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."
Um (Score:4, Interesting)
As long as you could respond via email or even Facebook, I'd think anything was cool. I hate sending letters or making calls.
Re: (Score:2)
I agree.
For my wedding I sent the invites out as pdfs (batch job in open office to populate the name and then shell script to send the emails) which included a password to a website to RSVP (ie say they're coming, dietary requirements etc).
Re: (Score:2)
That's awesome. The website would probably impress the non-geeks (especially if you put a little effort into making the design classy), and the overall concept would impress the geeks.
Re:Um (Score:5, Interesting)
Simply send out mini cds with a video invite and request a video response. Compile all the responses (positive) with the invite and make it all part of the wedding DVD. Could also be done with small thumb drives they are pretty cheap now, but if the mini cd is commercially printed it can be made more appealing.
Have tattooing equipment brought to the wedding and have each guest carve a reminder of the committing required to make a marriage last on the backs of the bride and groom ;D.
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: (Score:3)
If you're the one sending out the invitations then snailmail is fine sure, it does add a quaint touch if that's what you care about. But to expect everyone to snailmail back their responses when there are far more sensible options available is just bizarre when we have much more efficient communications methods available.
If I was the one doing the inviting I'd have no problem putting effort in - you can still do that even online. One guy here said that he made a site for people to reply on and specify their
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:Um (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Um (Score:5, Funny)
Even better!
Well, looks like you did one thing right.... (Score:5, Funny)
...at least you didn't propose on Slashdot.
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:Well, looks like you did one thing right.... (Score:5, Funny)
Actually, they made him turn in the keys. They're hanging on the wall in my office right next to the set for the PT Cruiser.
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.
Re: (Score:2)
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"?
Re: (Score:2)
Exactly. My favourite wedding was my uncle's - we hired out a small mansion/hotel for a weekend and just had a family get together :)
Re: (Score:3)
Exactly. My favourite wedding was my uncle's - we hired out a small mansion/hotel for a weekend and just had a family get together :)
That's what I call a big, formal event.
Re: (Score:2)
It wasn't big or formal - there were less than 20 of us including the bride and groom. We just had fun being together all weekend, with maybe 5 minutes of ceremony.
Re:Keep It Simple (Score:5, Funny)
If it has been formal, there would have been fewer than 20 of you.
But since it was informal, less is acceptable I guess.
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
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: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, Interesting)
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. It's bizarre to me to place so much importance on the act of getting married before you even know who you're going to be marrying
If you fall in love with someone and want to commit the rest of your life to them, then by all means daydream about your wedding day - but it's insane to place so much emphasis on the wedding itself when you've not even met someone you want to marry. In fact it makes it more likely you'll get married just so that you can carry out your fantasy wedding.
The day itself is not important, 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.
Wow, I'm trolling hard today.. but I can't help it when it comes to this type of groupthink.
Re: (Score:3)
Erm, geek bride or no, most women have been planning their wedding since childhood. My lovely geek bride had no problem at all with "a day of attention seeking" as you put it. And she's plenty smart ;)
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: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: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.
Re: (Score:2)
Oh, they're "supposed" to be, are they ? Says who ? (obviously you consider the opinion of the people getting married irrelevant, since that's who is asking in the first place)
Here's a hint: arranging a wedding is entirely optional to do at all. And if you *do* choose to arrange one, you're free to do it precisely as you want.
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.
QR Codes (Score:5, Funny)
On a fucking wedding invitation? Are you planning on having any of your parents' friends attending?
Boy does your Wife have some work to do...
Re: (Score:2)
Quite (Score:2)
I'm surprised he hasn't thought also about having the priest/vicar/whoever do it via skype on an iPad or something equally lame.
Re: (Score:3)
Easter Eggs (Score:5, Interesting)
Assuming your friends and/or relatives are also into technology, why not keep the card relatively simple, but throw in an easter egg or two? Just as an example, embed a RFID chip and have it setup to react to NFC's embedded in phones. Include a subtle hint on the card, and perhaps make a puzzle out of it.
