When I stumbled upon wedding slideshows online, my reaction was almost instantaneous: certainly, I wanted to have a slideshow for my wedding. Slideshows are pretty amazing; they're just the right combination of information and excitement. For my wedding, I feel as if (I think) I needed to have one. At work, I secretly spent hours in my mind, lost in a daze watching other people’s slideshows online; one day my coworker suggested that I create a slideshow for myself (for my wedding in March). Though embarrassed, I thought it was a great idea. I went home and downloaded the required software for slideshow creation. I explored the software and began working right away. Unfortunately, many daunting hours later, I had a sad rude-awakening. After much needless stress I realized that to make a magnificent slideshow I needed to have patience, creativity, expertise, and a whole host of skills that I have not acquired. Concerning the planning of my wedding, frankly, I didn’t have the time to learn how to use the software: an entire class by itself. I've considered hiring a company to create a slideshow professionally and inexpensively for me, instead.

When I delved deeper into the world of dynamic slideshows what I found was pretty incredible. Offered from a specific online company were various wedding-specific custom-slideshows. Although I was eager to jump right into the venture, I was cautious to ensure that it was worthy of my time and money; I'm happy to report that it was. My friend was right. Indeed, slideshows are essential to the modern wedding. Having slideshows means that I can send them to my relatives on DVD for them to have in their personal time or I could just share my DVDs with them sometime when they're around. They won't be bored, these shows erupt with animation and life; they're perfect for remembering my wedding just as it happened.

I hired them to make a slideshow that reflected my love story; my fiancé and I supplied the pictures. I selected the custom-wedding slideshow option. I do not have words to explain how much it meant to me and my fiancé when we saw the aftermath. It was beautiful; I knew that I made a great decision. They even gave the slideshow a New York background because that's where I said we met. I melted, it was wonderful; I had them produce a DVD for my reception too. So far everything looks like it'll work out flawlessly. The slideshow will start with pictures of him as a child, then evolve into pictures of me as a child, and then merge into pictures of us together as young adults, then we progress us together, today it's absolutely compelling, breathtaking and professional. I'm excited; I already have that DVD prepared for show. Somehow, maybe with strength from my husband to-be, I've managed to hold-off on showing it to anyone though. I can't wait to show them the surprise. I also purchased a few more things from the site: a personalized DVD case (for the slideshow), a tin box (with a cute, heart-shaped cut-out opening with a picture of me and my fiancé in it). It wasn't expensive and it was definitely worth it to preserve these beautiful memories.


Having a wedding includes lots of entertaining, people get bored fast so that's also why I think that it's nice to have slideshows professionally made: they help to take some of this stress from entertaining off of my shoulders. Take my wedding rehearsal dinner for instance: everyone will be there to prepare for my actual wedding and they're all going to try their hardest to make me happy. To put it simply, seeing how things are hard, I'd like to try and show my appreciation—the dilemma is that I need to keep the wedding spirit raised during events like this so as not to lose any focus. Call me a perfectionist if you want, but I only get one wedding right? So after much practice, at the dinner, as the food is being presented, if mouths are become still after any conversations die-down; I'll restore the mood by dimming the lights and turning on the brief slide showing our love story up to the engagement. Since we're all going to a mountain resort for the wedding, the rehearsal dinner will be there and the mood will be just right for a love-story like ours (my while we eat and let the fireplace warm us in the days preceding my—our big day)!

The slides that I've already received are so good that I just know that I'll have a few more slideshow DVDs made after the wedding is over. They'll show pictures from the whole retreat and the wedding day itself. Of course I will have had to have lots of help in creating a great and memorable wedding; thinking of all the dedicated people is already starting to make me watery-eyed, I've already decided that I'm going to definitely include introductory slides in the Post-wedding show that thanks each person individually (so far I've tracked all of the names). It'll be the perfect gift for the bridal party. Finally, I may make just one last slideshow, I feel like I have to now for my family. They're going to take so many pictures and they all wanted to have pictures for their memories and records forever. A slideshow DVD would be an awesome addition to any photo book— ‘old and dusty or on the computer (and just often un-viewed) besides they're all dedicated to taking pictures galore with their new digital cameras what kind of a surprise will it be when I send them a creative version of their results. It's so flashy and nice, they'll have music and I'm sure slides will just brighten up the mood. I'm considering getting a whole party favor package so that everyone can be involved.