The Guide You Need To Throw A Virtual Wedding

As we all know, COVID-19 restrictions are still in place, but that doesn’t need to stop your wedding! We’ve chatted about postponing and cancelling your wedding, but let’s get into Plan B - a virtual wedding!

What’s A Virtual Wedding..

We’re sure some of you may already know what a virtual wedding is, but for those of you who don’t, we will explain it! Essentially, a virtual wedding just means that you’re having your wedding ceremony online. In a virtual wedding, the officiant, couple and guests are all joined together by a video call. So if all the restrictions have gotten in the way of your future wedding plans, you’ll want to be sure to read this guide! 

Choose A Video Call Platform.. 

If you’ve decided that you don’t want to wait for all the restrictions to ease and your wedding will be virtual, then continue reading! We’ve put together this guide so hopefully it can save you the hassle of working it all out. First things first, choose the platform that you want to use to join everyone via video call. Think of platforms such as Zoom and Facebook Live. 

Using Zoom..

There are so many platforms you can use, but to help you narrow down the options we will explain Zoom and Facebook Live to you. Zoom is the most commonly used platform for video calls and conferences at the moment! It allows you to have your wedding live with all your guests present. Zoom does have a small cost for chats with more people and without a time restriction, so be prepared to pay a small amount.

Using Facebook Live.. 

This is a great alternative to Zoom that is completely FREE! All you need to do is create a private group that you add all your guests too. Then you create a private event in which you can start your Facebook Live wedding. This is definitely a super easy and affordable option!

Invite Your Virtual Guests.. 

After you’ve chosen your platform, you’ll want to invite your guests to the virtual wedding! If you still want to send a formal invite, we recommend using E-Vites. Otherwise, you can always email or send a personalised Facebook message to everyone. Be sure to include usual details, such as the date and time of the wedding! Most importantly, don’t forget to add a section that explains which platform you’re using for your virtual wedding and how they can access it. 

Include Your Vendors.. 

What if you were already in the wedding planning stage and organised vendors? You don’t need to cancel your vendors! You can invite them along to the virtual wedding! This might not work for all vendors, but you can definitely invite your DJ and MC, and of course, your officiant! You can still have your wedding cake too, just be sure to contact your baker and ask for a smaller cake for the virtual wedding. 

Organise The Technical Stuff.. 

With a virtual wedding, you’ll need to make sure that all technical things are functioning and prepared ahead of time. Consider getting a tripod that you can place your phone or laptop on! You’ll definitely need to make sure that you have access to fast internet, so your virtual ceremony doesn’t cut out mid-way! 

Make It Look Pretty.. 

If you still want your wedding to look beautiful, then here are some things to consider! Have the ceremony midday so you can take advantage of good and natural lighting. Be sure that the location you are recording from gets plenty of sunlight, so the virtual video is easily visible. Arrange a gorgeous backdrop if you want to add that extra touch of detail. You can even place some arranged flowers in the view, to make it all look more aesthetic. 

Do A Test Run.. 

Do not forget this! You should definitely find the time to do a test run! Whilst technology will be your saviour for the virtual ceremony, technology isn’t always reliable. Check to see how your background looks on video. Check that you have a stable internet connection and functioning camera and microphone. Also don’t forget to make sure that your guests all know how to access the virtual ceremony and that they have the log-ins/pins/passwords organised ahead of time. 

Virtual Wedding Inspiration.. 

Trust us! You’ll be able to organise your virtual wedding super quickly if you follow our guide! If you’re still not certain if a virtual wedding is right for you, then check out this real virtual wedding inspo! The beautiful Blaire and Tim used Zoom to celebrate their special day from their backyard. A small group of their closest family and friends witnessed the wedding in person. The rest of their loved ones all joined in online to witness the special ‘I do’. 

To read more about Blaire and Tim's virtual wedding, click here!