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The Coronavirus has changed a lot of things and how we used to do them. One of them is our weddings. Traveling and managing large events were very difficult during the pandemic, and the great idea was to live-stream weddings. It made it easier for the guests to be a part of the lovely moment. At the same time, it was convenient, safe, and budget-friendly for the bride and the groom.
There were many other reasons why live streaming weddings became a trend. It is a trend that many people still follow because of how convenient it is. However, most couples do not know where to begin when looking for live streaming of their wedding, making the experience very stressful. So, here is what a wedding live streaming company called Schmittat recommends as the top 5 considerations for live streaming your wedding.
5 top tips on live streaming your wedding
1. Hiring a professional or doing it yourself
The first tip is to establish whether you are doing it yourself or you need to hire a professional for the job. This might depend on your requirements. Firstly, you need to consider who your audience is and how many people will be watching your wedding live stream. Sometimes you need to invite most of the guests over the live stream.
However, sometimes it is just one or a few people who you want to join the wedding, such as your grandparents or beloved sibling who lives abroad and can not attend the wedding. Your audience and number of remote guests might help you to determine the method of live streaming the wedding.
Hiring professionals
So, if you have many guests who cannot physically visit you at the wedding, it will be a good choice to hire professionals as they will provide you with the best quality coverage from all the best angles. Similarly, if you want to make a memorable video recording of your live wedding stream, hiring professionals might be better. It will also save costs on hiring a videographer as the recorded live stream could be your ceremony wedding recording.
Pros of hiring professionals
- You get a proper camera setup
- Professionals bring professional mics
- Professionals always manage time to set up the best quality
- Testing before the event starts
- Peace of mind
- Live stream is being recorded so no need for the videographer
Cons of hiring professionals
- The expensive option in comparison to doing it yourself
Doing it yourself
If you are in a situation where you only have one special person who cannot make it to the wedding, you can do it yourself. All you will need is a stand or a tripod and a spare mobile phone or camera setup that you can use to stream. In this way, it will be easy for you to stream your wedding for that special person.
Pros of doing it yourself
- It is a cheaper option
- A simple tripod and a smartphone will do the job
Cons of doing it yourself
- Compromise on audio and video quality
- The tedious setup process and the need to be careful about the setup
- Guests passing in front of the camera will ruin the viewer’s experience
2. Single or Multiple cameras
The next tip is to consider how many cameras you would like to use. When you select the professional streaming option, you can opt for both a multiple-camera setup and a single camera setup. The difference between a single and multi-camera setup is an experience. Many cameras will allow viewers to watch the event from different angles, giving them a broadcasting experience and making them feel like they are at the wedding. Also, if you have many things going on at the ceremony such as a choir, readings, orchestra, or speeches, a multi-camera will help to capture each part without moving or shaking a camera but simply by switching to a different camera angle.
A Single camera is recommended when you have a simple and straightforward traditional wedding, where most things happen at the altar. Also, when you have fewer guests such as up to 70 people, a single camera will do the job perfectly.
The quality of both options is equally the same, it’s just the experience that is different.
3. Internet connection at the venue
When you live stream your wedding, you should check the internet connection beforehand. The minimum requirement for good quality live streaming has 4G coverage. While this is not an issue in the metropolitan London area, many people face connectivity issues in remote areas.
When you select your wedding venue at some worship place or village outside the city, you may not get the best 4G coverage. So, whether you are doing it yourself or getting professional coverage, always check whether you are getting the best internet coverage or not. Otherwise, your wedding live streaming will be of no use.
4. Audio
So, you have been taking things step-by-step, and by now, you might have sorted out the internet issues. The next tip is to be careful about microphones. When you get professional services, you only need to check if they are providing additional groom and room mics or not, and a real professional will always do! Ideally, you need a clio-on mic for the groom and those that do speeches or the main part of the ceremony, double mic the venue microphone, mic near the music whether it’s live or recorded. Audio is even more important if it’s streamed outside at the beach or somewhere where you would expect the wind noise.
However, you need to be a little careful when doing it yourself. Placing your smartphone in front of the stage might not denoice the sounds that come from the venue and people attending the wedding in real-time. It’s extremely off-putting for a remote audience if the sound is unclear.
5. Check what platform to use
The last thing you need to be careful about is the platform you will be using. Whether you go for professional services or do it yourself, according to Schmittat videography, going on Vimeo is the best way to live stream your wedding. You can also go for zoom, Facebook live, YouTube Live, and other live streaming platforms depending on your privacy concerns, but Vimeo is the best with no restrictions or licensing requirements.
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