Technology is an integral part of everyday life. That includes special occasions such as weddings. We are long past the days when you could ask guests to leave their cellphones and other gear behind. If all tech was banned from weddings, not even the bride and groom would show up for the affair. That would definitely be counterproductive.
On the other hand, the wrong tech can also be a distraction. You don’t want the father of the bride distracted with a Nintendo Switch. That is a bad look. Even the tech you need at the wedding can become a distraction if you are not careful. So it is important to bring the right tech for the job. Here are a few items that should be on your list:
Electric Candles
There are some outstanding electric candles that, at a distance, are indistinguishable from the real thing. This can be very important for the perfect ambiance without worrying about whether or not the venue allows open flames.
For the best ambiance, you will want to use battery powered candles rather than the kind that plugs into the wall. The reason is that you don’t want to be limited in where you place them. There will only be so many available wall sockets. And you don’t want any unsightly cords and cables if you can avoid it. Digital mood lighting also allows you to use color in creative ways. Digital lights can give your event the dramatic bonus you are looking for.
Ambient lighting isn’t just for indoors. For outside moments, you can use something like sparklers for wedding send off party favors that have become all the rage. They’re not only for weddings. They are just one of the many gender reveal ideas being utilized by creative, young couples.
Digital Camera
Camera tech isn’t just a business tool for professionals. Small affairs often go without a professional wedding photographer. That means that someone will have to be assigned the job of shutterbug. You might have to supply a camera that is up to the task. It is important to get the right camera for wedding photography. The surprising thing is that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to do it.
No matter how much you spend on photography, some of the best photos from the event will be coming from your guests shooting candids on their smartphone. You can use apps that allow all photos from an event to be placed in a digital repository and freely shared. The image quality from even budget phones rivaled the quality of stand-alone cameras. Even if guests occasionally get distracted by their phones, the benefit you will get from amazing photos will be worth it.
Audio Gear
Products like the Zoom F3 and Tascam X8, among others, have changed the game for people wanting to up their wedding video quality. These are audio recording devices that can record much better audio than what you can get from your camera alone.
The secret is 32 bit float recording. Before, when the best man makes his awkward and untrained speech, their screaming into the microphone to be heard would be distorted and awful. 32 bit float ensures that even the rowdiest of speakers will not be able to distort the sound and their words will always be clear. Grabbing one of these devices and using it for the audio of your main camera is well worth the price.
Battery Packs
It might be prudent to purchase a half a dozen battery packs that easily fit into pockets and keep your smartphone charged. Besides running your screen at high brightness, the most battery-intensive thing you will do at a wedding is take lots of high-res photos. A lot of phones will be draining much faster than expected. By having a few chargers to hand out, people won’t have to be without their phones while getting a charge. Just keep one of those battery packs for yourself.
You might also consider having a centralized charging station with a capacious battery bank and plenty of ports for cables. You will want to provide both Lightning and USB-C for those who came unprepared.
Weddings are magical events. But the magic is partially provided by the technology you have on hand. Be sure to have candles that don’t require an open flame, at least one good camera, proper audio capture, and enough power to keep the magic going through the entire event.
