How to live stream your wedding
Photo: Christine Quarte Photography
Live streaming weddings has firmly become part of the ‘new-but-not-at-all-normal’ times that we live in. If you’re getting married this year and have had to make the devastating decision to cut down your guest list or have guests that are no longer able to travel, read on for our advice on how to live stream your wedding with ease and in style.
By utilising the wizardly powers of modern technology those family + friends that can’t be there in person can still watch along in real time, raise a glass of something Italian and celebrate with you.
Send guests who are no longer able to attend an invitation, either a personalised email or paper invite with the live stream link and a note. This keeps it exciting for guests joining via the interweb and makes them feel special. Avoid posting the link publicly to protect your privacy.
It makes sense to try and test the connection at the same time that you’ll be hosting the wedding ceremony so that you have an accurate feel for the demands on the internet connection at that time. If you’re DIY-ing it get a designated person to manage this and run a test for you. If you are handing this over to a supplier (an AV team, or videographer) they should handle this for you.
Create a private Facebook group for guests who will attend online. Facebook Live is a really great (and free $$$) tool for live streaming to a private group. Plus most of your guests will already have a Facebook account and be familiar with its workings. For privacy we recommend creating a Private Group and inviting your guests to join. Another perk is that you will be able to go back through and read and reply to any comments your guests have made. Another great option is Zoom, where you are also able to record and save the footage.
It’s the most magical + meaningful part of your day and from a technical point of view the easiest to capture on film. From experience, it’s hard to keep online guests fully involved with other parts of the day and really capture everything that’s going on. If you have a professional team on it, you could consider live streaming the speeches but beyond that we would advise to keep it short and sweet.
We’ve seen couples send out live stream packages including a physical copy of the order of service to make it really special for those that can’t make it. You could also add small bottles of fizz (or large), Italian food/snacks (mirroring your menu), candles or any other small touches that represent you as a couple and your day.
Photo: Sam Docker
Make sure you pick someone who is relatively tech-savvy and who will have a good visual position at the wedding (i.e. be in the first couple of rows)
Preferably, the person you pick will also be familiar with most of the people you’re streaming to (they’ll probably want to say hello first as they get the connection sorted and we wouldn’t want this to be awks)
Make sure it is all set up and ready to go before the ceremony start time - brides have been known to arrive early!
If you want to invest money, buy a tripod, phone mount and microphone for your phone. Set the tripod up at eye level and try and get the sun or brightest light source behind you.
If you have the budget we would highly recommend getting your AV supplier or other professional to manage the live stream of your wedding. This way you can relax in the full knowledge that your online guests have 5 star seats to your ceremony. The cost of this would be roughly £200.
A professional team would set up a 4K camera at the back of the ceremony to avoid getting in the way of your guests and photographer. They would have a zoom lens which would allow them to capture all of the details and would spend significant time testing the audio. Your celebrant would be fitted with a wireless microphone. The camera would be linked to a laptop, and your wedding could be live streamed to your private Facebook Group.
Another perk is that you would have this professional footage to keep afterwards.
We know that live streaming your wedding wasn’t what you had imagined but we hope these tips help you make the most of a tricky situation.
If you’re currently looking to downsize your wedding, check out our article with some great practical advice on where to start and what to do.
Join our Facebook group and meet like-minded couples who are going through the same experience. Couples have said it really helps to speak to others. We pop in now and then to give to the most up to date information on the situation in Italy and expert advice.
Written by Beth Butler, marketing person and lover of all things weddings; with a particular passion for beautiful photography, muted florals and a good cup of tea.
