Zoom Wedding Ceremony Tips?

The interesting thing about zoom is that you could choose your own virtual background if you don't have a nice backdrop. i would just ask people to mute their speakers so that there isn't any background noise going on

Last Friday I “attended” a friend’s birthday party via Zoom. It was fun and there were about 45 on at one point. However, I don’t know the limitations on number of guests. I’ve been using it now for work, conference calls and meetings with clients. So I’d do a zoom ceremony if I had to. 😀

View Quoted Comment Thank you, we’re trying to work out a plan now. Take care.

View Quoted Comment Thank you. That’s a good tip. I appreciate it. Take care.

Also, as the host, you have control to mute all of the participants mics, so that’s a plus to avoid interruption and background noise.

View Quoted Comment Another thing is you could record it! That way you capture the video

I don’t know if this is entirely true... but apparently if you do not have a premium account with zoom, the length of your call is only 30 mins? Not sure... this is what I heard floating around though. I would check this out in case your ceremony may take longer.
There are settings as the host for muting all those invited. Make sure you remove the wait room feature or someone will have to click everyone in as they arrive.

A professional videographer should be able to live stream your ceremony with multiple angles and most importantly...great quality sound.

My husband and I got married this past Saturday, and we used Zoom so that our extended family and close friends could be a part of the ceremony. Since hiring videographers isn't an option for the current health situation right now, this really is the next best thing that we can take advantage of!

Here are several tips for ensuring it's the best experience for your virtual guests, and so that you'll be able to have a seamless recording of the ceremony that you can look back on, too, since Zoom can record your session.

1. With plenty of time in advance, notify your guests and give them the Zoom meeting ID number. If they haven't done so already, they will need to download the app onto their devices for the best quality experience, which takes a minute or two. I would tell them this information at the latest the day before, and include what time the ceremony will be starting so they're ready to join when the time comes.

2. Have someone who's in attendance of the ceremony to be responsible for starting and stopping the recording, as well as holding the device or finding the best place for the audio and visual. Have this person find the best spot ahead of time with the lighting, especially if it's outdoors, so that they're not rushing right before the ceremony.

3. There's an option as the 'host' of the meeting to mute the audio and video of anyone who joins in on the session, which then prevents the audio and video from the guests cutting into the audio and video of the ceremony. MAKE SURE YOU DO THIS. (We did not, and some of the guests did not mute themselves right away.)

4. Make sure the officiant engages/acknowledges the virtual guests during the ceremony. This makes the virtual experience enjoyable for the guests, because this will make them feel acknowledged, appreciated, and a part of the big day despite not being able to physically attend.

5. Don't forget about the virtual guests when it's over. Just like a receiving line for a wedding in real time, give them some of your time and attention by allowing them to give their congratulations, and you will have the opportunity to tell them your appreciation for attending.

Hope this helps for any brides or grooms who are considering this as an option for their upcoming wedding. My husband and I are SO glad that we decided to still move forward with a smaller, intimate wedding at my parents' place, and that we were able to include our most loved ones in our special moment, even if it was in a little different way than we expected.

This forum is giving me life right now. Thanks all 😊

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Congrats Anna!! We'd love to see pictures if you want to share them here or on social (tag @weddingwire)!

And thanks for sharing your personal experience and detailed advice!! It will be such a huge help to other couples trying to figure out how to stream their ceremonies!

Zoom allows up to 100 participants and a 40 minute time slot for basic accounts. If you happen to have a .edu email address those restrictions have been lifted for the time being due to the coronavirus and so many educators and students doing work from home. I'm using MS Teams, Skype, Zoom, and BlueJeans for work related programs right now and Zoom is my favorite by far.

View Quoted Comment Thank you all for the great tips!

View Quoted Comment Thank you, Anna. I really appreciate your advice. This is really helpful.

A dear friend is having his Zoom Covid-19 wedding in his living room on May 2 😍 I’m so happy for them!!

View Quoted Comment Do you think they should be able to live stream on other virtual networks other than Zoom?

Hi, I think Zoom is a pretty good option. Zoom works well, and the free tier has 40 min, more than enough for an elopement ceremony, but you can upgrade for only $14.99 (per month, but you of course only have to do one time). I've also found Zoom also allows you to have more 2-way interaction than facebook/insta live, although the latter is already on platforms people use. After the vows/ceremony you want the virtual "reception" where folks can chat to you briefly, like a virtual receiving line. You can also host a virtual reception - possibilities are endless!

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Here are some pictures from our April 4th wedding! Hope these encourage any couples who are considering having just an intimate wedding on their original date. It was so special and it will be a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life.

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Oh my gosh!!! These pictures are incredible!

You look gorgeous and I can feel the love - you are both beaming!! ❤️😍

Congrats again!

View Quoted Comment You can set up zoom to livestream to Facebook or YouTube. I think if you Google how to, the instructions come up!