At this point in the pandemic, you’ve most likely heard of the term virtual wedding. These are weddings that happen remotely, with the couple livestreaming their event for guests who attend via video platforms like Zoom. Sometimes there are a few guests in attendance with the couple, but sometimes it’s just the couple and an officiant livestreaming to all-remote guests.
Maybe you’ve even attended a virtual wedding ceremony yourself. Best case scenario, it was heartwarming and well-executed. Worst case scenario, it felt awkward and confusing, and you couldn’t hear anything over the unmuted grandmas chit-chatting about their cats.
Here’s the thing about virtual weddings: they’re not just for pandemic times. Are you an introvert? Virtual wedding. All your friends and family are abroad? Virtual wedding. Is your budget small, but your community large? Virtual wedding.
Even if you are familiar with Zoom weddings, you might still have some lingering questions. Is a Zoom wedding even considered a legally binding marriage? Can I do this all myself or do I need to hire someone to help? How many people can I invite to my virtual wedding anyways? In this blog post, we will hear from the experts at Wedfuly. They’ve successfully executed over 600+ virtual weddings. They will walk you through the ups and downs and the need-to-knows before you embark on your own virtual wedding journey.
First, is a Zoom wedding legal?
First things first, let’s take a look at all of the steps that need to be in place beforehand to ensure that your Zoom wedding is legally binding.
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Virtual wedding legality varies by state
So, in short, the key piece in ensuring that your Zoom wedding is legal lies in the marriage license. The next piece of the puzzle varies state by state. Before the global pandemic, laws were fairly strict surrounding the legality of weddings and officiants. For a marriage to be considered legal, the couple and the officiant had to be physically present together. They also had to obtain a marriage license in person from the county clerk’s office. However, this posed a major issue as the virus began to spread and social distancing went into effect and many county clerk offices were closed.
On April 18 2020, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order in regards to virtual weddings. This order would allow New Yorkers to obtain marriage licenses virtually and officiants to perform ceremonies via video conference. *And all the COVID brides said AMEN!!* However, if you and your partner are not New Yorkers–fear not. This order from Cuomo seemed to have a domino effect as other states began making similar shifts to allow couples to get married virtually. Let’s take a look at some different states and see where they fall.
What if I don’t see my state on this list?
If you need more information regarding where you live, this site has extensive information to help guide you. Additionally, if you reside in an area that doesn’t allow for you to get married virtually, don’t worry! You could always opt for a micro wedding where your officiant is present on site with you. This way, you will completely avoid any of the issues around legality.
How does a virtual wedding ceremony work?
Here’s where we’re going to get some help from our folks at Wedfuly, a virtual wedding concierge service. They’ve provided a virtual wedding outline.
When you work with Wedfuly on your virtual wedding, you will be assigned a wedding coordinator. They will be your henchman — helping you through the ups and downs of wedding planning. You will work with your coordinator in crafting the vision and vibe of your wedding. The music, the media, the toasts… no detail is too small. Throughout the process of planning there will be two planning meetings, one AV call to test out all of the tech, and a virtual rehearsal the night beforehand.
The best part of all of it is that you can be as creative and wacky as you want to be! Wedfuly has seen magic shows, trivia, DIY bartending during intermission–you name, they can do it! While the structure, order and traditions are completely up to you, listed below is a common format for American virtual weddings.
Virtual wedding ceremony outline:
Prelude + Welcome:
Wedfuly Welcome + Tech Talk:
Processional + Ceremony:
Brief Intermission
Dancing
Cake Cutting/Cupcake Smashing…whatever!
Toasts
Breakout Rooms + Closing Remarks
Virtual weddings are just so damn cool. They allow you to invite your closest 1,000 friends (yes, you really can have 1,000 devices logged into the wedding!) at a fraction of the cost. Additionally, you don’t have to deal with the overwhelm that would inevitably come from having that many guests at your wedding — perfect for introverts, and folks with social anxiety or chronic fatigue conditions. You get to craft a wedding that truly fits your taste, vision, and budget, and are able to share it with those you love most.
Your family and friends will log off and wonder, how in the world was that Zoom wedding so much fun?!
Get $100 off a Wedfuly virtual wedding package with code OFFBEATBRIDE. Book today!
This content was originally published here.