Slideshows - cheesy or awesome??

BmoreBride311 · January 2012

What are your opinions on slideshows of the couple at the rehearsal dinner (or reception, which I've also heard of)?

My initial thought was no way, that's super cheesy and boring for the guests. Then FI and I went to a wedding last month and the groom's brother made a slideshow for the rehearsal dinner and it was really sweet and people seemed to really enjoy it. He made sure to include pictures of the B&G with almost everyone who was attending the RD.

My cousin has offered to do one for us (she is awesome at that stuff) but I can't decide if we should accept the offer (and FI says he doesn't care either way).

Anyone doing one? If so, who's making it and when/where will it be played?

Nati05 · January 2012

I think they're kinda cheesy too... showing off pics of each other.. I dunno. But people do seem to enjoy them. However I'd much rather do it at the RD than reception.

The only slideshow I really enjoyed was at a wedding I went to recently where the groom surprised the bride at the reception with a slideshow of some of her family and friends living abroad that couldn't make it to the wedding. It was a video of each person sending their well wishes and hellos... it was so sweet! The bride cried... even I felt like crying! That was the best slideshow I've ever seen.

Maybe because messages from family abroad is also something very personal to me right now, but everyone loved it and enjoyed it as well.

penny12986 · January 2012

For a rehearsal dinner it could be fun because it's not interrupting the big day with all of the guests but for the reception, I would not do one on a big screen.

One idea that I did like was putting a slideshow on a small digital frame and placing the frame on the gift table or near the guestbook so people could see it when they wanted to but not have to stop all the action.

BmoreBride311 · January 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_july-2012-weddings_slideshows-cheesy-awesome?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:066005ef-215f-48b1-8655-328b41e07c52Discussion:e1b5df19-93ca-484c-80ec-2a19d3ffb402Post:2e5c59ac-b703-408b-8633-4b458c371c5c">Re: Slideshows - cheesy or awesome??</a>:
[QUOTE]I think they're kinda cheesy too... showing off pics of each other.. I dunno. But people do seem to enjoy them. However I'd much rather do it at the RD than reception. The only slideshow I really enjoyed was at a wedding I went to recently where the groom surprised the bride at the reception with a slideshow of some of her family and friends living abroad that couldn't make it to the wedding. It was a video of each person sending their well wishes and hellos... it was so sweet! The bride cried... even I felt like crying! That was the best slideshow I've ever seen. :) Maybe because messages from family abroad is also something very personal to me right now, but everyone loved it and enjoyed it as well.
Posted by Nati05[/QUOTE]

Aww that sounds really sweet to me... maybe since I'm also abroad! Too bad I can't really surprise myself with that, haha.

k8888 · January 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_july-2012-weddings_slideshows-cheesy-awesome?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20Club%20BoardsForum:066005ef-215f-48b1-8655-328b41e07c52Discussion:e1b5df19-93ca-484c-80ec-2a19d3ffb402Post:245c9ffd-c051-41b7-8f7a-79c1c906ee2c">Re: Slideshows - cheesy or awesome??</a>:
[QUOTE]For a rehearsal dinner it could be fun because it's not interrupting the big day with all of the guests but for the reception, I would not do one on a big screen. One idea that I did like was putting a slideshow on a small digital frame and placing the frame on the gift table or near the guestbook so people could see it when they wanted to but not have to stop all the action.
Posted by penny12986[/QUOTE]

This is what we're doing. My FMIL and FSIL are putting it together for me.

One wedding I went to actually had a projector, screen and a laptop and they showed it after dinner and it was 20 minutes long... it was cute, but really ridiculously long... people wanted to start dancing again.

BeachLover2885 · January 2012

I like the concept of the slideshow, but I think it does disrupt the flow of the night. I would rather be dancing and socializing than watching a bunch of pictures. I've seen slideshows at a wedding and RD and I thought in both cases it did get a bit boring. I like PP's idea of having a digital frame on a table so people can look at their leisure.

