As far as I’m concerned, Memorytube is a neat idea with a pisspoor name. I know tubes are in…we have YouTube and snarky references to the “Intertubes” (Thanks Senator Stevens!) and the extremely NSFW RedTube…but Memorytube?
The people behind the company want brides and grooms to ditch the guestbooks, photobooths, and videographers in favor of five foot tall kiosks that empower attendees to make multimedia memories that will later be stamped in a DVD for the newlywed couple. So what does it actually do?
- A built-in cam takes guests’ pictures or films their well-wishes
- Camera-shy guests can type their salutations in an electronic guestbook
- Card readers of all sizes and Bluetooth tech allow guests to upload their snapshots and videos before going home
Hiring out a Memorytube kiosk costs about £299 — oh, right, it’s currently only available to our friends in the UK.
Now I could see this being a big hit at a reception populated by tech-savvy guests, though if yours is a big wedding you may have to cope with watching your guests queuing up to see what all the fuss is about. I can’t say that I particularly love or hate the idea.
On one hand, it’s neat…sort of the upscale version of the brides and grooms who set up a laptop at the reception so guests can upload their photos before the last dance. On the other hand, people tend to be a touch more thoughtful when they’re leaving their mark in a proper book. I can just imagine the sorts of things all the kids at my wedding would have been saying into the poor kiosk’s cam!
What do you think? Is it a fantastic idea…or a gimmicky one?