Planning A Zoom Wedding: A Guide To Tying The Knot Virtually

Planning a wedding can be stressful, but a Zoom wedding can be the perfect solution to let everyone share your special day, whether you need to follow social distancing requirements or your guests are just too far away for in-person attendance. Zoom weddings are online virtual events using the Zoom video conference platform, which has a 100-guest limit, but you can upgrade to the Pro Plan to remove this restriction. Much of the planning required for a Zoom wedding is similar to the steps you'd take for a traditional in-person wedding, but there are some extra things to consider, such as doing a test run, enlisting a host, and communicating their duties.

Inviting guests

Planning a wedding on Zoom is a great way to include guests who are far away or if you need to follow social distancing requirements.

Zoom has a 100-guest limit, but you can upgrade to the Pro Plan to remove this limit. To send a Zoom wedding invitation, click the 'Copy invitation' button in your meeting details on the Zoom app. This will copy an invitation text to your clipboard, which you can then edit to make it more friendly and clear that it is a virtual wedding. For example, you could say: "You're invited to witness our wedding day... virtually!". Don't forget to send reminders to your guests the day before and right before the wedding starts.

You can also enlist the help of a friend or family member (perhaps the maid of honour or best man) to act as a host on the Zoom call. Their duties could include starting the Zoom meeting and admitting guests, kicking out any potential Zoom bombers, and muting guests during important ceremonies to ensure everyone can hear.

Rehearsing the ceremony

If you don't have an MC at your wedding site, your host will need to announce the start and end of each event on Zoom. You can also hire a virtual wedding planner to act as an emcee and oversee the virtual ceremony. Throughout the pandemic, many local wedding planners and DJs have also started to offer similar programming, so you can see if someone in your area can provide this kind of support, too.

It's important to communicate the duties of your host clearly so that your wedding day goes smoothly. You should also be clear with your guests about what is expected of them. For example, guests can contribute their own readings, toasts, and other interactions during the ceremony.

Finally, don't forget to send reminders to remote guests the day before and right before the wedding starts. This will help ensure that everyone is able to join and participate in your special day.

Choosing a host

When it comes to choosing a host for your Zoom wedding, there are a few options available to you. You could ask a friend or family member to take on this role, perhaps the maid of honour or best man. Alternatively, you can hire a virtual wedding planner to act as an emcee and oversee the virtual ceremony. Sites like Wedfuly offer this service, and throughout the pandemic, many local wedding planners and DJs have also started to offer similar programming, so it's worth checking if someone in your area can provide this kind of support.

If you decide to ask a friend or family member to host your Zoom wedding, it's important to communicate the following duties to them to ensure your wedding day goes smoothly: starting the Zoom meeting and admitting guests, kicking out any potential Zoom bombers, and muting guests during important ceremonies to ensure everyone can hear. If you don't have an MC at your wedding site, your host will also need to announce the start and end of each event on Zoom.

It's a good idea to have a wedding rehearsal for your Zoom celebration, just as you would for an in-person wedding. Ask a friend (ideally one who is long-distance) to join in a test run the week before the wedding to make sure everything goes smoothly. This will help your host familiarise themselves with the platform and ensure they feel confident on the day.

Remember, a Zoom wedding allows you to include guests who may be too far away for in-person attendance or who are unable to travel due to social distancing requirements. By choosing a host and planning carefully, you can ensure that everyone can share your special day virtually.

Making it inclusive

A Zoom wedding is a great way to include guests who are far away or unable to attend in person. It's also a good option if you need to follow social distancing requirements. Without the physical limits of an in-person wedding, you can invite more people and make your wedding more inclusive. Zoom has a 100-guest limit, but you can upgrade to their Pro Plan to remove this restriction.

When sending out invitations, make it clear that the wedding will be virtual. You could say something like, "You're invited to witness our wedding day...virtually!" Don't forget to send reminders to your guests the day before and right before the wedding starts.

To make your Zoom wedding inclusive, consider asking a friend or family member to act as a host. Their duties could include starting the meeting, admitting guests, and kicking out any potential Zoom bombers. If you don't have an MC, your host can also announce the start and end of each event.

You can also enlist the help of a virtual wedding planner to act as an emcee and oversee the virtual ceremony. Sites like Wedfuly offer this service, and many local wedding planners and DJs have started offering similar programming during the pandemic.

Finally, just as you would with an in-person wedding, it's a good idea to have a rehearsal for your Zoom wedding. Ask a long-distance friend to join a test run the week before the wedding to ensure everything goes smoothly.

Obtaining a legal marriage certificate

Planning a wedding on Zoom is similar to planning a traditional in-person wedding, but with a few extra steps. For example, you should ask a friend to join a test run the week before the wedding to make sure everything goes smoothly. You can also enlist the help of a friend or family member to act as a host on the Zoom call.

A marriage license legally allows you to marry, while a marriage certificate proves you got married. The process for securing these documents varies depending on the state and county where you'll be getting married. You'll typically have to file your marriage license application in the county in which you'll be getting married.

In the US, you can obtain a marriage license and certificate by contacting the vital records office in the state where you'll be getting married. They will tell you the cost, what information you need to supply, and if you can get a copy online, by mail, or in person. Most marriage licenses expire within 30 days to a year, depending on the issuing state. If yours expires or gets lost before you get married, apply for a new one.

If you need a certified copy of a confidential marriage certificate, you can obtain one by personally appearing before a notary public, producing proper identification, obtaining a certificate attesting to your identity, and transmitting the certificate, together with a request for the certified copy of the confidential marriage certificate, to the county clerk of the county with which the certificate is filed.

If you were married abroad, contact the embassy or consulate of the country where the marriage took place to find out how to obtain a marriage certificate. If you were married before November 9, 1989, contact the State Department to get a copy of the Certificate of Witness to Marriage Abroad.

Frequently asked questions