Gone are the days when everyone could not become a part of a wedding and that is because you can now virtually attend the said event.
Covid-19 brought many changes in the dynamics of living and some of these offer great convenience. One of these changes was the shift from normal day-to-day modalities to live to stream.
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Imagine walking down the aisle in Orlando while your friends are in Washington. Old methods would not allow you and your friends to overcome this geographical restriction. But with live streaming, they can be a part of your special day. Live streaming has also made it easy for elder relatives to become a part of your big day.
Live streaming has truly changed the way we celebrate. However, certain things are required to make it successful and organized. So, let the wedding preps begin!
Things to Remember
Planning the live stream may be as stressful and complicated as planning the wedding itself. Things such as correct camera angles and placements are just a few of the things you have to check.
So, before the live stream, have a trial run at the venue so you can visualize the angles and placement of the camera to get the best view for the streaming. You don’t want your virtual participant to see guests blocking the view.
But these are just a few things to keep in mind.
Below, we have curated a more detailed list of to-dos to prepare for the big day. Keep reading!
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Attire, Venue, Rings, and Everything Else
As you enter the final months before the wedding, some things need to be tackled. Here are some elements that may slide in the busy days ahead.
No wedding will ever take place if the basics are forgotten. The basics include wedding attire, venues, wedding and engagement rings, and invitations. Among these, the attire and booking a venue should be the first ones on the priority list. Securing a venue early on and finalizing the overall setup will help in getting the right camera placements.
Next is to make sure that wedding bands and the engagement ring are ready for the big day. After these, send out invitations so that guests can clear their schedules in advance.
While you are at it, you and the groom can meet the minister and discuss all expectations. Have a downtime with a bridesmaid or best man to crease out all the tiny details.
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Create Schedules
It is very important to create event schedules. A clearly outlined schedule greatly lessens the chances of errors during the event proper. If everything is outlined, everyone involved will be able to attend to their roles smoothly. There are tons of websites where you can make customized free cards and notices, even uploading images of your choice for the cards.
After creating schedules, you can upload the event with the date and time, which will help your family and friends save the event dates in their calendars.
If you highlight the duration and timings, your guest would be delighted to catch the live stream at the highlighted times only.
Whether it is the toast, cake cutting, first dance, or send-off, your people are with you on your big day.
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Select a Platform
You will find there are several platforms to choose from. Zoom, Facebook Facetime, Google Meet, Skype, and Hangouts are a few notable platforms. The great thing about these platforms is that they are free to use.
Some platforms have a session limit, but that can be sidestepped by starting a new session. When leading to the wedding days, you can set up a notification and link of the event and send it to those joining you virtually.
If any virtual guests don’t have these apps, they can download them before the event. It will also eliminate any confusion among the guests since they would be aware of what portal will be used for live streaming.
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Create a Website or Facebook Page
You can create a website to publish all details of the event going up to the wedding day. Even better, most couples are sensible about not creating digital clutter and making a simple Facebook page.
A website takes some investment, planning, and designing – Meanwhile, a Facebook page is zero investment. All you have to do is design a digital invitation card using any image and upload it to the page.
While you are at it, you can also share the clips of the proposal to make your loved ones feel wholly connected. You can continue sharing the snippets of dress shopping, rehearsal dinners, and whatnot.
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Hire or Designate a Person
A professional photographer can capture all the beautiful moments and create a highlight video that you can share on your social media account.
What’s more, you can ask your photographer to extend the scope of services by hiring an additional person or videographer to manage the live stream.
Hiring an expert will set your mind off these worries, and you are in for professional live streaming using professional equipment.
If you want to keep it within the budget, you can designate someone to set up the system, do a test run, and crease out any glitches before the event.
One can live stream the wedding using a typical phone. If you choose not to hire a videographer, you may need to keep some equipment ready.
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Equipment
Either using a phone, tablet, laptop, GoPro, or digital camera, a tripod will make it a very easy and steady live streaming experience. After deciding on the equipment to live stream, you can invest in a tripod to keep your equipment steady.
Also, depending on the equipment, you will require spare batteries. In the case you are using a phone, a power bank is a must. It depends on the duration of the event you plan to cover; nevertheless, live streaming drains the phone battery faster.
Hence, having a backup plan is always smart. Following the day, remember to test and charge the spares.
If you are planning to have a wedding outdoors, you will also need an external microphone and sound baffle. A baffle will eliminate all the sounds like wind, birds, unnecessary chatter, and other background noises, creating a very personal experience for your virtual guests.
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Internet
The Internet is going to be a game-changer in live streaming the wedding. Prior to the wedding, take the equipment for a trial run as you go to final fittings and a final visit to the venue. Here, you will get the chance to see if all equipment works fine and test the internet connection.
If you find the internet of the venue glitchy, then a mobile hotspot connection should be considered. Again, testing the internet and equipment will help you put in total control of things.
Final Word
Now that you have checked everything twice and thrice planned everything to the T, it is time for you to be worry-free and enjoy your day – because all your loved ones will be joining you online, only to see you smiling and enjoying your day.
