Ask Slashdot: Techie Wedding Invitation Ideas? 399
Qa32 writes "I am getting married in a few months and being a hardcore techie I wanted to come up with some novel way of making my wedding invite that will truly have even my mom say, 'wow, that was cool.' Has anyone out there done anything similar, or have you thought of something similar you'd like to share? I already have a few: have QR codes, have some basic embedded circuit/plate with wire leads that maybe plays a song when you connect a battery, have a way to turn up a display LCD, etc."
Expect a knock on the door... (Score:5, Insightful)
If you send your wire-laden invitation to anyone's workplace and they have mailscanning, the building will likely be evacuated, your invitation destroyed and someone will be pissed off at you for not inviting them to your wedding.
Keep It Simple (Score:5, Insightful)
It's a wedding. Those are supposed to be big, formal events.
Sure, you can have a bit of fun, but you got to keep in mind that not everyone is necessarily a geek. The QR code by itself, coupled with an otherwise elegant card, will more than suffice and drive across the point that you're geeky.
Re:Keep It Simple (Score:5, Insightful)
Why are they supposed to be "big, formal events"?
Another broken marriage... (Score:5, Insightful)
I am married and I can tell you that it is almost impossible to continue with beeing geek after a marriage. When you get a wife that needs attention and maybe some kids after some time and you are becoming responsible for maintaining them, it is very little time left.
A big love for geek things will be in contradiction to marriage in one way or another. My tips is to drop the geek things already now or reconsider if you should marry at all.
Re:Another broken marriage... (Score:4, Insightful)
This from a father, happily separated from his abusive wife and seeking to work out joint custody of his two children through the court system. A very hard time in my life, but it feel sooooo much better than spending every day trying to be someone I'm not for someone who doesn't appreciate me enough to to anything I ask of them the same way I bent over backwards for her.
Re:Well, looks like you did one thing right.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Just because CmdrTaco left doesn't mean that he doesn't still have access to the Geeknet Orbital Ion Cannon...
Re:Another broken marriage... (Score:4, Insightful)
No, I am not regretting and I was prepared that geekness is not compatible with marriage.
Marriage means that you are not living in your mothers basement anymore. Marriage means that you are at least 8 hours 5 days a week away from home plus the time it takes to travel to work, because you need to maintain yourself. When you get home, nobody is cleaning and making food. If you spend some time together with your future wife and maybe future kids, the evening is coming sooner than expected.
What other reason than sex can there be for a marriage if you do not spend time with your family? And that is not a good enough reason for a marriage, it is a bonus you get in a marriage.
I am working with computers and thus reading a bit of slashdot at work as it keeps me updated on important things, but at home I have no time for computer hobbies.
Re:Another broken marriage... (Score:5, Insightful)
You're married to the wrong woman then. Plain and simple.
If marriage makes it impossible to do something that's important to you, then it's not the right marriage for you.
You ignore also, offcourse, that there's geeky women in the world too - even geeky -couples-.
Re:Keep It Simple (Score:5, Insightful)
35 people witnessing _our_ day was perfect.
Married at 12:00pm. All done by 4:00pm. The evening to ourselves. No one drunk. No one arguing. No tiredness. No excess. No shite music. No debt to pay off over the next ten years.
I'd recommend that type of wedding to everyone.
It's our 15th year of being together
It's a wedding (Score:5, Insightful)
If you do it right, you only get one of them. If you consider it important enough to invite friends and family, send a nicely printed card with the following information: (1) Who you're marrying, when and where; (2) When and where the reception is to be held; (3) A means for people to respond; (4) Something to the effect that you hope they will be able to attend. Do this unless you are planning to be married in Klingon garb at a convention.
Why? Because the invitation is actually not about you. It's about the person you're inviting. It's intended to communicate to them that you'd be tickled to death to see them on the biggest day of your life, and then to make it as easy as possible for them to get there. You're asking them for the honor of their presence even if you don't use that wording.
Hire a promising art or design student to design it for you, send it via SnailMail to peoples' home addresses, and then give thanks that in these casual times it does not have to be engraved from a copper plate and addressed by hand.
Christ , for a wedding you need to make an effort (Score:5, Insightful)
If you're getting married and want your friends and family to come I don't think its asking too much to use a phone, get a pen out or even get proper invitations created that you send by snailmail. Doing it online is all very well but just like email xmas cards , it really sends out a kind of "meh , whatever" message - that you couldn't really be bothered to make much effort and 1 minute in front of a PC is all your F & F are worth.
Re:Keep It Simple (Score:5, Insightful)
Weddings, IMHO, are supposed to be for the bride and groom (or whatever combination you prefer).
If that includes doing geeky things then by all means make it as geeky as you want.
WOW! (Score:4, Insightful)
First of all, dude, forget about your mom for a second. If the bride-to-be figures out your wedding choices are to please your mom, there will be problems!
