While COVID-19 has cancelled any wedding plans for the foreseeable future, many engaged couples aren't letting this stand in their way. Those forced to postpone are finding creative ways to mark their original wedding date. This pandemic has taught us that we are lucky to live in the digital age. By harnessing the power of technology they can have a digital version of their wedding day to share with family and friends online.Â
To give your Zoom wedding the wow factor we have teamed up with music agencies and photographers to give you a dramatic virtual background for your wedding and some incredible music for you to set the scene.
Scroll to the bottom of the page to download your royalty-free music and photos.
How to Throw a Virtual Event
Very simply, this is your event and it will be completely down to you as to how much you would like to do for it. Whether you just fancy having drinks and a chat with your bridal party or really want to go full out; the choice is yours.
Here are some key things to remember when you organise your event:
1) Do you have decent wifi or cellular connection?
This could be an issue if the answer is no as the whole event will be disrupted by issues with the technology. Ensure you are in a place within your home where the connection is good and you'll have minimal issues.
2) Do you have the appropriate software?
Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, and the like are all fantastic to use for this kind of event. However, some free versions of the software place a time limit on meetings. These services are very affordable on a monthly subscription so you may want to consider upgrading to a premium subscription for just the month of your event. Or, if you are asking someone else such as a celebrant to be the host, you may want to ensure they have this software available to them.
3) Send out invitations
Whether you send the link via email or go for something slightly more official, your guests need the when, the where and the how-to. Remember that things like Zoom and Facetime are fairly new tools for many, so some might need support joining the event.
Your invitation will also need to include details of anything you are wanting your attendees to do in preparation. If for example, if you are going to do a cocktail making class to mark your original hen party date, you will need to tell your attendees the ingredients they will need to take part.Â
4) Have Fun!
This is your event and can be absolutely yours in every way. Ask attendees to dress up, send them some decor to place in the background of their video, and have fun planning as you would any other event. It will not be exactly the same as what you had originally planned, but remember that you can always have that dream moment at a later, less restricted date.
5) Share your story
We'd love to hear about your Zoom event and will share our favourite each week with all our followers, so email nikita@guidesforbrides.co.uk with your favourite photos or video and the story behind your event.
Which events are couples celebrating online?
It's not just your original wedding date that you can still virtually celebrate, it is also all of the special events leading up to it. The festivities that go hand-in-hand with weddings, such as engagement parties, bridal showers and hen or stag parties, are also being derailed. Luckily, thanks to modern technology, your guests can still celebrate with you via video link.Â
Here we have some ideas, tips and tricks for how you can throw each of your wedding events completely virtually!
Engagement Party
Whether you said yes before lockdown or had a quarantine proposal, an engagement is always something to celebrate! Decide if you’d prefer to limit your virtual engagement party to just parents and close friends, or if you want to invite a larger group of people.
Once you have your guest list, it’s time to put on your best outfits, break out your favourite beverages, and prepare some snacks for the occasion. Encourage your attendees to do the same—and get ready to celebrate! It might be a short and sweet event, with a few toasts and well wishes but marking such an occasion is necessary!Â
Bridal Shower
If you were planning on following the American tradition of hosting a bridal shower, it is the perfect event to take online! You can continue feeling like a bride-to-be while banding together friends and family. Also, by hosting a shower online, you can invite many more guests!Â
You can also still have a theme for your virtual bridal shower by encouraging guests to dress accordingly and decorating your individual backgrounds. Many bridal shower games can still be played in a group setting even if you aren’t physically together, such as quizzes. You could also ask your guests to send any gifts directly to you ahead of time so they can see you opening your presents.Â
Hen or Stag PartyÂ
Hen and Stag parties are some of the most anticipated pre-wedding events. The next best thing is gathering everyone for a virtual hang out with as many fun activities as possible! You could stream a fun wedding movie together virtually, have a virtual karaoke sing-along, or play virtual games together using apps such as Houseparty.Â
If you were having a destination do, bring it to life with decor, food and props. You can also still create matching shirts for guests to wear during the party. Or, you could create a signature cocktail that each guest can prepare themselves. The sky’s the limit with how creative you can get to bring the hen or stag party to life over live stream. Most important is being able to have a great time with all your best friends together, even virtually.
Plus, this is the perfect opportunity for a Sten do, the combination of both your parties for a great celebration. It's a great way to bring all your good friends and family together in one event. Plus, what is there to stop you from having the real hen and stag events at a later date?
Nearly-Wed Commitment Ceremony
Don’t let your original wedding date pass you by in lockdown or while we are socially distanced. It is a date you'll always have an emotional connection to, so throw a celebration for you and your loved one to mark the date. Zoom weddings are not legally binding in the UK but that doesn't mean you can't mark the occasion with a ceremony. You can involve a friend as a celebrant, or professional celebrants are very happy to be there with you - digitally of course - on the day. It is something many celebrants are offering free of charge to their existing clients whose weddings have been postponed.
You can still write your own vows, decorate your backdrop, and get dressed up in your best attire. Some couples are including elements that are important to them but couldn't be included in their "real" wedding. So even if you have a digital ceremony today, you can STILL have your dream wedding later.Â
Hosting a virtual wedding ceremony is also an excellent opportunity to support small business owners by involving your wedding suppliers. Can your cake company make a small tier for you? Can you order an everlasting bouquet from specialist florists like Blwsome or Vickis Crafty Co, which you can use again for your legal ceremony.
You can still have a reception celebration with all your loved ones. Hook up your speaker and have your first dance. Open up the "mic" and let your guests make a toast.
Just because we're socially distanced it doesn't mean the socialising has to stop. Take advantage of technology and use it to get your nearest and dearest together now. It will lift your spirits and get everyone even more excited for the big day when it finally arrives!Â
Resources for you Zoom Wedding
Thanks to Earcandy, you can even have some beautiful renditions of wedding classics for your wedding, royalty-free! Here are the downloadable links:
Air On A G String - Earcandy Strings
The Wedding March - Earcandy Strings
Claire De Lune - Earcandy Strings
Four Seasons - Earcandy Strings
Soul Sister - Earcandy Strings
Choose a background image below and save it to your computer. To set as your background in Zoom, click on your profile picture and change the background in ‘Settings’. Our photographers have supplied these for you royalty free but they'd really appreciate it if you can tag or credit them when using them on social media.
Featured Photographers include:Â
Esther Clarkson Ltd (Instagram @estherwedding4418)
Blue Orange Images (Instagram @blueorangeimages)
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