LOVE/HATE: Memorytube

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?

5 Responses to “LOVE/HATE: Memorytube”

  1. Molly says:

    lame.

  2. daisyj says:

    Gimmicky and lame. Really, is the traditional guestbook so inadequate? And what on earth are you going to do with a multimedia presentation of people saying “Congratulations, you guys!” and giggling into the camera? Not to mention the sort of stuff that you might end up with once Aunt Erma gets a few drinks in. No thanks.

  3. Bitter says:

    I like the concept, but I’m not sure about the execution. Granted, I’m in that category you mentioned of fairly tech people, as is my boyfriend and all of our friends. The types of people we’d have to our event would actually be perfect for something like this because they either blog, are talk radio hosts, or do something else fun in either tech or entertainment. I see this as a lot more interesting than some random camera guy putting people on the spot for well wishes and a lot more entertaining than a book of standard wedding greetings.

    However, my concerns over execution, especially after looking at the website, probably put it into the gimmicky category. I would have to test it out, see if I like the software interface, and figure out a good way to set it up so it doesn’t look tacky.

    Overall, I’d say the concept could have promise, even for more mainstream couples if it was done well. That is a huge ‘if’. When a guest walks up, the interface can’t be cheesy or clunky. As for decorating and presenting the hardware, it looks like they need to hire someone with a little more style to help them design it. In other words, there’s room for competition to come along and improve it.

  4. Twistie says:

    I think Bitter has summed up my feelings on the subject nicely. There’s a lot of potential, but a hell of a lot of potential pitfalls. The jury is still very much out on this one for me.