We’ve been asking couples who used our Video Guestbook to share their learning so that future brides can benefit from their experience. We asked them about the good, we asked them what could’ve been better, and we asked them what tips they have for brides-to-be. We learn so much from these conversations – and we hope you do, too.
And we hope you’ll share your learnings after your own big day too!
Interview with Gianel
For Gianel, pictures and videos truly say a thousand words. And during her time wedding planning as a bride-to-be, Gianel knew she wanted something special to capture and remember her special day.
After trying a physical guestbook for their engagement party and then pondering the decision of an audio guestbook, Gianel and her now-husband came across Celebrate.buzz’s Video Guestbook.
Why did you go with a video guestbook?
We had an engagement party where we used a physical guestbook where people just write and sign their messages. But then that just gets stored away somewhere and I never look at it again. So, I figured this would be actually something that I would go back to.
I first saw the Video Guestbook on an ad on Facebook. And then I forwarded it to my now husband and said, “This is the one.”
I’m a picture and video person: I always have been. All the pictures in my phone, I eventually end up printing them out and having them and albums in my house.
I know I will go back to videos to rewatch them, but a bookI know I'm not going to. After I read it once I'm going to put it somewhere and then I'm going to throw it away. So realistically I wanted something that I would continue to go back to.
What was the process like for the Video Guestbook and how did you use it and encourage guests to share their messages?
I was hoping we'd get different clips and videos, not just the well wishes. We did a destination wedding and we had a welcome party. We decided we wouldn’t have speeches at the actual wedding, so at the welcome party I appointed one person to record all the speeches, so those were uploaded.
I made welcome bags [for our guests], so I put the QR code in the welcome bag with a little description of what it was for. We also had newspapers made with information and the itinerary, so the QR code was also inserted in there.
And then, once we did our thank you for coming speech, I mentioned it there and it will also at the cocktail hour. For the cocktail hour, I printed a big poster board from Staples that had the QR code in our picture.
And it said something along the lines of “Wondering where our guest book is? Scan the QR code” and then it would take you to it. And then the coordinator moved it inside to the reception. And then we got the emcee to announce a reminder to scan the QR code to leave messages.
What tips would you have for a bride wanting to create their own video guestbook?
It’s okay to keep reminding everybody throughout the event: don't assume that people are just going to do it.
What was the best message that you received from the Video Guestbook?
We got a bunch of messages, but if I had to pick one, it was a message from my brother and his girlfriend that made me laugh a lot.
Want a unique way to celebrate your special day? Try the Video Guestbook today.
