightens up the mood, and gives the reception a reunion feel. On the downside, you don’t want to alienate guests who aren’t part of your friendship circle (aunts, uncles, office-mates), so think of the crowd you’re trying to please as you make decisions on what to show. A small reception versus a large reception needs to be considered, as larger crowds will most likely include people you don’t see on a regular basis.
Slide show attraction.
When you air your “movie” is important too. You can turn it into a main event, having the DJ or band leader announce it, dimming the lights, or you can make it a side-show attraction, often displayed on a TV in a side area of the reception hall. Or, if the ceremony’s at home, show it in one room. The latter’s a less-formal approach, and is often done as an all-day event; guests come and go while the screen replays images of the couple’s choosing.
It’s a good idea that you wait until after all the toasts and major dances are completed to start any projection, as, just like the movies, people tend to gravitate toward the entertainment once it begins.
Project Yourself.
As for prices, they vary greatly, but the more tech-savvy ones start at around $1,000. A simple search will lead you to hundreds of projection sites and styles. You can buy kits to do-it-yourself for less than a hundred dollars, but this means you must have a computer whiz, either you or a close friend or relative, take the time to do it right. It’s no different from photography in that regard: Your cousin’s photos might have won prizes at the High School Science Fair, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to know the science of putting together a projection or slide show. When in doubt, think about the last time you went to a party and watched any form of home movies. Would you have preferred that it be less visible, more visible? Take your cue from that experience, and make your own directorial call.