The screen is just a web page, so anything that can show a web page on a TV or projector will do. This guide covers what to ask your venue, the ways to connect, the leads you might need, and how to set it up on the day so it runs all night without anyone touching it.
On this page: Ask your venue first · The ways to connect · Leads and adapters · TV or projector? · On the day · If something goes wrong
Most hotels, function rooms and pubs have a screen of some kind, and the person who looks after the room will know exactly what's there. A quick email a few weeks before saves a scramble on the day. These are the questions worth asking:
If you'd like, forward them our one-page screen guide. It tells whoever is looking after the TV exactly what to do, and when you print it from your event's page it includes your event's own screen address.
This is what we'd recommend for a wedding or any event that matters. Plug the laptop into the screen with an HDMI lead, open your event's screen address in Chrome, Edge or Safari, and click once for full screen. It works with any TV or projector made in the last fifteen years, the picture is sharp, and it doesn't depend on the venue's gadgets.
When you plug in, the laptop may show its own desktop on the TV, or a copy of its screen. Either is fine. On Windows, press the Windows key and P together and choose Duplicate to make the TV show the same as the laptop. On a Mac, open System Settings, then Displays, and choose to mirror the built-in display.
Most smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony and others have a web browser among their apps. Open it, type in your screen address with the remote, and it'll run. It's tidy, with no laptop or leads, but TV browsers are slower than a laptop and some don't do full screen well. Try it in the room a day or two before if you can, and bring a laptop as a backup.
An Amazon Fire TV Stick has a browser called Silk in its app store, which runs the screen well. Plug the stick into a spare HDMI socket on the TV, connect it to the Wi-Fi, open Silk and type in the address. A stick costs about €40 and is handy if you'll use it again.
With a Chromecast, open the screen in Chrome on a laptop, then choose Cast from Chrome's menu and pick the TV. The laptop has to stay on and nearby, and the picture depends on the Wi-Fi, so it's a step down from a cable.
If the venue has an Apple TV, you can mirror a Mac or iPhone to it with AirPlay: open the screen in Safari, then choose Screen Mirroring. It works, but the device has to stay awake and close by all night, and a phone is better off in your pocket. Use it for a small party at home rather than a big night.
If the room has nothing, an AV hire company can supply a TV on a stand or a projector and screen for the night, usually for a hundred euro or more, often with someone to set it up. Ask for an HDMI connection for a laptop. For a marquee or a garden party this is usually the way to go.
| Reliability | Picture | Needs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laptop and HDMI lead | Best | Sharp | A laptop, a lead, a socket |
| Smart TV browser | Good, if tested | Good | A smart TV and Wi-Fi |
| Fire Stick with Silk | Good | Good | A stick, a spare HDMI socket, Wi-Fi |
| Chromecast from a laptop | Fair | Depends on Wi-Fi | A laptop kept nearby, good Wi-Fi |
| AirPlay mirroring | Fair | Depends on Wi-Fi | An Apple TV, a Mac or iPhone kept awake |
A big TV is brighter and sharper, and works in a room with daylight or the lights up. It suits up to about eighty guests, or a bigger room if it's somewhere people walk past, like by the bar or the dance floor. A projector gives you a much bigger picture for a big room, but it needs the lights down to look its best. For a wedding meal in daylight, a TV is usually better; for the evening and the dancing, a projector is great.
Put the screen where people will see it without craning, ideally where they pass: near the bar, the entrance to the dance floor, or at the top of the room. Two screens are easy too: open the same screen address on a second laptop or TV and they'll both show the same photos.
You can change what's on the screen from your phone during the night, for example to pause the slideshow or show just the welcome card, from the Screen tab of your event's page.
No. Any TV or projector with an HDMI socket will do, with a laptop plugged into it. A smart TV just lets you skip the laptop.
Yes, with an HDMI adapter for the tablet, or by mirroring to an Apple TV. Turn off auto-lock so it doesn't go to sleep. A laptop is easier to leave running all night.
Not much. It downloads screen-sized copies of each photo, a few hundred kilobytes each. A phone hotspot is plenty.
Yes. Open the same screen address on as many laptops or TVs as you like, and they'll all show the same photos at once.
Hire one from an AV company, or bring a TV from home for a smaller party. A laptop on a side table also works for a small group, and everyone can see the album on their phones.
More answers in the questions on the home page.