What to Consider When Planning Virtual Wedding Events
Virtual wedding events have become a new normal in the wedding world with health and crowd restrictions. Throwing your wedding entirely-virtually or with a small in-person group while most guests attend virtually can be just as fun and meaningful as a traditional wedding ceremony. After all, the two most important people will be RSVP-ing for the day — you and your soon-to-be-spouse! Here are a few tips to consider as you plan your virtual wedding.
Send Out Two Wedding Invitations
When planning virtual wedding events, you’ll need to organize your guest list into two groups: the people who will be invited to the in-person celebration, and the guests who will be joining you virtually.
In-Person Invitations
Even for virtual events, there will likely be a small group of close individuals who will be invited to the in-person version of your wedding. For these people, a traditional wedding invitation that includes the date, time, and location is perfect. Don’t forget to include any important information about distancing or health-precautions you put in place for in-person guests.
Wedding Party photo by Jamie Beth Photography.
Virtual Invitations
For many couples, hosting a virtual wedding event is not their first choice for celebrating their big day, but is in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Making the choice to diverge from your original plans can be hard, but it doesn’t mean that your virtual wedding has to be any less exciting or meaningful!
Traditional and experiential invitations created by Tasha Rae Designs. Image via Jessica Schmitt Photography.
A fun, immersive way to include your virtual guests in the excitement of your wedding day is with an experiential invitation. Your paper invitation can include details about your wedding, including day, time, and the link where virtual guests can join the celebration. Adding additional wedding-day goodies with your paper invitation can make the experience even more exciting! Consider including confetti, champagne glasses, wedding-themed snacks (like champagne gummies or a wedding-cake-shaped cookie!), trivia about you and your soon-to-be-spouse, or wedding-day bingo cards.
Bring Your Virtual Guests into the Party
Incorporating your virtual guests into your reception can be challenging. While a video call of your ceremony is an easy, accessible way for guests across the world to be part of your celebration, it’s hard for your virtual guests to feel included during your reception, where more interaction is typically expected. There are a few different ways you can address this.
Invite your virtual guests to your ceremony, but plan for your reception to be a more intimate affair with only close in-person guests.
Have a mini-reception with your virtual guests immediately after the ceremony. This can include introducing the newly-married couple, cutting the cake, and a mini dance party where your virtual guests are encouraged to show off their dance moves from home!
Plan to live-stream parts of your reception, for virtual guests to join at their leisure. For close family and friends attending virtually, assign an in-person host to accompany them throughout your reception and carry their phone throughout the party. This can help grandma feel connected to your big day, even from far away!
Wedding reception dance party image by Kate Merrill Photography.
Celebrate Your Love
At the end of the day, your wedding is a celebration of you and your partner and is one of many life steps you’ll take together. While a virtual wedding may not have been your Plan A, planning virtual wedding events can come with all the fun and festivities of planning a traditional wedding. If you’re looking for wedding-planning support to bring your big day to life (and even more tips and tricks for making your virtual event a hit), get in touch!