Elinetrouwt · January 2012

Slideshows, not for me. If you play them once during RD, I guess it can be fun. But I hate them as background decoration on a big screen. The surprise wishes sound very sweet, though.

bells24412 · January 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_july-2012-weddings_slideshows-cheesy-awesome?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:066005ef-215f-48b1-8655-328b41e07c52Discussion:e1b5df19-93ca-484c-80ec-2a19d3ffb402Post:245c9ffd-c051-41b7-8f7a-79c1c906ee2c">Re: Slideshows - cheesy or awesome??</a>:
[QUOTE]For a rehearsal dinner it could be fun because it's not interrupting the big day with all of the guests but for the reception, I would not do one on a big screen. One idea that I did like was putting a slideshow on a small digital frame and placing the frame on the gift table or near the guestbook so people could see it when they wanted to but not have to stop all the action.
Posted by penny12986[/QUOTE]

Couldn't have said it better. :)

butterflyjumper1 · January 2012

i went to one where there was ipad playing a slideshow the whole night on the gift/favor table at the reception. people could stop and watch it if they liked, but it didn't distract from anything. i don't think it would even be a bad idea to have a tv screen near this area so the pictures were a bit bigger.

went to another wedding where there was a "timeout" during dinner to show a long slideshow on a big screen. it was cute, but did interrupt the flow of dinner and was a little longer than i would have preferred. this type of a slideshow would be great for a rehearsal dinner, i think. you could always have your cousin display it to close family and wedding party during the rehearsal, and then use the ipad idea so everyone could see it the next day if they wanted to.

BeabullMom · January 2012

My videopgrapher creates a "love story" slideshow of pictures of us growing up and then pictures of us together. It isn't very long...10 minutes tops. We get to pick parts of songs to go with the pictures (a song for pics of him, a song for pics of me, and a song for us together). We're trying to figure out where to play it. I dunno...lol

mekiakoo · January 2012

We are actually doing one, but it will be during cocktail hour while the wedding party will have some time to have pictures taken. It'll just be shown on a screen on a wall and people can just mingle while it is going on.

butterflyjumper1 · January 2012

mekiakoo - that sounds like a great way to do it!!! people can continue cocktailing/mingling but watch the photos if they want to. i love the idea of the slideshows, i just found that stopping dinner to have everyone watch it was a bit of a movement stopper.

BmoreBride311 · January 2012

@Mekiakoo - I like that idea too! I don't think it would work with our space (cocktails are the one part of our day that's outside), but I'm sure that will be a really cute but non-intrusive way to do it.

Madisonpenny · January 2012

Cheesy... nuff said.

MeaganR12 · January 2012

Yeah, I think it's cheesy too.

AllyG303 · January 2012

I think it depends on how it's done...I don't really care to watch 15 minutes of the bride and groom growing up. I think my sister has something up her sleeve, but I think it's some kind of thing to go with her toast.

Nati05 · January 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_july-2012-weddings_slideshows-cheesy-awesome?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:066005ef-215f-48b1-8655-328b41e07c52Discussion:e1b5df19-93ca-484c-80ec-2a19d3ffb402Post:0a6089f3-d8f8-498e-9b8c-5e9bef0cc34f">Re: Slideshows - cheesy or awesome??</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Slideshows - cheesy or awesome?? : Aww that sounds really sweet to me... maybe since I'm also abroad! Too bad I can't really surprise myself with that, haha.
Posted by BmoreBride311[/QUOTE]

Haha I thought you might like that as well. And I know, I was thinking the saaame thing when I saw it. Making yourself a video doesn't quite work out the same lol. Instead I was throwing obvious hints at FI the whole time we were watching.. not sure he got it though hahaha ;-P

Nati05 · January 2012

Oo I like Mekiakoo's idea as well! There's not much to interrupt at cocktail hour.. The digital fram/ iPad idea sounds nice too.

michelle11988 · January 2012

I think we are going to do some pictures of us on a digital frame. Especially pictures of us younger with older relatives that have passed and others who couldn't make it. We'll probably put it on the gift table or guest book table. We are also having pictures of us at various ages on the tables so that is enough for most people probably.

mekiakoo · January 2012

Oh and my dad is making the slideshows so it will kind of be special

littlemoments324 · January 2012

I sooo want to do one, at least through the cocktail hour!! But it isn't in the budget...that would be something I'd put in if we got an extra $1000

Slideshows - cheesy or awesome??

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