Tend to agree (Score:5, Interesting)
You could also have some things at the reception that are triggered off by sensing the NFC chip - again, entertain the younger generation without worrying the older one.
Or, you know - you could just have an absolutely straight wedding with no techno toys at all. A friend of ours got married recently and had a cartoonist to make sketches during the wedding and the reception. The resulting sketchbook was far more popular (and memorable) than the photos or the video.
LED glowing heart invitation (Score:5, Informative)
My friends invited me with one of these. http://youtu.be/bsdCeiae7Mo [youtu.be]
In the comments, he briefly describes the design.
USB PCB Business Card (Score:2)
Though it might be slightly too expensive something like the usb business card below would be cool.
This device acts as a usb keyboard and will type text when activated (by pressing caps lock 3 times)
http://www.instructables.com/id/USB-PCB-Business-Card/ [instructables.com]
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: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:4, Funny)
"Marriage means that you are not living in your mothers basement anymore."
We are living in her parents basement.
(And yes, I did meet my wife online,, proposed on IRC and traveled 8000 miles to marry her...
Re:Another broken marriage... (Score:4, Funny)
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: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3)
+1.
Many people marry for the wrong reason, or wait until after marriage to talk about the important issues.
Before my wife and I started living together (let alone married) we had long talks about what we wanted out of life, if we wanted a stable life or adventurous, whether we wanted kids and marriage, religion, etc. Had we not been on the same page, I would have walked away. Simple as that.
My wife is completely non-techie. She appreciates what I do, but does not share my interests or hobbies.
Yes because we
If you're going to do a theme wedding... (Score:2)
Pick a good theme. Generally people pick a hobby or activity they both enjoy. Picking technology is both overly broad and can limit you. This is like a coal miner sending invitations as portraits done in coal (fixed with hairspray), or a steel mill worker sending laser cut sheet metal invite. Do you want to have a clever theme, or do you want to be reminded of your job on your wedding day?
If you're going to do a tech thing, do a parody. Send your friends and relatives invitations using IP over Avian [wikipedia.org]
Oh really? (Score:5, Funny)
A slashdotter getting married? Please.
Re:Oh really? (Score:5, Funny)
> A slashdotter getting married? Please.
You misspelled "traitor"
Telegram (Score:3)
Telegrams still exist in many parts of the world.
paper (Score:5, Funny)
How about you get a professional printer to print the invites with a nice font on high quality paper.
Then your mom might think you have reformed instead of wondering what the hell is wrong with you.
Re: (Score:3)
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.
^ This (Score:4, Informative)
The printer was a local union shop right across the street and was able to do thermography (raised lettering basically). We also custom printed (work, color laser) all the envelopes.
We both work in IT, so when our guests asked where we got the invites and we told them how they came to be, they were sufficiently impressed.
They also didn't weird out grandma. Total cost was $260 including envelopes for ~130 of them, btw.
Laser etched / engraved (Score:3)
For the ceremony, how about naming the tables after something geeky instead of numbers, or maybe even prime numbers...
I like the qr code idea too - perhaps a personalised qr code which goes to a pre-filled acceptance form?
QR roll (Score:5, Interesting)
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.
My experience... (Score:5, Informative)
As someone that tried to be "a bit different" with my own wedding invitations it's perhaps worth sharing some details of the experience.
All of our invitations included a business-card with a URL on one side and a unique username and password on the other. With this the guests could access our wedding website, where the they could indicate their attendance, get directions, etc. Since we knew which guests had each username we could customise what was displayed to the particular guest and the "level" of their invitation - pre-populating the RSVP page with their names, allowing them to enter their "+1"s only if their invite happened to include them, and only showing the directions to the event they had been invited.
