What It's Really Like To Host A Virtual Wedding At Home

Virtual weddings are officially a thing, y'all. No, this is not something that we, at Loverly, ever thought we'd be writing about. Though, to be fair, we also never thought we'd all be trapped at home secluding ourselves from a global pandemic... So, it's only natural that some surprising new wedding twists and turns are occurring as a result!

It turns out that plenty of nearlyweds have decided to take this new normal we're all adjusting to in stride. Rather than postpone or cancel their big days, they've opted to just make them a little less big and a lot more online. But what does that even look like? Are you a nearlywed considering hosting a virtual wedding ceremony due to COVID-19? Well, at Loverly we wanted to do some digging so you could see exactly what you might be signing up for? So, what does that look like exactly? Absolutely heart-wrenchingly gorgeous that's what! We talked to two newlyweds, Irene and Troy to here all about their beautiful wedding and share all the lovely details with our Loverlies.

Irene and Troy are a testament to two universal truths. True love conquers all, and technology is amazing. Not only did these two love birds find each other through Bumble, but (appropriately) they've officiated their online courtship with an online wedding ceremony. Though it may not have been what they originally intended, we can assure you that this ceremony is just as beautiful as an in-person wedding would have been. We dare you to look through their photos and not have a smile on your face!

Their original wedding plans involved a small ceremony and a later celebration at a country club in El Dorado Hills with about 50 other people. But, since there was so limitation on their virtual guest list, their online ceremony attracted well over 150 guests!

Not only was their guest list greatly expanded, but they didn't miss out on any of the matrimonial must-haves in their live-streamed ceremony. Though Irene admits that she missed having her father walk her down the aisle, they compromised by having her daughter walk her down the aisle and then playing a pre-recorded video of what her father would have said at their wedding. The remainder of the ceremony featured a number of live toasts (guests were instructed to have their drink of choice ready at home!) and pre-recorded speeches from their loved ones and family members. They even had a live performer come online and sing a few songs for them.

The planning may have been a "creative process," but the results are as classically beautiful as can be. Although it's been a difficult transition for many couples with coronavirus leading to cancellations and postponements galore, this wedding shows that you can still have a beautiful wedding day even if you're social distancing.

After coming out of long-term marriages that both ended in divorce, Troy and I went back online (a daunting task) to try and make love happen again! We found each other on the online app, Bumble. Needless to say, that first conversation took place and we began our dating journey bonding over similar interests including our Christian faith and love of family, fitness, food, and fun. I have honestly never laughed as much as when I’m with Troy. My relationship with Troy is filled with joy, laughter, and ease. We dated for two years, and Troy asked me to marry him in front of his parents and my parents while visiting South Carolina during Christmas in 2019.

The original wedding date was scheduled for April 4th.  We were planning to have a small ceremony, but we would then later host about 50 people in El Dorado Hills at a country club in the late summer/fall because much of my immediate family lives out of state.  

We talked about it jokingly when we saw a few couples posting about getting married online.  At work one day, I noticed a “Life on Webex” campaign mentioned about celebrating events over Webex.  Troy and I are both very easy-going, fun people, so we thought this would be a creative way for us to still be able to get married.  We really didn't know what to expect with it all, so it was a “creative process” to figure out how to do this and make it our own. We still had to plan out the details we wanted, but thankfully, the team at Cisco helped coordinate it all for us. 

We planned out the day just like you would a regular wedding, keeping in mind that everything would be virtual.  We sent out beautifully designed wedding invitations via email with instructions on how to sign into the wedding and what to expect.  We also sent a video message using OneMob to personally invite all our guests.  We had a TV set up outside with a Cisco system on top and created the scene in our backyard of what our guests would see.  Instead of live speeches, we had our parents send in video messages that we played during the ceremony.  We also had my brother and my nieces record a song on video that we played as I walked down the backyard aisle.

Just being able to see all my friends and family.  I missed being able to dance with everyone and have my father walk me down the aisle. 

Before the actual day, we sent out a video “save the date” message and we created a private Facebook page for all of the guests. We then sent out an online invitation with instructions on how to use Webex to sign in.  

We had several rehearsals with the team from Cisco to capture lighting, sounds, and positioning as well as walk through all the logistics of the ceremony. We used a lot of video messaging, so we had to ensure that would play well. I also had two of my dear friends give live toasts, so we had them practice using the technology. I also ordered a fresh bouquet and boutonniere.  I have a special cake that I love, so I pre-ordered that to have it on the day of the wedding. 

On the day of the wedding, we asked people to come dressed in their wedding best and have a drink of choice to toast.  Seeing all of the comments in the private Facebook group allowed us to "see" everyone and read their kind sentiments.  Guests could also add messages in the chat feature so we could see what everyone was saying.

During this time, many of our guests told us how this wedding gave them something to look forward to.  We sent invitations to 70 email addresses, but behind each email was 2-4 people who would watch the wedding, so we had 150-200 guests watching.

With it being virtual, we had to combine the ceremony with the reception all in one.  So, the order of the wedding was a bit different than an in-person wedding.  We started off the wedding with a video journey of our courtship, engagement, friends, and family and played that before the wedding started.  Our two adult daughters were the only ones physically present, so they came on video to welcome everyone.  My daughter, Alexis, walked me down the aisle.  Since my father couldn’t be there, we played a recording of what he would have said to me as he gave me away at the altar.  From there, my brother David, an ordained minister who also works at Cisco, walked through our pledges and ring exchange.  Troy and I wrote our own vows, so we shared those with each other.  We then had a virtual toast.  We asked everyone to have a drink of choice ready to toast us once they announced us husband and wife.  We played several pre-recorded video messages from our parents and other daughters that couldn't be there. From there, we had a special guest, Jordan Davis, perform three songs that we danced to, which was such a special treat! I threw my bouquet to my two daughters and I ended the wedding thanking everyone for coming. 

After the wedding, the lighting was perfect, so we took our pictures in our backyard and surrounding areas.  We hired a photographer to help take our pictures — practicing social distancing of course!  It definitely was a highlight to look back and have professional pictures of our special day.

My favorite part is just how intimate it was.  It really was focused on Troy and me without other distractions. And, honestly, there was less pressure and anxiety having it this way.  Not to mention, incredibly affordable!