Not MY Wedding COVID: How To Make Your Virtual Wedding A Fabulously Epic Event
By Claudia Langella
Brides, don’t freak out! There’s no need to completely cancel your wedding ceremony! A number of couples have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the notion of the “new normal.” There are still a ton of ways to have a meaningful ceremony, even if you’re stuck in your apartment or gathered with three or four close friends.
We’ve rounded up some of the best ideas for planning a virtual ceremony that is just as glamorous as an in-person bash. Use this time to test out concepts on a smaller scale for your even bigger day! Tying the knot is a special moment in any person’s life, no matter the size of the event. If you postponed your big wedding in light of the pandemic, consider throwing an intimate ceremony for yourself and those who tune in over Zoom!
If you're getting married this year, and don't want to cancel all you have planned so much for, rest assured you can still move forward with it, with just some slight tweaks in between.
Choose the right platform
Choose the best streaming platform for you and your guests, and make sure you keep time zones in mind. You don’t want to start things too early in the day on the East Coast, if some of your family lives out west. Make sure everyone has access to the link so they can tune in right on time. Nothing more embarrassing than popping in super late! Also, invest in a tripod so you get the best shot of your big day. Make sure you and your significant other can be both seen and heard across the country!
Simply Eloped Virtual Wedding Package
If you’re not tech-savvy, consider hiring a technology manager to capture your big day. For $350, Simply Eloped will make sure things run smoothly. They’ll even record the stream properly so you can relive the big day again and again!
Give your guests fun backdrops to choose from
If you planned on having a beach wedding, send guests your favorite destination photos and encourage them to set them up as their virtual backgrounds. This way, everyone will get a smidge of sense that you are all together. Just make sure to include instructions on how to do so for your older relatives!
Get dressed up
Wear the dress or suit you bought for your original date, or buy a completely new look for this special ceremony. Rent the Runway has a number of great options that will fit into your budget. Ask your guests to dress up too, because they wouldn’t show up to a real wedding in their sweats, now would they? Lindsey’s Kloset has the most amazing dresses for your wedding guests, by far!
Shorten the ceremony
People’s attention spans will be so small as they stare into yet another screen! Bethel Nathan, ordained officiant and owner of Ceremonies by Bethel in Bonsall, California told Brides that you should keep the virtual ceremony shorter than a traditional in-person one.
“You and your officiant should work together to ensure that the content and timing works for you both so that you aren’t surprised during your own wedding,” says Nathan.
Decorate your ceremony space
Whether you’ve chosen to wed in a smaller version of your venue with family members only, or your backyard, spruce up the space like you were planning on the day of your wedding. Consider getting a custom backdrop made to hang behind the space where you’ll say your vows, or hang lots of flowers and green throughout the space. This is not an ordinary day spent in lockdown, so make sure it looks like it!
Bake your wedding cake at home
You can still have your cake and eat it, too! Bake your own wedding cake at home the night before the ceremony. You’ll make the cake of your dreams and have the memory to keep forever with your loved one. Or, get the whole family in on it! Bake the recipe you always asked for as a kid and give everyone a turn to ice the cake.
Deliver drinks and gifts to your guests throughout the country
Use a delivery service to deliver drinks or favors to your guests around the country. Cocktail Courier makes picking out drinks super simple, and their packaging is stellar! They can get any cocktail mix of your choice to your guests. It will make everyone feel like they were actually there with you! Then, mix up the same cocktail as everyone at your virtual reception!
Invite your family to drive by
Once you’ve tied the knot, head outside and wave to friends and family from the driveway. It’s a nice way to show off not just your dress and suit, but your appreciation to everyone in you and your new spouse’s life. Seeing people in person will make the ceremony feel a bit more real.
Plan a staycation honeymoon
via Reign Together
Once everyone logs off, plan a local getaway with your new spouse. Find an Airbnb that’s close by and enjoy each other’s company, even if it’s just for a weekend. Although there won’t be much exploring to do as states grapple with the rising number of cases again, it will be nice to have some relaxing alone time together as newlyweds!
cover image via Weddingz