Secondly, invitations that you open and they play music were cool 25 years ago. QR codes would be a lot of fun for your 1 buddy that would "get it" (of course the QR code would have to actually be something). And, well, I will just go ahead and stop you with the lcd's.
The only cool invitation hardware wise that I have seen is the embedded manual paper record player.
If you are good with photoshop perhaps you want to design your wedding invitation (but print it professionally of course) and really make it special. You can also make a website, and a reservation system. For example, I had included a personal code with each invitation, that when entered in the wedding website it logged on the individual and allowed him/her to just select the number of people and accept. No, you cannot have just a QR code there, people won't be able to use it.
Finally, be careful of the mom thing.
Re:Keep It Simple (Score:5, Insightful)
No debt to pay off over the next ten years. I'd recommend that type of wedding to everyone.
Edited to emphasize the important bit.
Re:QR roll (Score:5, Insightful)
Regardless of the formality of the ceremony itself, or the reception afterward, a wedding is a major social event that deserves a proper invitation. If you can work in a way (like a QR code on the back) that will serve as an Easter egg without breaking that up, great. Otherwise, you're just going to leave all the non-geeks wondering what the hell is going on.
confuse them (Score:2, Insightful)
Do something simple and elegant.
Invitations: high quality stock, embossed printing. Perhaps small decorations that reflect your fiancés taste with your input on color (if she likes birds, you can pick from pastel blue, yellow, cream, ..., maybe even black if she doesn't mind). Your mother will really think "that's cool".
If you HAVE TO show that it's your wedding, too (it's not, BTW, except technically), do something in the gift baskets, like custom printed USB sticks, with "Mr. and Mrs. (unless she's doing something sane with her last name) " and load them with photographs from the wedding and/or reception.
let your wife-to-be decide (Score:0, Insightful)
Hey Moron,
Seek advice from your wife-to-be! It's really her day and if you screw it up, you'll have to live with it for the rest of your life, or until her lawyers take half of everything you own.
Re:Another broken marriage... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Keep It Simple (Score:4, Insightful)
Indeed. Haven't you ever met any of those? Poor you.
It's not the sentiment that is the problem, it's the "do it this way, because that's how it's done" part. The type of bimbo who dreams about a massive wedding with everyone fawning over her and her dress, is not the type that geeks are attracted to spending the rest of their life with. She might make a fun girlfriend for a few weeks, but you will get bored of her very quickly.
Re:Christ , for a wedding you need to make an effo (Score:5, Insightful)
"It would take a lot more than just a minute to design and build if you actually put some effort into the aesthetics, though obviously it would waste a whole lot less time than making physical cards."
Well thats debatable. I could get some physical cards made from the shop in my high street in about an hour.
"It makes responding really simple and instantaneous for the invitees"
Perhaps you don't have elderly relatives but some of mine don't even own a computer, much less know how to navigate around a web site. People such as yourself really need to stop assuming that everyone is online.
Re:Christ , for a wedding you need to make an effo (Score:5, Insightful)
So what's wrong with options?
I agree that sending out cards is certainly appropriate and proper, as is including rsvp cards. HOWEVER: Also including a URL, email address, or social media method of response is certainly appropriate. That allows your guests the maximum number of response paths, and lets them choose which one they are most comfortable with using. It shows thoughtfulness for your guests, and puts the onus for the extra labor on yourself, thus showing that your guests are worth the effort.
Also, to the original question writer, if you are the guy, remember that if you want to do something special and cool for the invitations:
A) Respect your fiance's wishes. If she doesn't like the idea, DROP IT.
B) If she does like the idea, OWN IT. Ensure that you take complete responsibility for compiling the guest list, gathering the snail mail addresses, packaging and sending the invitations, and collecting and collating the responses. Don't shut her out, of course, but take the lead in getting your cool idea done. Trust me, she has more than enough to do to get ready for the wedding, taking one of the most tedious and boring jobs off her plate will be greatly appreciated.
If you are the girl, well then I guess the same general rules apply, but be aware that you will be making lots more work for yourself, unless your man is majorly into handling some other aspect of the wedding, or you guys are taking a more egalitarian approach to the wedding than most western folks do.
Regardless, Congratulations and I wish you both all the best in your future life together. Also, always remember; True Love isn't something we are "in" as though it were a trap to fall into. True Love is a conscious choice we make every day to set our partner's needs ahead of our wants. As long as both partners do that every day, a solid marriage follows. Good luck you two!
Re:paper (Score:5, Insightful)
This. Basically, what the fuck are you doing getting involved in designing ANYTHING to do with the wedding? You do realise that if it's not exactly as your fiancée wants it, you're up shit-creek for the rest of your life, right? Every. Single. Argument. Is. Lost. Because you ruined "her special day". Either that, or you can save yourself a shit load of money by having a civil ceremony, as your wife-to-be isn't part of the whole "OMG WEDDIN IZ BEZT DAY OV MAH LYEF!" crowd. In which case, invitation by email. She'll understand.
