Weddings are top of the pile when it comes to photo opportunities with guests taking pics of the happy couple and each other throughout the day. By the time everyone starts heading for home, hundreds of photos have been taken and the couple must rely on friends and family to share them after the event.
In truth it’s a bit of a faff and this prompted Valda Binding, who had been through the process herself, to set up TakeNplace Weddings, which allows guests to scan a QR code at the venue and share their photos directly to the couple’s bespoke digital album.
The photos are stored in the album but also automatically made into a slide show that can be viewed live on a big screen on the day. Alternatively, the couple can choose to keep the album private and view, download and print the photos later. An AI moderator monitors the photos to make sure nobody uploads risqué pics.
“We came home to Cork when the pandemic began and I was lucky to get hired in a customer relations role with a hotel in Clonakilty,” Binding says. “I was surprised to see that people were still using disposable and Polaroid cameras at weddings and this struck me as old fashioned and not good from a sustainability point of view.
“I had always thought that some form of wedding photo sharing platform was the way to go and by 2022, when I started thinking about turning my idea into a business, digital technology had moved on sufficiently to allow me bring that idea to life.
“Once couples register with TakeNplace they are issued with a personal QR code which invites their guests to upload photos directly from their mobile phones. It’s a sustainable and very user-friendly system that requires no downloading of apps and is complete in a few clicks,” Binding says.
TakeNplace Weddings offers three service levels: a basic digital package at €199, an essentials package at €250 and a premium package at €320. What the higher packages buy are more uploads, more storage and more bespoke elements. A gift option is also available where friends or family can buy a package for the couple.
“At our own wedding we used a digital camera, a home TV and my husband Brad’s technical know-how to put together a slide show that ran on the day, but it was cumbersome and took time. With our solution the process is fast and painless. All that’s required is five minutes with a laptop and a USB key. Couples usually delegate the task to a member of their wedding party while wedding venue co-ordinators are also often happy to help,” Binding says.
“My husband is very techie and built the first trial platform as a lockdown project in 2021. Having completed the trial we knew we were on to something and officially launched in 2022. What makes us unique in our market is the ‘no app’ ease of use and we’re also the only company offering the moderated slide show feature.”
Development of the TakeNplace platform has cost about €40,000 with support from LEO Cork North and West. “Our next move will be into the UK weddings market,” says Binding, who adds that the company is open to investment as it is about to begin a major marketing drive to promote both the wedding service and its recently launched B2B product for the corporate market.
“The B2B product works in a similar way to the wedding service but the focus is on collecting all the photos from a conference or company event and turning them into a secure album and slide show overnight. We ‘white label’ this service so customers can brand it as they wish and for companies looking for content to use later on for marketing for example, it’s an effortless way to generate it,” Binding says.
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