Short answer: You get one link and share it with everyone. Guests record a message or send a clip they already have, with no app and no account. Every message reaches us with the sender's name on it. Our creative team then edits them all into one film for the guest of honor.
Collecting video messages from family and friends used to mean chasing people for weeks. Files came by text, email and cloud folders, often with no name attached. Our video messages page shows a simpler way. Here is how it works, plus ideas for putting it to use.
One link does the collecting
You share a single link by text, email or the family group chat. That link is the whole invitation.
- Guests type their name first.
- They record a message right on the page, or send a video or photo they already have.
- They never download an app or create an account.
- Each file reaches us with the sender's name on it.
Guests cannot see anyone else's message. If the film is a surprise, it stays a surprise.
You can pick a deadline, and the link closes after it. Would you rather not send reminders yourself? Give us the guest list instead. We email each person their own link and keep track of who has not sent one yet.
Birthday wishes from every chapter of a life
Milestone birthdays are a natural fit. A 40th, a 50th or an 80th gathers people from many years and many places.
Think about who knew the guest of honor at each stage. A childhood neighbor, a college roommate, a longtime friend, a grandchild. Ask each one for a short wish or a favorite memory.
Placed together, the messages tell a life story in the voices of the people who lived it. They can stand alone or sit inside a photo and video montage. Our milestone tributes page shows how birthdays and anniversaries come together.
Advice for a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, or for a couple
A Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah is a moment for wisdom. Grandparents, aunts, teachers and older cousins all have something to say.
Give guests a simple prompt so the answers feel connected. For example:
- One piece of advice for the years ahead.
- A wish for the next chapter.
- A memory that shows who the child already is.
Families can play these messages on their own or place them inside a Mitzvah montage.
The same prompts work for a couple. Friends can share marriage advice, a short toast or the story of how they first met the pair.
Room for the people who cannot travel
Not every relative can make the trip. Distance, health or timing can keep a favorite person at home.
A recorded message puts them on the screen anyway. A grandparent overseas, a cousin on deployment, a friend with a new baby. Their face and voice can still be part of the night.
The same link works well for gatherings that span many households:
- Reunions. Classmates or relatives share what they have been up to and a memory from the old days.
- Retirements. Friends and family toast the retiree and share their hopes for the free time ahead.
- Surprise parties. Messages arrive quietly, so the guest of honor has no idea.
An idea to try: everyone sings a line
Here is a playful idea. Pick a song the guest of honor loves. Give each guest one line, and ask them to sing it into their phone.
Nobody needs a good voice. The charm is in the mix of grandparents, kids and old friends taking their turn. Choose an upbeat tune with a chorus most people know.
Short lines work best, so even shy guests will join in. Please note that song selection and any rights or permissions for the music you choose are your responsibility as the organizer.
How the messages become one film
Once the link closes, our creative team edits every message into one film. Each person's name appears on screen, so viewers always know who is speaking.
You choose how the messages are used:
- A film made only of messages, from start to finish.
- Messages woven into a montage of your photos and video clips.
The video on this page is Jackie's tour of the private client portal, where the rest of the project happens. You upload photos, pick music, review drafts, send notes and approve, all explained on our client portal page.
When you are ready to start collecting, visit our video messages page to see how the link works.
Our creative team works from Westchester, NY, and serves families nationwide, fully online.