So, the wedding industry is starting to pick back up. Things are going back to normal. Venues are relaxing COVID restrictions, DJs are pumping up the tunes, and guest sizes are getting back to “normal.” For anyone who’s planning a wedding, it’s very exciting.

Regardless of how weddings look the rest of 2021 or further, we expect live streaming weddings are here to stay. Even pre-pandemic days, live streaming weddings was a popular option for anyone having a destination wedding or for families out of town or even across the world. With Zoom, Google Hangouts, Facebook Live, and other services BOOMING we fully believe couples will be opting for smaller weddings and giving guests an option to watch the ceremony at home.

Here is the thing. Unless you are a very techy person, you probably have ZERO ideas on the best way of live-streaming a wedding. We’ve people try different ways of streaming their wedding ceremonies. Some of them have gone off without a hitch, while others have fallen short of amazing. The important thing is you have an amazing wedding with you and your soon-to-be spouse, but you want everyone to enjoy it. That includes providing a clear and easy-to-use video wedding service.

Best Wedding Streaming Services

How are we defining the best wedding streaming services? First, it has to be easy to use. There are SO many options out there, but some of them are liking rerouting satellites just to get a simple video recording. We want anyone to be able to use the platform after 30 minutes of using it (without having to call customer support).

Next is price. We aren’t necessarily looking for a free service (although free is always better), but pricing is always important when budgeting for a wedding. Finding a quality service at a reasonable price is key.

Facebook Live

Let’s start with the most obvious one first – Facebook Live. Before COVID, Facebook Live was little more than another marketing tool to get engaged users. When events started shutting down, Facebook made major improvements to the platform.

What’s great about Facebook live is so simple to use. All you have to do is click the camera icon and then choose Go Live. Simple as that. You won’t need any extra equipment.

Here is how we’ve seen previous couples use Facebook Live for streaming their weddings. Beforehand, they create a private Facebook group for their wedding. This lets you invite anyone you want to see your ceremony, without having random people watching.

In the Facebook Live settings, you can schedule the live video which allows your guests to already have the link ready when it’s go-time.

When it comes time for the ceremony, you can have a cell phone tripod or have a friend, planner, or family member hold the phone while streaming live.

Zoom/Google Hangouts

We have to include the standard Zoom/Google Hangout options. These are the standard video chatting option. Now, the one caveat is these two platforms were not built for live streaming events. Since they aren’t really designed for live streaming, there are a few issues that we have with these two options.

Let’s talk about ease of use with Zoom. Zoom is not quite as user-friendly as other options on our list. Your guests won’t need a Zoom account to watch, but they will need a stream link and an ID or password. Additionally, you have to ensure that the settings are correct and guests won’t be sitting around in the virtual waiting room. With a free Zoom account, you can have up to 100 guests. Any more than that and you’ll need a paid account, which will put you out $50.

Google Hangout on the other hand is much easier to set up and easier for your guests to get into, with only a click of a link. BUT there is a BIG BUT here. You can only have 10 guests in each Google Hangout. Obviously, you could have more than one person streaming the wedding, which gets you more guests.

Here is why we included Google Hangouts – guest interaction. This is the best platform for being able to talk and hang out with your guests after the ceremony. We’ve seen several couples set up a computer or tablet after the ceremony or at the reception with different guests. The bride and groom can walk over and chat with their virtual friends and family.

Eventlive

Last but not least (and our personal pick) is Eventlive. Before COVID, we had never heard of Eventlive, but the product and customer service is great. Before we dig into the benefits and why it’s on our list, let’s talk about pricing: it’s $50 for an event (aka your wedding).

Here is what you get for the $50:

• Unlimited custom support
• Private link
• A dedicated live stream page for your wedding
• Replay of your wedding video for a whole year
• Links to your wedding registry
• Digital guest book
• Add a slideshow to your stream

These are some of the benefits of choosing a product and site that is dedicated to streaming weddings. You’ll have dedicated customer support who have experience in wedding streaming, and you can display more of your personality and make it easier on your guests.