Cameras on tables

knottie2525060991 · March 2016

Someone told me this idea where you place cameras on each table for guests to use to take fun photos. Is this tacky? Has anyone been to a wedding where this was the case? How did it go? How did guests like it?

ILoveBeachMusic · March 2016

Years ago (20+) I attended a wedding where this was done. They did it because the photographer backed out at the last minute and the only way they would have reception pictures was if guest took them. I haven't seen it done at recent weddings. I certainly wouldn't side eye it. It might even be fun and nostalgic.

climbingsingle · March 2016

I haven't seen this at a wedding in over 10 years. This was back when you could easily get disposable cameras, and things like camera phones and social media didn't exist.

ernursej · March 2016

My friend really wanted to do this, but found that the cost of the cameras and developing the film really wasn't worth it. She ended up getting lots of photos taken from phones that seemed to provide the same perspective.

LondonLisa · March 2016

I would be more impressed that the bride and groom had mastered time travel and transported us all back to 1996, when people still used disposable cameras and got film developed.

floridabride44 · March 2016

Not tacky, but definitely old fashioned. Disposable cameras on tables was a thing back before digital pictures were the norm. If I went to a wedding where a disposable camera was on the table I might take one or two photos and then move on. I'd rather take pictures on my phone and then e-mail them to the bride and groom the next day, or add to a shared online album.

Jen4948 · March 2016

I've read about this, but usually the couple were disappointed, because one or more of the following things has happened:

-The cameras disappeared and the couple never got the photos
-The photos taken were of poor quality
-The photos taken were of inappropriate subject matter
-The cameras weren't used

Plus, you have to pay for developing the photos and/or scanning them into a digital format.

So you can do this, and it might be fun, but it also might be a costly risk.

knottie2525060991 · March 2016

Ok thank you! Very interesting perspectives...I appreciate it.

Pinksatin91016 · March 2016

I would like to do this. You can buy a pack of 10 (or I guess multiples of 10 if you need them) disposable cameras on amazon for like $40. Plus if I remember from back in the day, you don't pay for the prints you don't want to keep. Maybe this isn't every developing place but I remember some did this. I used to take so many photos! Now I hardly ever do.

[Deleted User] · March 2016

I threw a milestone birthday party for my BF a couple years ago and got 5 disposable cameras for the tables. I have mixed reviews:

Cons
1.) I only ended up with 4 cameras at the end of the night
2.) I spent maybe $60 or so + an inordinate amount of time finding a place to develop them

Pros
1.) The pictures I got were silly and funny and goofy candids and honestly my favorites of the night. People take posed pictures with their camera phones. These kind of ended up like a photo booth but it was a surprise
2.) Getting them developed and looking through them was SO MUCH FUN.

Essentially, it was kind of a pain in the ass, and way more costly (time and $) than I expected, but it was fun. Glad I did it that time, wouldn't do it again, especially when I'd require much more than 5 cameras. I think you could probably get the same vibe / fun aspect from a photo booth. have you considered that?

knottie2525060991 · March 2016

Yes, I have considered a photobooth but more of a DIY one. A rented photobooth is not in the budget unfortunately.

photokitty · March 2016

Pinksatin91016 said:

I would like to do this. You can buy a pack of 10 (or I guess multiples of 10 if you need them) disposable cameras on amazon for like $40. Plus if I remember from back in the day, you don't pay for the prints you don't want to keep. Maybe this isn't every developing place but I remember some did this. I used to take so many photos! Now I hardly ever do.

Those days are long gone. There are no photo developing shops around the corner, all film is sent out (unless there is a specialty shop for pro developing). You now pay for all the prints and there's no save them until black Friday and get doubles of each print for $1.99....welcome to the next century.

korinda76 · March 2016

Disposable cameras are kind of nostalgic for the two of us, and we will probably have them at our wedding. First, we are a bit older and loved the days of disposables at weddings. Second, we have brought one disposable each on backpacking trips and other vacations many times. We love looking through the photos, even if they don't come out that great. Yes, we have to order them from Amazon, yes, we have to spend money to get them developed...but we get to relive our youth together! I say do it and enjoy the throwback tradition. If you're worried about getting them back, place a basket near the entrance/exit of the reception labelled specifically for them. If you have a younger crowd, your announcer could even make note of what to do with them at the beginning of the reception.

drid · March 2016

To be perfectly honest.... After a few glasses of wine, if there's a camera on the table... You're going to end up with a picture of my boobs. And probably some nostrils...

Ghostie625 · March 2016

There are a handful of free smartphone apps that are meant for this purpose that replace disposable cameras. Basically guests can download the app ahead of time, enter an event code that you make up, and can upload pics that they take to the app. Then all the guests can see all the pics that everyone has uploaded. We did it at my family reunion last summer and it turned out pretty well.

OurWildKingdom · March 2016

Ghostie625 said:

There are a handful of free smartphone apps that are meant for this purpose that replace disposable cameras. Basically guests can download the app ahead of time, enter an event code that you make up, and can upload pics that they take to the app. Then all the guests can see all the pics that everyone has uploaded. We did it at my family reunion last summer and it turned out pretty well.

What app did you use, @Ghostie625?

Knottie53999589 · March 2016

I downloaded WedPics app. Our wedding is Sept 16th. So far it's been pretty easy to use and I plan to put business cards on the tables with the info for our guests on how to use the app. I believe I can send invites to our guests for the app with our user and password prior to our wedding. Hopefully it works out. If not, email it is!

Ghostie625 · March 2016

OurWildKingdom said:

Ghostie625 said:

There are a handful of free smartphone apps that are meant for this purpose that replace disposable cameras. Basically guests can download the app ahead of time, enter an event code that you make up, and can upload pics that they take to the app. Then all the guests can see all the pics that everyone has uploaded. We did it at my family reunion last summer and it turned out pretty well.

What app did you use, @Ghostie625?

I forget the name of the one we used at the reunion. (I didn't set it up and immediately deleted it after.)
I did download WedPics to use at the wedding but it hasn't happened yet, so I can't give much feedback about how well it worked.
As Knottie#s said above, you have the option to send people an e-vite to join the app but I'm skipping that option. (There are also other features like linking your registry, ordering insert cards for your invitations, and other details that wedding websites typically have, but I skipped all those options as well.)
I was able to create a wedding ID (I just used our first names) so people can just search the ID and "join" the wedding once they download the app.
The perks are that you can post photos over time, you're not limited to a one day event, so I popped a few of our engagement pics on there and if I get the word out before the shower people could post pics of that too.
I will probably just put a little line on our wedding website to let guests know about it and what the wedding id is, that way they can download it ahead of time if they want.

marissaskisses · March 2016

This is old school (Like 90's Friends era when Monica and Chandler did it at their wedding). If you want people to take photos for you, consider an app like WedPics...people download the app, log into your wedding and upload the photos. You have instant access to all of them

kmmssg · April 2016

We did this 20 years ago at our wedding. I spent a small fortune for some really poor pictures. We also had kids at the wedding so nuff said about that.

kimmiinthemitten · April 2016

A friend used WedPics, and I wasn't very impressed to be honest. I already have my camera, Instagram, and snap chat (don't judge it's great for niece videos), I really don't want another app just to take photos of one persons event. However, I did download it, and used it, and then deleted it right after.

Isn't this basically what the hashtag is for? So you can go on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or whatever social media medium your friends use and gather the photos in one place.

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