Where should you place your Live Stream during your Wedding Ceremony?

Do you plan on live streaming your 2020 wedding?

With the craziness of the world in 2020, I think we have all become professionals with Zoom calls and live streams. It’s become second nature. Let’s face it, the wedding world is entirely different now than anything we have ever known. Ceremonies and receptions are limited by the amount of guests that we can invite, but we all know that cannot stop us from sharing our love with every single one of our family and friends. 

Live streaming wedding ceremonies has been an amazing adaptation the wedding industry has had to make in 2020 and I am all in. 

Leaving your friends in charge of live streaming your ceremony is a beautiful way to share your love with the people who cannot be there. But, this might be the first time they have ever had such an important job during a wedding ceremony. I want to share some helpful insight that you can share with your friends before the big day. 

What equipment will you need?

First, I would suggest purchasing a phone or I-pad tripod. Tripods are a great way to help keep your device steady for your friends at home. That way, you can leave one person in charge of setting up the tripod and clicking live and they can still sit down and also enjoy the rest of your ceremony. This will also ensure that your guest doesn’t make the mistake of holding your phone or tablet in the middle of the aisle while you are walking down to see your husband for the very first time.

I would also suggest purchasing a tall tripod. Amazon has a great tripod that reaches six feet tall and it’s so affordable. That way you can place your tripod high enough above guests seated or standing and you can also angle the camera down, which, bonus tip, is the most flattering angle for everyone. 

Where NOT to place your tripod.

Now where should you place the tripod? Let’s start with where not to place it and why.

I know the most ideal location and the most common thought for your guest would be to place it in the middle of the aisle. Which yes, that is a great spot, but don’t forget, you hired a professional photographer and videographer. They probably weren’t cheap either. Their focus is not only on capturing you, but also making sure the images look clean and clutter free.

If there is a tripod directly in the middle of the aisle, it might pop into some of your pictures. Also, the aisle is typically where the photographer and videographer have to stand to get you the best shots. 

So what about in the back of the aisle? Again, that’s great, but it might still be in the background images of you coming down the aisle for the first time. 

So if we can’t put it in the middle or in the back of the middle, where should it go? 

I will let you in on a professional tip.

During every wedding ceremony, your photo/video team will work out a system. They typically talk with one another before the ceremony to make sure they know what to expect of each other so that they can both capture what they need.

They will typically always be in the very front of the aisle waiting for you to come down and also to capture your future spouses’ expression. Then, after the hand off, we will circle to the back and middle aisle to capture the remainder of the ceremony with discretion. 

Where you SHOULD place your tripod.

So where does that leave your live stream? 

First, I would ask the person who is in charge of setting up the live stream to have a conversation with the photo/video team. If they can share where they will be with each other, it will help your professional team ensure that they are capturing the best images they can and still being courteous to your guest at home. 

My first suggestion would be to set the tripod up in the front of the ceremony space. I would put it off to the side so it is not blocking the aisle, the groom’s vision, or the bride walking down the aisle. It doesn’t have to be all the way to the side, just in front of where the first few people sit. Don’t worry, it is not going to stay there the entire time. Set it up tall and angle it down. Your guests at home still want to be able to see you walking down the aisle after the announcement to all rise.

Then, after you come down the aisle, ask your friend to discreetly take the tripod and walk it to the back of the ceremony space. At this time they can lower the tripod a little and your guests will get to experience both angles of your wedding ceremony. I would still ask them to position it behind the guest and tall enough so that they can see past the people’s heads. That way, you can ensure it is not in the background of your center aisle pictures and video, but your guests at home still get the real experience, which is being seated behind other people anyway. 

Who would have thought I would be helping people live steam wedding ceremonies. You just never know where the world will take you. I hope this information is helpful and you can share it with whoever is in charge of live streaming your day. Happy Wedding Day!