Why You Should Live Stream Your Wedding
Covid-19 has forced everyone who’s planning a wedding into a world of uncertainty. It’s possible that restrictions on numbers of wedding guests, and on air travel, could remain in effect for a long time. Couples may have to accept that many of the people they want at their wedding won’t be able to attend. This is where live streaming comes in. Anyone who’s unable to attend in person can join in the celebration online and experience your ceremony live. It’s a great way to ensure that no one misses out on this once in a lifetime moment.
The beautiful part of live streaming your wedding is that no one needs to be left out. Almost every couple has to deal with loved ones being unable to attend for one reason or another. Illness, distance, or any number of other circumstance may factor in.
We can’t tell you the number of time’s we’ve had brides tell us that they wish their grandparents could attend their wedding, but they’re too elderly to travel. Knowing that they’re with you, sharing the moment can bring something special to your big day. It can help complete it.
Who can watch my live wedding stream?
There’s no limit to the number of people who can participate in your stream! It can be as public, or as private as you wish. If you want to share your ceremony with everyone, we can stream it to services like YouTube, or FaceBook Live. If you prefer to keep it private, we will stream to a password protected webpage.
What do my “virtual guests” need to watch my wedding stream?
Anyone who wants to watch your wedding stream needs an internet connection and a device to watch it on. If the stream is private, they also need an invitation from you. That’s it!
How will live streaming effect my wedding?
The live stream will have very little impact on your ceremony, and your in-person guest’s experience. You’ll barely know it’s happening!
Your ceremony will proceed exactly the same as if it wasn’t being streamed. We may need to put a small lavalier microphone on you before the ceremony starts to ensure everyone watching the stream can hear you.
Between 1 and 3 cameras on tripods will be set up around the outside of the ceremony site. These cameras will be stationary and won’t block anyones view. We will also set up a small table at the back or side of the ceremony for our switcher and laptop. That’s where we’ll mix the audio and video to produce your stream.
What’s required to produce a wedding live stream?
The most critical part of a live stream is a stable connection to the internet. With a wired connection, it’s possible to stream your ceremony in glorious 1080P high definition. If a wired connection isn’t available at your venue, it’s possible to stream over a cellular connection, or wifi as long as no one else has access to the network, and the upstream bandwidth is sufficient. Wired is always best though.
Audio quality is the next most critical part of your stream. Depending on your venue, and the size of your wedding, you may already have a professional audio technician, or a DJ taking care of this. In that case, we simply take a feed from them and use that for your stream. If that’s not possible, we will provide our own microphones to ensure that your viewers can hear you loud and clear. This means that we will ask you and/or your partner to wear a small lavalier microphone. We will also ask your officiant to wear one.
What will the wedding stream look like?
You have the option of using a single, or multiple cameras to capture your ceremony. A single camera is the simplest and least expensive set up. However, it doesn’t make for the best viewer experience as the shot is static. It never changes. Two cameras means that we can switch between a wide and close-up angle, making the stream much more engaging. Three cameras is even more exciting.
The number of cameras we can use, and where we can place them depends on the venue. The cameras need to be on tripods, and are connected to our switching hardware with cables. We have to abide by your venues rules when it comes to where we can place the cameras and run the cables.
Do I get to keep a recording of my wedding’s live stream?
Yes! We record our live streams so you can have a copy to view anytime you like.
It’s no secret that weddings are going to look different for the foreseeable future, and we expect that the majority of weddings will be live streamed. As the world trends towards doing more and more online, live streaming could very well become a normal part of everyone’s wedding day. There’s no longer a reason for someone you love to miss out on one of the biggest moments of your life.
