Go Live For Your Wedding Ceremony!
- by From This Day
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- 02 Jan, 2018
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Whether they are living or serving overseas, unwell, too old to travel or about to have a baby, there are lots of reasons why dear friends and family might not be able to join you on you wedding day. Now you can bring your wedding to them!
In the past, absent friends or loved ones could only share in your day after the event, by looking through the wedding photographs or watching your wedding video, and perhaps having a nibble on a piece of wedding cake. But with video live streaming, it's now possible for your nearest and dearest to watch the special moments of your day from anywhere in the world, as they actually happen.
In this blog post we look at the options for setting up a wedding live stream.
The first decision you need to make is whether to 'do-it-yourself' or a hire a professional wedding live stream expert to do it for you (check out our wedding LiveStream package here). Secondly, decide which parts of your wedding you wish to live stream. The two obvious options are the ceremony or speeches, but you may also wish to consider live streaming at some less formal moments, such as cutting the cake or the first dance.
The DIY Wedding Live Stream
There are four key ingredients to a wedding video live stream - a device that shoots video, a good (and consistent) internet connection, an online live streaming platform and someone to hold the camera. These days, most people have the first three in their pocket - a smartphone, a 4G or Wifi connection and an account with one of any number of social media platforms now offering live streaming. For the fourth ingredient, you will need to find a willing volunteer to film the live stream - obvious candidates include a tech savvy usher or family member.
Facebook is probably the best option for a live streaming platform. Most couples already have a Facebook account and you don't need a degree in computer science to set up a live stream. Facebook lets you choose exactly who can watch your live stream so you won't be broadcasting your intimate wedding moments to the world, but your viewers will require a Facebook account. You can live stream from your own Facebook profile, or from your own wedding specific Facebook page.
YouTube offers free mobile live streaming to anyone with a YouTube Channel with 25+ subscribers. You can restrict your live stream audience by designating your live YouTube event as 'unlisted', which means that only those in possession of a unique link can view it. The advantage of creating an 'unlisted' YouTube live event is that your viewers don't need a YouTube account, only the link that you share with them and access to the internet.
Ustream is more of a professional live streaming platform, so very reliable with a lot of functionality but more technical to use. Ustream offers mobile streaming via an IOS or Android app, and is currently offering a 30 day free trial for up to 5 concurrent viewers, which should suffice for most wedding day needs.
Periscope is probably the simplest free to use live streaming app, but video and audio quality are not great and, as it's designed for public live streaming, it's not easy to restrict your audience.
Clearly, a decent internet connection is key to a successful live stream. Live video requires a fair amount of bandwidth, so to avoid disappointing your viewers, its worth checking the strength of the Wifi or mobile signal of the live streaming location beforehand. You can check the quality of the Wifi connection by asking the venue directly, or you can check the mobile connection by putting the venue postcode into Signal Checker.
One other, often over looked, requirement for a watchable live stream, is a tripod. Mounting your smartphone on a tripod is a must if you are to delight your viewers and keep them from getting dizzy. Here is a good smartphone tripod mounts, if you don't already have one.
Pros and Cons of DIY Live Stream
The pros:
- cost - provided you have a smartphone, an internet connection and a willing volunteer, the DIY option will probably cost nothing.
- simplicity - most people can use a smartphone and are familiar with Facebook.
- reliability - with live broadcast, you only get one chance to get it right. If the phone battery dies, the connection goes down or you just can't get the setup to work in time, your going to have a disappointed viewers!
- quality - even with the latest smartphones, picture and audio quality will not be great, and your live stream volunteer may not be an experienced cameraperson.
- internet connectivity - particularly in rural locations, mobile coverage may be limited.
If you want to ensure a good quality and reliable live stream experience for your absent nearest and dearest, then hiring a professional wedding live streaming expert is definitely the way to go. You can check out our wedding live stream package here.
With a professional wedding video live stream your viewers will benefit from a well filmed images, from multiple camera angles and professional quality audio. Most importantly, an expert wedding live streaming team can ensure a reliable internet connection.
The other main advantage to using a professional wedding live stream package is that your livestream can be recorded in HD, so that you get not just a live stream, but also a professionally shot and edited video that you can watch again and again!
And don't worry, a professional live stream doesn't mean a large team with lots of equipment getting in the way - done properly the live stream will be no more obtrusive than your wedding videographer or photographer would otherwise be.
Pros and Cons of Professional Wedding Live Stream
The pros:
- quality - your viewers can enjoy professional live sound and images, from multiple angles so they don't miss anything!
- reliability - an experienced team with professional gear will make sure your live stream goes without a hitch!
- value for money - as well as getting your wedding live streamed, you will also get a professional edit of your ceremony or speeches, for example.
- cost - of course, you'll need to pay for an expert!
Check out our wedding live stream package here.
