Spice up your technology

Similar to most events, there’s the hiring of vendors and sending invitations.

New to the list, hosts choosing to go the virtual route will need to add some additional technical touches as well as augmented experiences including:
- live stream set up
- additional lighting services to ensure video quality and clarity
- wireless mic’s
- making sure virtual attendees are taken care of

Rent or purchase an at-home tech kit with speakers, lighting and phone holders to make the connections and interactions feel more cozy and bright.

Pro tip: Using zoom as your host platform? Hire a skilled a/v team to capture high quality content and audio to ensure a video you can have for decades to come.

Backgrounds and decor

The decor should accentuate your setting, create a comfortable environment for those in attendance, and pop well on camera for those tuning in remotely. A few takeaways specific to virtual event planning include:

- the backdrop: make sure it’s not too busy and won’t take away from the main focus of the event. The eye sees patterns and light reflections differently on camera vs. in real life.
- work within your elements: when outdoors, are there existing features, like trees or pools, that can be accentuated as part of the setting? Are there branches that need to be trimmed to avoid any hazards or create a better line of sight for the videographer?
- take-home decor: consider gifting floral arrangements and one-time use decor pieces to those in attendance or donating to the local hospital.
- source locally: support small business owners including local craftsmen, florists and designers; they will appreciate your business now more than ever!

Wedding Rituals

Wedding Day rituals are marked with tradition and heritage. Wearing something borrowed & also something blue, some rituals are easy to incorporate into a Virtual Wedding platform. But what about those that aren’t?

When it comes to the more social rituals, like toasts, speeches and dances, pre-recorded content takes on a more important role than ever before. If the majority of your guests are joining remotely, ask them to send a toast or short video to create a montage or pepper in throughout the reception.

If your parents or grandparents are not able to attend as they continue to socially distance, set up a professional video or photoshoot at their house capturing them reliving their first dance or a practice father - daughter dance.

Engage YOUR AUDIENCE

For a memorable team photo, pick your favorite color and suggest guests to wear it. Ask attendees to bring a post-it note with one word describing their goals for the conversation. Have them hold the notes up at the same time and grab a screen shot.

As at-home cocktail kits become as close to a bar as many of us can get, why not apply this at-home bar trend to the virtual bar. Personalize the cocktail menu to the match the hosts drink preferences, the theme, or any other fun story you want to tell through cheeky cocktail names or ingredients.

If any of your virtual guests are having viewing parties, invite them to order in the same snacks or provide them with recipes so they can try out their baking skills. If the budget allows send the ingredients to each guest!