When it comes to planning your wedding, things can get expensive and complicated quickly, especially during a time when you’re experiencing ever-changing restrictions due to the pandemic. Despite this, we have seen a huge influx of couples adopting a virtual wedding just because they want to. We have even seen more couples include virtual elements into their elopement to include family and friends. Keep reading to find out what you need to know when planning a virtual wedding this year.
You have questions, and we have answers. Jump to the section you’re most interested in to get started.
- What is a Virtual Wedding?
- How Do You Plan a Virtual Wedding?
- Is a Virtual Wedding Legal?
- Why Would You Want to Have a Virtual Wedding?
- How Much Does a Virtual Wedding Cost?
- Vendors to Help Bring Your Wedding Vision to Life
- Virtual Wedding Ideas We Love
What is a Virtual Wedding?
Photo by Van Gachnang Photography
A virtual wedding is exactly what it sounds like, a marriage ceremony where you either have guests join virtually or the officiant join virtually. Thanks to today’s awesome technology, couples are able to send e-invites via multiple video chat platforms like Zoom and Facebook Live.
How Do You Plan a Virtual Wedding?
If you’re seriously considering planning a virtual wedding and embracing the new technological way of getting married, here are some things to consider as you plan your virtual event:
- Where are you getting married? Make sure you have good signal if you’re planning to elope somewhere adventurous.
- Consider how many people you’re inviting to your live stream.
- What streaming service are you planning to use?
- Do you need help organizing and preparing your virtual wedding list and event?
- Are you having your officiant present with you on your wedding day? If not, does the state you are applying for a marriage license allow virtual officiants to officiate your wedding?
- Consider hiring an elopement photographer and/or videographer to capture your wedding day.
- Remember to include a cash fund registry along with your virtual wedding invitations!
Is a Virtual Wedding Legal?
Photo by Kate Waterman Rose Photography
A fully virtual wedding, including having your officiant virtually present is legal in some states, but not legal in other states. It’s important to consider where you are going to apply for your marriage license to see if they offer any virtual marriage license and officiant options. For example, New York and California acknowledge full virtual weddings to be legal, but states like Florida do not recognize the ceremony as “legal” unless the officiant is present with the couple.
However, you can still have a legal virtual wedding by either obtaining your marriage license and signing it before or after your virtual ceremony. You can also still invite all your friends and family and only have your officiant and other wedding vendors present if you decide to go the elopement route.
Why Would You Want to Have a Virtual Wedding?
Photo by Kate Waterman Rose Photography
If COVID isn’t currently your concern, why would you even want to have a virtual wedding? There are actually multiple reasons why more and more couples are opting for a live stream ceremony. We’ll talk about some of the most popular reasons why this type of wedding has gained popularity.
You Decided to Elope
If you decided to elope or only have your immediate family present during your ceremony, a virtual wedding ceremony invitation allows you to easily invite other family members and friends to witness and celebrate with you.
This is especially true if you’re planning an epic adventure elopement. However, you want to make sure you’ll have a good signal if you’re planning on live streaming your wedding ceremony while eloping somewhere adventurous. A lot of times, couples will have no signal at the best places to elope, so you may want to consider having your ceremony at a cool rental property with a view of your elopement destination before venturing out to explore.
You Have Friends and Family Who Can’t Physically Be There
Having a virtual wedding allows everyone to see you both get married, without the stress of considering how they will get to your wedding location (especially if you’re having a destination wedding) or if they are unable to attend due to health reasons.
You Want to Save Money
Big weddings can be a huge financial burden for new couples, especially couples who have big families on both sides. A wedding cost, on average, $30,000, and that continues to rise. Instead of going into debt, a lot of couples like the idea of planning a more intimate wedding experience (like an elopement or micro wedding), and inviting everyone else to their actual Livestream wedding ceremony.
You Don’t Want a Big Wedding
Finally, a lot of couples are coming to the realization they just don’t want a big wedding. Planning a traditional wedding can not only be expensive, but very stressful. There are a bunch of details that can easily add up, and it’s difficult to keep track of all the things that need to get done if you don’t hire a planner or day-of coordinator. For a virtual wedding, all you really need is a best friend or a planner to make sure everyone has the correct link to access your ceremony at the correct time! Forget about the chairs and endless decorations you’ll need!
How Much Does a Virtual Wedding Cost?
Photo by Mirona Photographie
How much a virtual wedding cost all depends on how hands-on you want to be. Even then the answer to this question is a few hundred dollars. To organize a live stream wedding ceremony, you can easily find virtual wedding packages that include an officiant and technical assistance to make sure everything runs smoothly before, during, and after your virtual ceremony. Investing in a wedding planner can also help to make sure your wedding day goes smoothly. This is especially true if your invitation list is pretty long.
If you’re eloping and only inviting a handful of people, you can skip this expense entirely. You can either send them a zoom link or have a friend/family member Facetime those individuals when the ceremony starts.
This type of wedding planning can cost as much as an elopement if all your guests are joining a zoom call!
Vendors to Help Bring Your Wedding Vision to Life
You want to plan a virtual wedding, but how will you find the right team to help you bring everything together? Our elopement directory is filled with vendors who specialize in elopements and intimate weddings. They are also no strangers to last-minute adjustments.
Explore our featured vendors to connect with them and start planning your wedding day.
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Virtual Wedding Ideas We Love
Photo by Mirona Photographie
We love the concept of a live stream wedding because it allows couples to have a much more intimate experience compared to a traditional celebration. There are also so many unique ideas you can incorporate into your wedding day beyond inviting all of your guests to your virtual ceremony. Check out some of our favorite virtual wedding ideas you can easily include, especially if you’re eloping:
- Facetime family members as you get ready or do a surprise facetime “first look” call with them.
- Virtually call them in during your ceremony to say a prayer or speech.
- Facetime them during dinner, so you can chat together.
- Have family and friends create a video for you and your partner to look at after your ceremony.
- Virtually call loved ones to witness your first dance or when you cut the cake together.
- Create a shared gallery where you can share photos in real-time together.
- Have a virtual dance party or after party.
Photo by Van Gachnang Photography
Thinking About Eloping Instead?
Learn How to Elope