I'll just leave this comedy sketch by Ed Byrne [youtube.com] here for you.
If any of the above is true, get yourself some cold feet and send out the cancellation notices, right now. Marriage is for adults, the above is childish nonsense. Lots of childish people get married, see: Divorce statistics.
Re:It's a wedding (Score:4, Insightful)
Precisely this.
Almost every wedding I've ever seen where the bride/groom/family made it all about how clever they were rather then acknowledging the social function of the wedding has ended in flaming disaster. The ones where one of the future partners made it all about them (not the same as the bride running the show BTW) were the messiest - especially the ones where they did it without the full knowledge and consent of the other partner.
After talking it out with my bride (as usually I'm the leader/planner in our partnership), I stepped back and let her and her mom run the show. All I had to do was show up in my Navy dress uniform and stand in the corner while my best man fed me enough shots to keep me loose and prevented me from taking so many that I was unable to function. 22 years later, we're still married. And I still fall asleep holding her hand.
Those paying attention will have noted a common theme above - talk to your prospective spouse, take consideration of others. That's what makes a wedding and a marriage work. If you aren't ready to start your partnership like that, you aren't ready to start a partnership.
Re:Keep It Simple (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm male, and a geek, but I'm also married. I personally think that marriage is silly, and the whole wedding business even more so.
That said, the idea that a woman who dreams of a big wedding is a "bimbo" is just hilarious. It's what little girls do when they role-play. A woman who has a different opinion than you (or me) is not a "bimbo". I have no doubt that there are plenty of women who do not dream of grand weddings, but it's not a character flaw if they do.
Re:Keep It Simple (Score:5, Insightful)
Please, stop speaking for all geeks.
Start off on the right foot. (Score:4, Insightful)
1. Congrats.
2. Start off on the right foot - ask your soon-to-be-spouse what they want. Don't screw this up.
2a. Think about your parents and your partner's parents. Not saying that you should weakly submit to everything they desire - but if you do it right this is family for a long time. And there is a difference between the family you're born with and the family you choose.
3. Invitations are a key part of the whole day. People often keep one as a remembrance (both guests and, more importantly, participants). Tech can date really quickly, but you could well be looking at the invitation along with your wedding photo album on your tenth or 15th anniversary.
I've deliberately tried to not assume too much so far. From your submission I'm not sure if you're male or female, and I also know that what worked for me and my wife might be totally foreign from what the two of you want. See point #1. If both of you want this, that's a good start.
A thought - the invitations have a very strong emotional meaning for many people, and making them non-traditional might not go over too well. What about indulging your geek side with something to hand out at the reception? People often have a disposable camera laid out at every table so their friends can take pictures. Maybe you can have your techie "thing" be a giveaway at the reception.
Parting thought. I don't know you, and this might be an ideal thing for both you and your partner. Be sure it is. If both of you are really excited by it, then there are a number of ideas on this thread and you should have fun. (Unless one of the parents says "over my dead body". See point #2a. Sometimes picking a battle just isn't worth it.)
Enjoy your day, and the rest of your lives together. Sincerely.
Re:Keep It Simple (Score:4, Insightful)
yeah, 'something borrowed' shouldn't be a five-digit amount of money (adjust if your country's currency is one a different order of magnitude)
Re:Keep It Simple (Score:5, Insightful)
Honestly, I agree with half of what you say and disagree with the other half.
...what is important is the lifetime commitment that it signifies. If people put as much effort into keeping their marriages going as they did for the average wedding, then maybe less would end in divorce.
100% yes. I applaud you.
If it's a geek bride, probably not. They tend to have brains and realise that there are more important things than imagining a day of attention seeking.
Logically, maybe. I see a lot of posts on Slashdot which are logical, calm, persuasive, and utterly devoid of emotion. People are emotional. People are sentimental. It's one day in your life which should be a massive celebration of happiness. It's not unreasonable to want to look back on it and enjoy the memories. It's even healthy.
Geeks on /. can get very emotional and sentimental about their first computer, or the first PCB they constructed, or whatever. I get it. Lots of people don't. Lots of people don't get why I love opera. That's okay, just let me enjoy it. To each their own. I don't get why people get all excited about MMORPGs, and I'm a geek. That's okay, I won't play them, you go ahead and enjoy yourself, and I won't spoil your fun.
But honestly, there's nothing wrong with wanting to make a big deal about the day when you stand up and say I choose to share my life and commit whole-heartedly to this one other individual, with all the attendant responsibilities. Life is for living. Why not party once in a while?
Re:circuit boards (Score:4, Insightful)
Anything that says... (Score:4, Insightful)
...Free Beer (as in beer)