Unfortunately, this approach confused a surprising number of people who either didn't bother to visit the URL on the card, didn't realise that they needed to detach and turn over the business card in order to find their username/password, or just assumed that since there were no RSVP or location details included with the physical invite, that it was simply a "save-the-date" and that further details would follow later. Even some of the more "tech-savvy" people had problems, and in the end we had to do far more chasing-up than we perhaps would have done had we relied on the more traditional invitation.
With this in mind, it may be best to avoid trying to be too novel with your invites, or perhaps produce a more traditional invitation for those guests that might have more difficulty with something out of the ordinary.
It is a "wedding" so (Score:2)
Try to find an old plotter (with pens), and buy high value artisanal paper. /ABC (for yes) where AB gives you about 26*26 unique identifyer and C a quick checksum validity check.
make a model of your handwritting and "scan" it to plot the invitations.
And add a clickable "unique" short link that people can enter easely to confirm attendance.
something like
If you have more than 400 guest, make two events, you will not have the time to say hello to anybody...
There is high tech, and the internet,
Paper Record Player: (Score:5, Informative)
Paper Record Player: http://idle.slashdot.org/story/11/04/15/133206/couple-sends-record-player-wedding-invitations [slashdot.org]
Talking greeting card hack (Score:4, Interesting)
Just hack one of those talking greeting / birthday cards. Yank the electronics and put them in your own card. I know there are cards that let you record exactly what you want on them, but they're a bit more expensive than the others. You could even personalize each voice invitation to match the person being invited.
It's different enough to be geeky and novel, but not so far-left-geeky that it'll have everyone wondering if they need to show up to your wedding in cosplay garb.
How about just making a quality wedding? (Score:4, Interesting)
Cut the dorky gadgetry, would be my advice.
If I need a computer built, then electronic skills are required.
If I need a good and memorable wedding held, good event-organisation skills are required.
Both are two entirely different things - keep that in mind.
Here's a suggestion from the top of my head:
1) Print your invitation and thank-you cards with a professional printer (online printing service) and have a professional avantgarde designer to the layout and print production. Take the best quality paper + UV laquer + maybe even embossing and/or special colors. It will be a tad more expensive - two printruns of 250 items each come at roughly 200$ just for the cards, add photography and layout + print-production and you'll come out at about 600$ total - *BUT* you *will* leave a lasting impession with everybody invited. ... Ask the media-designer to make invitation and thank-you cards that people will like to keep and frame. Give him a chance to go creative as he whishes. he'll be cheaper and will put in some extra effort just for the fun of it.
2) More is less. Don't go into a huge debt over the wedding. And think if a lavishly dress and an expensive 'will never wear it again' tuxedo really is a must. Personally, I were to hold a wedding, I'd go for 'unusual, not to expesive, selected but very good (take your time finding the specials)' over 'generic but more expensive'.
For instance: I didn't cook until about 4 years ago and today I only know about 3 dishes, but I know them very well and given that I don't pinch when buying the ingredients, each of these dished taste very delicious if I put my mind to it and take my time. I couldn't afford a wedding organizer, but I'd make a point of cooking these dishes myself for my own wedding and add their part to a memorable experience. Sure, the ingredients would come 300€ or so and I'd probably have to borrow some cooking gear, but it would be a very special thing for all the guests - that I would be sure of.
3) Another example: Stainless Steel makes for very good wedding rings (geek factor aside). There are tons of quality steel rings out there nowadays, and they cost a fraction of the platinum/gold ones. Use the money you save on a top-notch honeymoon trip - you'll both have much more from it.
Oh, and congratulations and all the best wishes!
My 2 cents.
A Tip... (Score:2)
A tip: unless your fiance is a geek also, she may take a VERY dim view on geeky stuff involving HER wedding.. I hope you understand that the bride is the "commanding officer" of a wedding.. SHE is the driving force, and in essence, all the groom needs to do is show up in appropriate dress. Of course, this is a generalization, but women often dream about "their day" namely their wedding day, and take a really dim view to ANYBODY messing with it, even when its her
fiance...
Comment removed (Score:5, Interesting)
RFID? (Score:2)
Convention badges (Score:2)
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.
