Don’t Use Disposable Cameras at Your Wedding

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Disposable Cameras Have Bad Quality

I know the title is a bold claim, but please do not use disposable cameras at your wedding. They are fun, interactive, and trendy, but they should not be relied upon for an occasion as special and unique as a wedding

For starters, you have no clue what a photo looks like until you get it developed. Will some of the pictures be too dark, leaving you guessing as to who is in the photo? Or will they be washed out because there was too much light. If only the person taking the picture could have known when to use the flash and if another picture was needed.

There is also the chance that the pictures are blurry. The person taking them could be a little shaky or they were taking a picture of something in motion. Lets not forget they could have accidentally covered part of the picture with their finger!

It is also possible that the cameras themselves are faulty. If the camera arrives broken or breaks at your reception, you can say goodbye to all the pictures it had.

You might be thinking this is not terrible if only a handful of pictures out of hundreds are messed up. Unfortunately, there is no limit to how many bad pictures you can get. Here are a few examples of people who did not get a single usable picture out of hundreds.

Source here

High Cost of Disposable Cameras

These reviews bring me to my next point, disposable cameras are EXPENSIVE! A pack of six can cost $90. Assuming you need two packs, that is around $180 for just the cameras. That does not include the cost to develop the film.

I was shocked, but developing the film on the cameras is more expensive than the cameras themselves. Walgreens charges $15.99 per 24 pictures 🤯

That is roughly $190 for 288 photos assuming you used 12 cameras. That brings the total to $370 and there might not be a single usable picture.

Camera Limitations

I don’t know about you, but $370 for 288 pictures is a lot of money. I would expect way more pictures than that but disposable cameras just cannot take that many. There is also the limitation of pictures only.

A videographer was sadly not in the budget for my wedding, but I still got a video of my cake cutting and first dance thanks to my friends and family. They just used their smart phones.

More Work

Lets ignore cost for a sec. Disposable cameras are kinda fun and give your guest something to do. However, they also give you something to do. You have to collect all the cameras, remember to take them to the a store for processing, go pick them up and then find ones worth keeping.

You worked hard planning your wedding, you went on your honey moon and now you have to deal with all those cameras. Honestly, you might end up putting it off indefinitely. This reddit comment sums up my feelings

The solution

If you have read this far, hopefully I have convinced you not to use disposable cameras at your wedding. That does not mean there is no fun and interactive way to get photos from your guests.

The solution is to use a digital guest book and gallery! Remember the Reddit thread from earlier? The most voted on reply also agrees with me.

“The Guest” is an app from The Knot and unfortunately it will shut down in June 2024. But don’t worry, EventShare is as a great alternative and will ensure you get hundreds, or even thousands of quality pictures and videos of your wedding. Everything works in the browser, so there is no app for guest to install. We even have plans starting as low as $47!

Plus, unlike disposable cameras, there is no guessing what a picture will look like since guests will use their smart phones. Took a bad pic, no problem, take another. Want a video of the first dance, wedding speeches, and cake cutting, go right ahead.

Getting pictures from guests is also a breeze. Place QR codes through out your wedding and in thank you cards. Guests scan them, then upload the photos and videos they took. No hassle or work from you.

Using EventShare will also encourage guests to take MORE photos and videos. Use the live slideshow to show photos and videos on a TV or projector as they are being taken. This is a really fun way to entertain guests and get them to capture more fun moments.

Last but not least, we have a digital guest book! Guests can write and record heartfelt messages for you and your partner. This is not limited to guests who attend the wedding. Send a link or QR code to the loved ones that could not attend. They can still sign your guest book and send you loving messages.