A live photo wall for your wedding, on any screen
By Tony Syme · Updated
A live photo wall shows your guests' wedding photos on a big screen as the day goes on. With Kaptr, you open a web page on the venue's TV or projector, and every photo you approve appears there for the room to enjoy.
What the live photo wall does
Guests take photos on their phones through Kaptr's camera, which opens in the browser when they scan your QR code. Those photos come to you first. Once you approve one, it joins the slideshow on the screen.
It turns the venue screen into something guests watch and talk about. People spot themselves from the ceremony, and someone always shouts when the photo of the groom's dad on the dance floor comes up.
Guests can join in from their seats too. They can send emoji reactions that burst across the slideshow, and they can like photos in the gallery on their phones.
Nothing appears until you approve it
The biggest worry with a live screen is what might end up on it. Kaptr deals with that by putting you in charge of every photo.
Every upload waits in your approval queue. You can approve it, reject it, or blur part of it, and only the blurred copy is shown. If something slips through, you can remove an approved photo later.
That means you can run a photo wall with your great-aunt in the front row and not hold your breath. See what else you control on our wedding photo sharing page.
Four slideshow styles
The slideshow comes in four styles, so you can match it to the room and the mood:
- Classic
- Filmstrip
- Grid
- Polaroid
Try each one on your own screen before the day and pick the one you like best. Photos taken in Kaptr's camera already carry a warm film-style grade and a date stamp, which suits every style. Our disposable camera app page explains that look.
Setting it up at your venue
Setting up is simple. Open your slideshow's web page in the browser on the screen, make it full screen, and leave it running.
If the TV or projector doesn't have a browser, plug a laptop into it and open the page there instead. Check the connection before the guests arrive, and make sure the screen or laptop is on the venue wifi.
Where to put the screen
Somewhere people naturally gather is best. Near the bar is hard to beat, because that's where guests stand around waiting.
Avoid putting it right behind the top table during the speeches unless you want people watching the screen instead of the best man. You could also wait and switch it on after the meal, once the evening guests arrive.
Bad signal at the venue
Some venues have weak mobile signal, especially old buildings and rural spots. If a guest's photo can't send, it waits on their phone and sends automatically when signal or wifi returns. The wall carries on with what it has, and the waiting photos arrive when they can.
If you run a venue and want a wall at every wedding you host, look at Kaptr for venues.
Why software beats hiring a physical photo wall
Hired photo walls and photo booths can be a great addition. They usually mean extra kit delivered to the venue, and you're tied to a fixed booking window.
A software photo wall uses a screen the venue probably already has. It runs as long as you want, from the ceremony through to the last song at the ceilidh, and you can switch it off whenever you like.
You also get more from it after the day. Every photo shown on the wall is already in your gallery, ready to download as one full-quality ZIP or turn into a vertical highlight reel.
Getting guests to fill the wall
A wall is only as good as the photos on it. The easiest way to keep it busy is to give people a reason to take pictures.
Post a photo challenge, which shows one prompt at a time on every guest's camera. "Get a photo with someone from the other side of the family" fills a screen fast. Find more ideas in our wedding photo challenges guide.
Make the QR code easy to find, too. Our guide to QR code wedding photos covers table cards and signs.
What it costs
Your first event on Kaptr is free with no card needed, and after that you pay once per event, starting at £29. Venues and planners can take a monthly plan instead. See the pricing page for the current plans.
Ready to see it on your own TV? Set up your wedding free and try the slideshow tonight.
Questions
Do we need to hire a projector for a wedding photo wall?
Not usually. A TV or projector with a web browser is enough, or a laptop plugged into the screen. Ask your venue what they already have.
Will embarrassing photos end up on the big screen?
Only photos you've approved can appear on the slideshow. Anything you reject never reaches the screen.
Does the screen need an internet connection?
Yes. The slideshow is a live web page, so the screen or laptop running it needs to be online to pick up new photos.