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.
Very high failure risk (Score:5, Informative)
My cousin and her wife both work in tourism, so they fashioned their invites as plane tickets.
This confused a large number of people. My mom for example threw the invitation straight in the bin, thinking it was some mass mailing.
Be careful.
Have to echo the sentiment (Score:3)
How about having a day off from your geekiness in order to concentrate on your future wife?
All the fancy stuff will be ignored by anyone over X years old (and lead to things like "I haven't had an invite, just this thing in an envelope", people getting lost, etc.). All the geeks will play with it for precisely two and a half seconds and then do what they would have done anyway (i.e. Facebook or SMS their RSVP or whatever).
It's like CV's - you *can* send them to me on a micro-SD card embedded into a credit-card sized business card if you really want to. I'll put them on my "erase and reuse" pile. Or you could have just sent me a piece of paper with all the necessary details on (and maybe make a website with all the details on too but in my experience people either bring the paper with them or forget the website and don't have the paper on them to find out and end up phoning you anyway).
Wanna be a geek? Stick a lego toy on each table, or have a friend start burning CD's / DVD's of the ceremony as soon as possible and give them out to people as they leave as a memento, or make sure ALL your wedding photos are uploaded the next day (including the "professional" ones) so others can see it.
Think what your 86-year-old granny's cousin will do with the invite. If it's anything other than read it and reply, you're doing it wrong. Save the fancy tech for your friends parties where you don't expect dozens of random people you don't know to turn up.
By Hand (Score:3)
Old-fashioned. Use *no tech*. Write all the invites by hand, put them into hand-written and tongue-licked envelopes, bring them to the post office. You'll be astounded at the response.
Optionally, throw in a code-cracking contest ( also hand-written ) that is not TOO hard to crack.
Set up a user help desk for the in-laws (Score:2)
As soon as the word spreads around that a computer geek has married into the family, you will start getting calls from all sorts of distant relatives of your wife:
"I didn't change anything, but my computer stopped working . . . "
You might as well meet them all now, face to face, before you have to deal with them on the phone.
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.
Rickroll them ! (Score:2)
Put many signs to redirect those who are looking for toilets into a small cabinet where they would be Rickrolled, with at least a Rick poster and a player starting to play the pop song as soon as they open the door.
Also set up a camera and display the results on your large HD screen once you have a bunch of funny reactions.
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. (unles
Dude! WTF??? (Score:2)
Yeah, do that.
You can spend a lot of time coming up with the most clever idea out there, but if your bride-to-be doesn't like it, you're fucked (and not in the good way). By all means suggest something geeky, but if she balks, back down and accept that you're not the star of this particular show.
A bit confused (Score:4, Funny)
I kid. I kid...
Geocaching (Score:4, Funny)
Its also a selection process
Paper record player (Score:3, Informative)
Mike Tarantino and Karen Sandler made and sent a paper record and player, with a song they'd recorded.
http://idle.slashdot.org/story/11/04/15/133206/Couple-Sends-Record-Player-Wedding-Invitations [slashdot.org]
Don't, just don't (Score:2)
Accept that a wedding is for her and about her. Ask her what she wants and give it to her.
An odd pattern in the comments... (Score:3)
"Don't worry about it, your wife will (thankfully) veto this (stupid) idea."
"Hey Moron, Seek advice from your wife-to-be!"
etc
The submitter's name was Qa2. Nothing in the post says if its a man or a woman (even their email address only gives the initial of their given name).
You could say, sure, but this is /. 90% chance its a guy. But then there's the other aspect of those comments - they also assume that his fiancée is not a geek.
Would that really be so strange?
-B
DNA (Score:3)
Photoshop (Score:3)
For mine, I did each invitation as a mounted photograph. Each photograph had the name of the people being invited photoshopped in. It was done in a way to make it reasonably easy to produce lots of invites but with each looking very individual to that person. Many people commented and apprieciated having a personal invitation rather then a pre-printed card with their name added in biro.
