In short
A continuous live photo slideshow plays throughout the banquet in the background, usually built from photo booth prints or candid shots as they come in, while a same day edit is a single short highlight film shown once, typically during a dedicated moment in the programme. The two serve different purposes and can be planned together rather than as a straight either-or choice.
- A live slideshow runs continuously in the background throughout the banquet, updating as new photos come in.
- A same day edit is a single short film shown once, usually at a dedicated point in the programme.
- The slideshow works well as ambient content during dinner, while the same day edit is a focused viewing moment.
- Your banquet programme and venue screen setup usually decide which fits more naturally, or whether both can work together.
- Confirm equipment and timing for either option with your photo booth and videography teams in advance.
What a continuous live slideshow offers throughout the banquet
A live photo slideshow is typically a rolling display of images, often drawn from a photo booth set up at the banquet, that plays continuously on a screen for guests to glance at throughout the evening rather than at one dedicated moment. As new prints or shots come in from the booth, they can be added to the rotation, so the slideshow gradually fills out as the night goes on.
This works well as background content during dinner, giving guests something to look at between courses without requiring the room's full attention the way a screening does. It tends to suit banquets where the couple wants a light, ongoing visual element rather than a single set-piece moment built around the video.
How this differs from a one-time same day edit screening
A same day edit is a short highlight film, usually a few minutes long, finished during the event and shown once at a specific point in the banquet programme, often introduced by the emcee and watched by the whole room together. Unlike the slideshow, it asks for the room's attention for a focused stretch of time rather than running quietly in the background.
Because it is a single screening moment, a same day edit tends to carry more emotional weight in the room, since guests are watching it together rather than glancing at it individually over the course of the evening. The trade-off is that it depends on a tighter production timeline, since the film has to be filmed and edited within the day itself.
Choosing based on your banquet programme
Which option suits you better often comes down to how you want the evening to feel and how tightly your programme is scheduled. A banquet with a fuller run of speeches, toasts and performances may not have an obvious slot for a dedicated screening, in which case a slideshow running in the background throughout dinner can add a visual element without asking for a separate segment of programme time.
On the other hand, if you want one clear, shared moment built around the video, a same day edit screening gives you that focal point in a way a background slideshow does not. Talk through your rough programme with your emcee and vendors early, since that conversation usually makes the better fit fairly clear.
Combining both for different parts of the evening
Some couples choose to run a live slideshow quietly through the earlier part of dinner and reserve a dedicated slot later in the evening for the same day edit screening, so the two elements sit at different points in the programme rather than competing for attention. This can work well where the venue has the screen and audio setup to support both.
If you are considering this combination, raise it early with your photo booth and videography teams so equipment, screen placement and timing can be planned together rather than worked out separately. Confirming these details with your venue in advance also avoids last-minute surprises about what the space can support.
Questions worth asking your photo booth and videography teams
Before deciding between the two, it helps to ask your photo booth vendor whether a continuous slideshow is something they can set up alongside the booth itself, and how photos are pulled from the booth into the rotation through the evening. Separately, ask your videography team how a same day edit screening is usually slotted into a banquet programme and how much notice they need on timing.
It is also worth asking both teams whether they have worked together on a wedding before, since a slideshow and a same day edit sharing the same screen and room benefit from vendors who can coordinate directly with each other rather than only with you. Clear answers to these questions early make it far easier to plan the rest of your programme around whichever option, or combination, you choose.
Whether a live slideshow, a same day edit screening, or a combination of both fits your evening depends on your programme and venue setup. If you would like to talk through the options for your banquet, get in touch with our team.