13 February 2025
Inspiration for the Ai1 Digital Display
Our Wedding Experience
Planning a wedding is no small feat. Months of preparation, countless decisions, and coordinating dozens of vendors can be exhausting. During our own wedding planning, our jaws dropped when quotes for Acrylic Welcome Signs and Seating Charts were coming in at up to $400 each. It just didn’t make sense that they cost so much to hire, and we were to walk away with nothing in the end. One of the most time-consuming and inefficient aspects was dealing with multiple vendors for various signs. Here’s what we were after;
Welcome sign – to greet our guests upon entering and photo opportunity
Seating chart – to direct guests to their seats
Projector – to display a slideshow/montage of our journey
QR codes – for guests to upload photos (we ended up creating little cards for each guest, but more on this later!)
Not only was this entire process expensive, but it was also frustrating to coordinate all these different moving pieces. So what did we do?
We decided to DIY. But still, this was a huge learning curve requiring specialist equipment and lots of time investment. We made our own welcome sign and seating chart, skipped the projector because of complex logistics and we made cards for guests to scan QR codes. Sure, we got to keep our signs, but the "one-time-use" nature of signs coupled with limited usefulness didn’t sit well with us. So, we took matters into our own hands.
Why It Doesn’t Make Sense
As we dove into creating our own signs, it became even more apparent how inefficient the whole process was. Here's why it didn’t make sense:
1. Multiple signs = multiple costs
It’s pretty simple. Large scale events typically have more requirements; welcome signs, seating charts, projectors QR code displays. When you consider that you’re independently paying for the cost of rentals, transportation and setup for each piece – this adds up quickly both in terms of time and money. and setup for each piece.
2. Low quality solutions
On enquiring about a projector to display a slideshow of our journey, we were told we had two options; use a different venue or hire a projector through a vendor. Yes, another jaw dropping cost and layer of complexity for a low-resolution display – less than ideal. There’s no room for mediocrity at events.
3. Static displays are outdated
A welcome sign is meant to greet guests as they arrive, but after that initial greeting, it often goes unnoticed for the rest of the event. Similarly, the seating chart is essential, but once guests find their seats the static nature of these signs means their usefulness is limited.
“But what about those straddlers that arrive late?” (Don’t worry, we have ideas 😉) Events are long affairs and this static information just didn’t feel like it was keeping up.
4. Lack of flexibility & customization
Beyond displaying basic information, our rented signs didn’t offer much flexibility. Many of the offered designs are standard, cookie-cutter designs. Most would either not be able to accommodate our requests (such as QR codes) or would charge substantially more for any variations. We wanted a display that could was useful for the entire length of the event, and tailored to our event schedule to showcase personalized moments.
Why We Developed the Ai1 Digital Display
Out of these frustrations, we set out to create something that could solve all of these problems—and more. We wanted to provide a solution that offered greater value by way of versatility, customisation options, and cost-effectiveness.
That’s when we developed the Ai1 Digital Display, a solution that is:
1. Dynamic and versatile
Gone are the days of hiring multiple signs for every event. The Ai1 Digital Display, provides the versatility needed to consolidate all your requirements, instead of static signs that get forgotten after the initial viewing. Whether it's the welcome message, the seating chart, or a schedule, a montage of memories and special moments, QR codes for wedding registries and photo uploads, or simply the event schedule, the Ai1 Digital Display is fully customizable to suit every part of your event.
2. Cost-effective and convenient
Our pricing is designed to be more cost-effective than hiring multiple signs and projectors. Save yourself some valuable time. With the Ai1 Digital Display, you can customize it to fit your exact needs and keep the costs down. We handle the entire process from setting up to packing up.
3. Designed for you
One of the best parts? Whether you opt for the BYO or professional editing route, we let you keep the files used for display.
The Ai1 Digital Display was born from our own challenges, frustrations and lived experience during our wedding planning process. We’re proud to offer a solution that doesn’t just make sense for weddings but for all types of events; whether its birthdays, engagements, weddings, our goal is to tailor everything to your event and simplify the process.
About AMKreations.
AMKreations is your Melbourne based provider of quality event signage. We offer innovative solutions, namely our flagship product, the All-in-One (Ai1) Digital Display, which allows you to consolidate all your event signage and media into a seamless guest experience. Integrate your welcome sign, seating chart, photos, videos, and more into one elegant visual montage on a stunning, framed display.