Geeky (photoshop, digital print) but not in a way that confuses the non-techie.
Hope that helps,
Bob.
Several ideas... (Score:3)
-- Before the wedding --
Lenticular printing: allows a small number of frames of animation or different images. 4x4 inches can be had for ~$1.20 per sticker, custom, quantity 50 minimum order. Can also be used with two alternating images to achieve 3D using parallax differences in eye location. Basically, it's a plastic lens bonded to an image layer with an adhesive backing on the image.
Include a neon novelty lapel button with a little pink bride or blue groom (or groom and groom or bride and bride, if that's your thing) for them to weare; reduces strain on your ushers, LEDs are everywhere, but I'm talking actual real neon lights on about 2 inch diameter black background buttons. Such things typically go for ~$6 a piece (12 if they are friends and you include both figures); also qty 100.
USB business card flash drive; I'd recommend it being glued to the invitation, but you could also just have it printed with a picture of the two of you together and a "You're invited! Plug me in!" caption, or something like that.
Use an LED logo projector keychain; repurpose it to put up a URL instead.
8-bit wedding invitations (Achievement unlocked!)
Not tech-geeky, but look up "cootie catcher invitation".
--At the wedding--
Wine glass ID badge lanyards (except they hold wine glasses instead of ID badges).
Disposable cameras for the wedding. Cheap for $3.49 each with custom paper sleeves (including photos of you, or whatever). You should probably include regular invitations with these, or only pass them out at the wedding.
Custom superhero action figures for the wedding cake.
Google "star wars ice cube tray"; trust me, you'll be happy you did. They also work for chocolate (think "carbonite"...).
--After the wedding--
How about an after the wedding gift, instead? There are plenty of places that will let you take some number of wedding photos of your choice, and turn them into outline drawings and bind them up into coloring book form; send them with a small box of crayons.
-- Terry
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.
Anything that says... (Score:4, Insightful)
...Free Beer (as in beer)
Re:Try painting cards with circuits in them (Score:5, Interesting)
[Oops! Meant to login before posting that comment. Here it is again with a 1 higher score ;-)]
Take a look at these guys:
http://www.bareconductive.com/ [bareconductive.com]
They make conductive gloopy black paint that you can use both to paint circuit boards and to cold solder components into them. I met a couple of the people behind the company at a trade show a couple of weeks back and bought a pot (no other connection to company). It's very clever stuff and they have a load of tutorials and examples on the site.
Re: (Score:3)
Have the invite text scroll across it in red LEDs. Awesomer!
Re: (Score:3)
I'm thinking a flexible pcb (search instructibles, requires a bit of work), some surface mount LED's, maybe a smd PIC/AVR or whatnot, and a watch battery. (or chain a couple for appropriate voltage, or supply usb socket, AA socket, etc...)
And hand deliver (someone comments further down about bomb screening of mail).
Re: (Score:2)
Maybe a laser scanner to project the text on a wall...
Re:circuit boards (Score:5, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3)
Re:circuit boards (Score:4, Informative)
They don't have to be typical green PCB color either, you can get the solder mask in a few colors. (green,white,red,black,blue)
Also you can get the exposed metal gold or silver plated (not expensive at all).
I quite like gold text on a blank mask, but for a wedding maybe silver on white.
As a rough idea, i recently got 300x PCBs made with gold plating and blank solder mask.
They were 55mm x 58mm and cost ~US$300 from pcbcart.
All you need to do is find someone who's experienced with PCB drawing software.
If you want to go all the way and have a microcontroller and led display, Jameco have 0.7inch 7x5 pixel dot matrix led displays for 75c each in qty of 100.
Re:circuit boards (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:circuit boards (Score:5, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3)
I think they already sell these in Hallmark.
Since I'm lazy, I'd just go buy a bunch of those cards that allow you to record your voice, mail the audio-invitations to the guests, and then use the free time to go have some "fun" with my bride.
Re:circuit boards (Score:4, Funny)
No, but it would be cool.