Save the (Virtual) Date

Most of us have been invited to attend a wedding ceremony of a family member or friend. At these events, the family and friends of both the bride and groom travel to attend this special ceremony at the location of the couple’s choice. (Sometimes the couple decides to limit the amount of people invited.) In addition, the ceremony is often followed by a reception later in the day. These are joyful gatherings which celebrate an important decision. In fact, they are so important that other plans will be rearranged in order to be able to attend the ceremony.

That pretty much describes a traditional wedding ceremony. Now what about a virtual wedding ceremony? This is probably a brand new concept to most of you reading this article. Rather than everyone traveling to the decided location, the invited individuals can watch the couple’s wedding ceremony from their home. The event can be viewed on a computer or mobile phone.

This is an option that has been used by many couples due to the pandemic. Rather than having many people gather at one location, this can help people stay home while being there in spirit for the bride and groom. It may not be the couple’s top choice when it comes to planning the ceremony but it is definitely a safer option that helps others stay healthy. Thanks to the current advances in technology, we are all able to celebrate simultaneously, even if we are not all at the same location. I have been invited to two virtual weddings (as of the publication of this article) and I will say, “I never thought that I would be attending a wedding in a virtual type setting.” However, as with any wedding invitation, I am honored to be invited and attend the ceremony.

The main differences I have seen are that these events are much shorter in duration and there is no reception (at least not on the same day of the virtual wedding). The event does not last as long as a traditional gathering because once the official ceremony is over, then those attending virtually can simply log out of the live stream. In addition, it is not possible to have a reception with food, cake, etc. when we are all located in different places.

Another difference I’ve noticed from the attendee side is that you do not necessarily need to dress up in formal attire in order to attend the ceremony through live stream. In fact, you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your couch to attend in this manner. The events often (if not always) show only the location of the wedding. Therefore, you cannot be seen by anyone else watching virtually or physically at the event.

Once the pandemic is over, I imagine that many of these couples who have had virtual wedding ceremonies will want to invite all the virtual attendees to an in-person reception. Even if delayed, it would still be gratifying to everyone to meet face to face for the event.

These adjustments are not what a couple would expect during the official date of their marriage. However, I definitely applaud those who are making the adjustments in order to help keep their relatives and friends safe.

It might be possible for future couples to incorporate a virtual attendance option for anyone who was invited but cannot reschedule obligations that were scheduled for the same date. Including this option can help allow more people to attend a wedding.

Overall, attending wedding ceremonies virtually has been fine, but attending in person is much more memorable. I look forward to when we can safely attend these ceremonies and receptions in person again.