Three low-cost ways to capture your wedding day

This article comes from Christine Bilger from the Quicken Loans Zing! blog.

You know what’s expensive? Wedding photography. You know what’s even more expensive? Videography.

I’m not going to deny that I had more than a little sticker shock when I started looking for a wedding photographer. Unfortunately, I also really want a videographer – which isn’t in the budget. Unless I win the lottery or locate a long-lost wealthy relative between now and July, I’m definitely not having a videographer at my wedding.

So what’s a bride (or groom) to do? Luckily, the popularity of camera phones and the availability of other technology makes it super easy for you to get hundreds of pictures and videos from your wedding without hiring multiple photographers or a full-on camera crew. I’m not suggesting you forgo hiring a professional photographer (you will, after all, have these pictures forever), but there’s some seriously cool technology that can help you capture every little moment for a relatively low cost. Ready to get started? Here’s some wedding-related technology you should know about!

WEDIT

What it is

Have you heard of Wedit? From the rehearsal dinner to the reception, it’s an affordable way to capture videos of all the little moments you’re likely to miss while you’re busy greeting guests and dancing the night away. With Wedit, you receive five HD cameras (they currently use iPod Touches) in the mail. Hand them out to five of your most reliable guests, and they can capture hours and hours of high-definition footage. After your wedding, simply mail the cameras back to WedIt. They’ll upload the footage to their website so you can download it and share it with your guests!

What it costs

The basic wedding package (which includes the cameras and video hosting on Wedit’s site) costs $500. For an additional fee, you’ll get a beautifully-edited wedding reel. The Highlights Package, which includes a three-to-five minute highlight reel, is an additional $199. If you want a full-length wedding video (30–60 minutes) the package is $349 in addition to the initial $500. This might not sound like a low-cost option, but when you consider that videography often costs upwards a $2, 000, this is a great money-saving alternative.

WEDPICS

What it is

WedPics is an app that lets wedding guests take, upload and share photos and videos in one easy place. Rather than begging people to email you their photos after the wedding, you can use WedPics to ensure that you have access to all of the photos from your big day. It’s super easy to set up. Simply download the app, make a profile and create a wedding password. Once you share your password with guests, they’ll be able to view all your pictures and add their own! You can even purchase WedPics cards ­– invitation inserts that tell your guests how to use WedPics – right from the app, for about $25 per 100 cards.

What it costs

FREE! Why not give it a try?

EVERSNAP

What it is

Similar to WedPics, Eversnap is an app that collects all your wedding photos and videos. Guests without smartphones can even upload pictures via Facebook or email. While WedPics is free, Eversnap costs money – although their packages have a few extras. With the Essentials Package, you’ll get unlimited photos and videos, as well as 200 custom instruction cards. The Unforgettable Package offers all that, plus photo retouching by a professional photographer. Their most expensive package, the Luxury Package, offers everything in the other two packages, but includes a live, moderated slideshow – a pretty cool feature if you ask me. Professional moderators will track the photos as they’re uploaded, and choose (based on appropriateness) what gets played during your wedding.

What it costs

Here’s what Eversnap’s packages cost.

• Essentials: $99
• Unforgettable: $199
• Luxury: $249

Well Zing readers, what do you think? Have you tried any of these apps or services? Would you recommend them? Share with us in the comments section!

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