Planning a Wedding During COVID-19
We’re almost a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, but that hasn’t stopped love. While weddings have certainly looked different this year, we’ve seen tons of couples tie the knot and make their lifelong commitments to each other in the most romantic and creative ways possible.
While places are continuing to open up across the country, couples are still pushing back their big parties and opting to have smaller and more intimate ceremonies. Thinking about live streaming your ceremony during COVID-19? Here’s what you need to know and how to execute it so all your loved ones can be a part of your special day.
1. Make sure you have a strong internet connection or hot-spot available.
You’ve invited guests to attend a live stream of your wedding, and the last thing you want is for the live stream to drop or freeze. Make sure your venue has a strong internet connection, or if you’re getting married at home, talk to your internet provider and make sure you have enough bandwidth to support your event virtually and test it before the big day arrives. If you type in “Internet speed test” on Google, you can see exactly how fast your download and upload speed is.
2. Let your vendors know that you will be live-streaming the event.
Vendors will need to know where the camera will be set up, who will be in charge of the live stream and any other necessary details to make sure the ceremony goes smoothly. Vendors include your venue if you’re getting married outside of your home, your photographer and videographer, officiant, and musicians or DJ.
3.Hire a videographer or give the job to a tech savvy friend.
This can be someone you hired to capture the ceremony or a friend or family member you’ve tasked with the job. Make sure they have all their equipment ready ahead of time and know when and how to start and stop the live stream. If you’re doing this yourself, a laptop with a camera, phone, or tablet and a tripod work great! Consider a mic to help you capture the vow exchange.
4. Pick a streaming platform.
We recommend creating a Facebook group and live-streaming there for all your friends and family who cannot attend the event. This way, your privacy is protected, as only those in the group can tune in to watch your ceremony. This is also a great place to share info about the event, such as start time and your love story. You can even encourage those who are able to attend in person to post pictures and videos from the event for everyone to see. If you don’t feel like using Facebook, you can use Zoom or you can hire a streaming service to help you with the event. There are also virtual streaming apps, such as Lovecast. It is super simple to use, and it even includes interactive features for your guests to enjoy – from live chat to a virtual rice toss, a virtual guestbook, and much more.
5. Send out an invite for the virtual event.
Invite people to join your private Facebook group or share the streaming link with your virtual guests. Encourage guests to mute themselves as they tune in and make sure they know the start time so they don’t miss a second of the ceremony.
6. Enjoy your day!
Your big day is finally here! Remember to breathe and enjoy the day. It’s all about you and your partner and your commitment to each other as you start this next chapter in your lives together.
