How To Host A Virtual Wedding

Virtual Weddings

With people across the world having had to postpone their wedding date not once, twice and sometimes even three times, it seems that couples are quickly having to adapt their original wedding blueprint to work alongside the global pandemic. With current size restrictions in place and regular lockdowns, large gatherings with friends and family are off the cards for the foreseeable, along with travelling! While you may want to rearrange the ‘party’ aspect of your wedding day, it doesn’t mean you can’t still say, ‘I Do’. Couples are getting creative and hosting ceremonies in their chosen venues (and sometimes even in the comfort of their own living room) while being streamed via Zoom to friends and family all over. We love the idea of a virtual wedding; you can still share the special moments with the most important people in your life, with champagne toasting, cake cutting and even the first dance. It’s the perfect way to tie the knot safely and responsibly – after all, lockdown can’t stop love.

How to plan a virtual wedding – our tips & tricks!

A virtual wedding is essentially when you stream your special day (often just the ceremony) from your venue / home to your loved ones. It means you can still get your guests involved (particularly if you’ve only been able to invite 15 people). You can still make the lead-up to your virtual wedding just as exciting! If you’ve had to limit your original guest list, re-invite your guests to your virtual celebration and let them know you still very much want them to be involved in your nuptials. We are fortunate enough to have plenty of technology to choose from, including smartphones, tablets, laptops and smart TVs. If you’re finding it awkward uninviting guests to your ‘actual’ wedding day, why not just re-word their invite? We suggest using the below…

“As we are all aware, the current global pandemic mean that government restrictions have forced us to make the decision to reduce our physical guest list for our wedding to go ahead as planned. While we can’t wait to host a huge party later on down the life when we can celebrate safely with you all, we would still love for you to join us virtually to witness our vow exchange and the ‘I Do’ moment. We will be in touch with details on how you can be with us for our virtual wedding ceremony, we are so excited to know you will be with us, even if not in person.’

How to get your guests involved (even if they’re sat on the sofa!) 

• As above, send them an updated virtual wedding invitation. Give them all the relevant details for joining the Zoom conference.
• Ask them to dress up as they would have for your actual wedding day! This way they can all take photographs at home and they can be shared via social media. We’ve got a gorgeous collection of occasion hats and wedding fascinators for you wedding guests to buy online.
• Ask them to check their device works ahead of your ceremony date and suggest they use the largest one possible so that it feels like they’re really with you. Some may even want to set up a projector in the garden or living room!
• Put together a mini virtual wedding package for them to enjoy, with a mini bottle of bubbles, a packet of confetti and even some delicious edible favours. Pop in a copy of your wedding vows and order of service so that they can follow along with the ceremony.
• Send a thank you note to everyone after the wedding and ask everyone to use your wedding hashtag so you can relive the day.

Planning a virtual wedding on paper should be relatively easy but there are a few things you’ll need to consider and prepare for.

• Choose your streaming service (and let everyone know which one you are using). Research the reliability of various platforms, from Zoom to Skype. You want to ensure you can have enough attendees and that you understand how to use it.
• Don’t forget to check whether or not your venue has Wi-Fi and ensure the connection is strong enough – you may want to do a couple of test-runs!
• Think about where to set-up your camera so that your guests can enjoy the ceremony. Think about lighting, visibility, sound etc.
• Double-check whether or not you can record your virtual wedding ceremony – chances are you will want to watch it over and over again! This is also useful for guests who couldn’t attend or lost their connection halfway through, although fingers crossed that doesn’t happen.

Are you tempted to have a virtual wedding ceremony? We think it’s a brilliant choice for couples who want to tie the knot yet want their favourite people to be there – even if that can’t be in person!

Images by Tanner Burger Photography (full feature here).