Whether you’re planning a destination wedding, you’re working around a jam-packed schedule or you’re currently minimizing how much time you spend outside of your home, it’s easier than ever to plan a wedding virtually. Thanks to technology, couples can tour wedding venues, connect with vendors and even live-streaming pre-wedding events and the wedding itself.
How to Plan A Wedding Virtually
Choosing Your Wedding Venue
Virtual venue tours aren’t a new thing; most popular venues have 360-degree virtual tours on their wedding venue page, letting you get a feel for the venue without having to get in the car. However, some wedding venues are taking it a step further by offering personal site tours through video chat. This gives you the opportunity to “walk” through the venue, asking questions and getting answers in real-time and discussing important details. You can even take screenshots and record key moments in the walkthrough, letting you review it all later or have a cool keepsake that you can use in a slideshow to bring wedding photos to life.
Virtual Vendor Consultations
Virtual consultations with vendors are a convenient way to meet various local vendors and see which ones fit your wedding style and budget. As you’re planning your big day, set up initial consultations with prospective wedding photographers, floral designers, videographers and coordinators. Ask to see their favorite work and links for past wedding galleries and talk through the details of their packages and contracts.
Pre-Wedding Events
If you’re keeping your guest list small and you’re limiting pre-wedding events, consider taking the fun online by hosting events like bridal showers and bachelor/bachelorette parties over video chat. Not only is this a great option when social-distancing, but it’s also convenient for out-of-state guests or those who would otherwise need to find childcare. From app-based game nights to DIY virtual Sip-and-Paints, the options for virtual get-togethers are endless.
If your guests will be giving you presents, you have a couple of options. Your guests can either send wrapped gifts ahead of time and you can open them on-screen, or they can show you their gift that they’ll be sending and why they chose it.
The Big Day, Virtually
Live-stream weddings are a great option for couples who want to keep their guest list short but still want to share their big day with lots of friends and family members. All you really need is a high-speed internet connection and some basic tech know-how, and then you’re all set.
The first thing you’ll need to tackle is choosing your streaming services. Fortunately, there are several free platforms with reliable track records. You can even stream through multiple services to give your guests the option of using the service that they’re most familiar with.
Before the ceremony, determine where the best place is for setting up your mobile device. You want to find a spot where there’s plenty of natural light but minimal glare. You’ll also want to make sure that the spot you choose has a good Wi-Fi signal.
With some creativity and flexibility, planning a wedding virtually can create a memorable wedding experience that’s easy to share with friends and family near and far, regardless of the size of your venue and guest list.
