Like many of us, I kicked my summer off with a wedding. I got a chance to see one of my best friends at the pinnacle of her happiness, I reunited with other loved ones, ate and drank like a queen, and only took one painful stiletto to the foot over the course of the evening. Even though I am currently not anyone’s fiancé, I was soaking in the details of the event and taking note of elements that I desired on my ideal wedding day. One of those cool additions was a photo slideshow of the couple played during the reception. It allowed us to flashback to cute family photos and even dorky prom shots which displayed the grand transformation the newlyweds have gone through.
A reception slideshow or video is a great trend happening now, and there are a variety of unique ideas to fit a couple’s personalities or the wedding’s theme.
Your love story: A few months or weeks before the wedding you can coordinate with a videographer to record the story of how you fell in love. It can be a short and sweet recollection of how you met and how you feel about each other or a detailed work with your own stories and opinions from your loved ones. Combine that with some of your favorite or mood inspiring songs and some great shots of your favorite places, landscapes, or activities and you’ll have a fun, interactive video to share with your guests.
Here is an example from Jesse Brauning with Paragon Videography: Lisa & Justin\’s Love Story
Weddings through the years: A wedding is also an event of tradition, stemming from parents to grandparents and beyond! A fun way to celebrate the love of a couple is to commemorate and compare the family weddings of the past, from which, the bride and groom learned to love. Photos and video of your own wedding amongst other family weddings involves your guests and probably provides a good laugh in the form of powder blue tuxes.
Family & Friends: As a way of thanking your friends and family for all their support and love, include a photo or video of them! Funny childhood photos, well wishes, and stories of the couple from family members are usually heart-warming and gut-busting at the same time.
Wedding day summary: Want to show everyone what was going on before the big ceremony? Applying make-up, a groomsmen trip through the McDonald’s drive-thru, the photo shoots etc. It’s possible to compile images and footage of the wedding day for the reception just hours later!
Really, these ideas would all be a hit. Just remember to acknowledge the difference between a video that’s appreciated by the bride & groom later on and a presentation that’s appropriate for a reception. Keep your guests wanting more and don’t make them fall asleep before the dance floor is hopping!