A worldwide pandemic has thrown us into shifting-plans and being flexible as if we are made of rubber. With social distancing, travel restrictions, and stay-at-home orders, your wedding guest list may need to look different.
However, there is a solution that allows your guests unable to attend your big day to still partake in the special moments of your wedding. Live-streaming will enable you to give those close to you an opportunity to share in the memorable moments.
The possibilities of live-streaming don’t only apply to you when you are in the middle of a pandemic. Instead, live-streaming is also valuable for destination weddings, if you have an abundance of out-of-town guests unable to travel due to weather, or a sick family member unable to attend.
There are numerous ways to live-stream your wedding yourself, along with options for companies of professionals to live-stream. Below are a few options for you!
Do It Yourself: Platforms for Live-Streaming Your Wedding
Multiple options are available to you for you to do it yourself. When determining what platform suits you best, be aware, and test the WiFi. Along with this, when setting up your videoing equipment, plan ahead and place it in an inconspicuous spot.
- YouTube: YouTube offers a free live-streaming platform that allows unlimited viewers. After the live-stream finishes, YouTube archives the video, allowing you to re-watch it later. Note: “Plan ahead for your first live stream. Enabling a live stream for the first time may take up to 24 hours.”
- Zoom: Throughout the last months, Zoom has become well known. If you are considering live-streaming your wedding with Zoom, the free version only offers 40 minutes of streaming, and up to 100 guests. For a fee, you can upgrade to the Pro-Version, which provides longer streaming.
- Skype: Skype is a free platform that allows up to 50 guests. Great for smaller weddings, or where only a few people are watching online.
- Additional Platforms: Facebook Live, Instagram Live, Google Hangouts Meets.
Church Venues Often Have Live-Stream Options
If your ceremony and/or reception is at a church, check to see if they have live-streaming capabilities and if there is an extra fee to stream. Their technology staff may be willing to operate the live stream for a fee or hire a professional to oversee the live stream and troubleshoot any possible problems.
Professional Companies
Doing it yourself or hiring a tech-savvy teen or college student to run the camera is an excellent option for live-streaming. However, if you have the budget and want professionals to take care of everything, there are options.
The best way is researching local. Ask your photographer if they have someone they refer to, or better yet if they have the capabilities to do the videoing themselves.
A global option is MyStreamingWedding. They create your website, film and broadcast your wedding, and then upload the recorded video to your site. Note, this does come with a price tag. The pricing starts at $2,500 for 2 hours of coverage. However, the video takes the place of not paying for guests, and video will last for a lifetime.
Through a time of uncertainty, thank goodness for techno stlogy that allows us to continue sharing our special moments with those closest to us! At Molto Bella Weddings & Events, we work with you to create a day to remember and are actively upgrading our technology! If you decide you desire to live-stream your wedding, we will work to make the process run smoothly.
Resources: Brilliance, Brides, Off Beat Bride