Today’s weddings, like most things, don’t look quite the same as they did pre-pandemic. Couples have a lot to consider now that they didn’t have to in 2019— social distancing, sanitizing stations, food service, just to name a few. While many couples have chose to cancel or postpone their big days, others are looking for ways to celebrate without risking the health of their family and friends.

A virtual wedding is a great way to enjoy all the fun of your day and let your loved ones share in the festivities without worrying about how to prevent the spread of COVID-19. While every couple would love to have all their friends present to celebrate with, that’s a near impossibility right now. With a virtual wedding, you can still see everyone’s joy and happiness, just a little differently.

 Choose a virtual platform

When it comes to live streaming your big day, you have a variety of options, especially as more and more events move from the real world to the virtual world. Zoom is one of the most common video conference services, and with their paid subscription model, you can host one hundred attendees, allowing many more to view your wedding than you can have attend in-person. 

Another free option is Facebook Live, which allows you to stream in a private group and create a private event for guests to RSVP. Your guests can even leave comments and well wishes, creating something of a virtual guestbook.

Other options for streaming your wedding include Periscope, Lovecast, Instagram Live, YouTube Live, and Google Hangouts.

Get your tech gear

Obviously, with a virtual wedding, technology is going to be your best friend. Make sure you have all the items you need to live stream, such as a laptop or tablet and maybe a tripod to stabilize your device for recording. Be sure to test everything out to make sure there aren’t any hiccups. The last thing you want is to be scrambling to fix technical issues on your wedding day!

 We suggest tapping a tech-savvy friend or family member to supervise the streaming and deal with any issues on the day of your wedding.

Keep your guests updated

Once you have your plan in place for your virtual wedding, you need to let all your guests know how they can join in. If you have a wedding website, that’s the perfect place to inform everyone of how they can tune in to your wedding day and join you in the festivities from wherever they are in the world.

A Facebook event with a link to your streaming site works well, although some people may not have a Facebook, making this a challenge.

Practice makes perfect

In the days leading up to your wedding, you probably will want to do a couple test runs to make sure everything is camera-ready and your technology functions properly. Talk to your partner and officiant and make sure you have a clear plan for how the ceremony will go. Know exactly who will do what, especially when it comes to running the live stream.

Have a back-up plan

Technology isn’t perfect. You can practice ten times and find something not working correctly on the big day. While you may not be able to do much if your chosen streaming avenue goes down, you can plan for alternate internet access. Test the wifi at your ceremony location AND be prepared to use a hotspot, if necessary.

With some thought and planning, you can create a virtual wedding that’s just as special as you had envisioned pre-pandemic!