Webcast your wedding

                        Wave to the webcam:
                  making it real for virtual guests

More couples are downsizing their guest lists these days and fewer invitees can afford to travel long distances.  Not to worry if one has some technological proficiency; you can use the internet to include those unable to attend if you plan carefully. 

There are two options, live webcasting or posting a digital video after the fact; both can bring your far-flung community together in an immediate and fun way.

If you only have one or two virtual guests, check out Skype’s free videocalls. After downloading the software you can make direct one-on-one videocalls to another Skype user (no videoconferencing for multiple users, but you can have guests gather at one person’s house to watch together, sorta like watching the SuperBowl.)  Your online guests will be able to talk to you or IM as they watch, and you can designate a buddy to carry around the camera/laptop so virtual guests can follow the action of your ceremony and celebration. 

If you and your guests are Mac users with recent enough software and processors, you can use IChat for multi-user videoconferencing.  You get higher resolution and some fun features like video backdrops, but you may have to reconfigure some firewall ports to get it to work. You can also record your session with IChat for later use.

Ustream is an online webcasting site that allows multiple users to access your event without additional software downloads (they’ll just need to create an account) and you can also record the session. 

There are critical preparations that you must undertake to guarantee wedding webcast success:

1.  Make sure you and all your online guests set up accounts well in advance and have downloaded any needed software, and have the necessary equipment to view and participate in the event (do they have a built-in webcam, or will they need an external one?  Do they have a mic that will allow them to chime in if they want?) Then test run them several days before your event to be sure you, your guests, and your web-camera operator know how to work all the hardware and software involved.

2.  If you’re webcasting from your home network, rehearse your webcast a week or so in advance.  Videocall a friend and walk your camera set-up around to see if there are dead spots in your wireless network where you lose connection (or to make sure you have enough Ethernet cable if your system is wired.) If you need to keep your camera/computer in a static position, frame the action so your guests can see it, and again: do a live webcast rehearsal to be sure it will work.

(BTW, my webgeek husband would like me to note here that early wireless networks may not have enough bandwidth to broadcast effectively, but recent ones are almost as good as a wired system.  Thanks honey!  Have I ever mentioned it’s awesome to marry your tech support?)

3.  Make all software and firewall adjustments well before the big day, because it’s unlikely you’ll have the nerves of steel required to deal with troubleshooting a problem just before your ceremony. It's less than desirable to spend large portions of your wedding day being frustrated by a technical flurble.

4.  If you’re webcasting from somewhere other than home, you’re going to have to make sure your venue has the technical capacity to accommodate you.  Again, you’re most likely to succed if you get in there well ahead of time to configure and rehearse in the actual facility.  Here in L.A. we have some techno-hip modern wedding venues for the wired generation that offer state-of-the-art gear for webcasting, digital projection, and remote-controlled lighting and music systems; most venues aren’t so fancy, but wireless networks are common almost everywhere now and they usually work just fine. 

One of the best (and easiest) webcasts I saw was a small wedding and reception--about 30 people--in a hotel suite with a wireless network; the couple got the suite early and test-drove everything, set it up for the ceremony, then logged in their virtual guests in Argentina about ten minutes before we started.  When the ceremony was over, one of the attendants carried around the laptop and camera as the bride and groom drank their toast, cut the cake, and partied with their California contingent.  It was a lot of fun, and the family back home in Argentina was pleased to be able to “attend.”

Unfortunately technical intermittencies at the last minute can kibosh your plans to webcast, no matter how well you have prepared.  One couple I worked with came to their ceremony site with everything needed for their online broadcast, but the venue’s wireless was down.  They opted to capture the ceremony with their digital video camera, then transferred it from camera to laptop and uploaded it to YouTube within minutes (Mac users can also use IMovie to capture the proceedings without a DV, if you don’t have one.)  It’s mission-critical that you have all the proper cables for power and DV-laptop hook-ups with you!  They’re easy to forget in the hustle of packing your wedding day kit, so double-check your digital ditty-bag to be sure your system is complete.

4.  Acknowledge your virtual audience at some point so they feel included, and don’t forget to smile for the camera.  If you’ve set it up right and all goes well, you’ll see your loved ones smiling back in real time, and that will make all your technical preparations worthwhile.

Until next time, a sweet and long life to you all.

Elizabeth Oakes welcomes your feedback at weddingexaminer@gmail.com; you can share this story or subscribe to this column by clicking on the buttons below.

She's also happy to answer your questions about getting married in Los Angeles--check out her work and inquire about availability at MarriageToGo.Com.