Intimate Zoom Weddings

During COVID-19, here have been a lot of couples trying to make some hard decisions about what they should do about their wedding plans. Do you postpone for a later date? Do you have a small wedding at your home? Do you elope with just you, your fiancé, your officiant, and your photographer?

Well, one option we’ve had here at The Salem Waterfront Hotel & Suites is to have a very intimate wedding and to stream the ceremony & even parts of your reception for all of your guests who couldn’t be there.

We highly recommend hiring a Zoom MC and Zoom IT Tech. We partner with Sound City Entertainment who provides a 60” flat screen and all the technical tools to make sure your virtual wedding goes off without hitch. Having a professional handle all the logistics during your wedding allows you to focus entirely on your special day.  Sound City will manage all the tech and MC the entire Zoom wedding. This includes muting and un-muting guests, changing camera spotlights and playing music and media. You can choose to live stream your wedding ceremony or perhaps replay it during your cocktail hour & reception!

One of our beautiful couples recently had their wedding ceremony recorded and replayed on a 60” flat screen during cocktail hour under our Regatta Pub Tent. Not only did their virtual guests get to experience their intimate ceremony, but the newlyweds also got to relive their vows again with their closest family and friends. We all know how quickly these special moments fly by and watching their ceremony just moments after they said ‘I Do’ was such a unique and special experience for this couple. Not to mention, you’ll have the video forever to watch together!

But the virtual celebration doesn’t have to stop there. After the virtual ceremony, you can share your first dance, your wedding party and parents can give speeches, and even the cake cutting can be streamed live. You can also ask your guests to BYOB to the reception! They can raise a glass with their beverage of choice from the comfort of their own homes.

So, you’ve figured out how to switch gears to get your special day all teched out, but now you need to let your guests know. Save time and energy by sending out virtual invitations. Using Paperless Post or Greenvelope, you can send out gorgeous invitations to your guests letting them know when and where to join you. Include the meeting link to your scheduled Zoom, as well as the date and time. You may also want to include instructions for your guests on how to turn on their video and ask them to remain muted during the ceremony. Let them know that you’d love to see them get a little dolled up — they’d probably love the excuse to get out of their sweats and yoga gear!

Ask your guests to RSVP so you can take time to send everyone cards or photos to thank them for joining. It’s a nice touch and it also makes people feel like they were involved and part of the wedding. Sharing some close-up pics will make your Zoom guests feel even more like they were part of the day!

Don’t Forget—This Day is Special

No matter what you choose, you will have curated a day in which you can enjoy every minute. Intimate gatherings give couples a chance to express themselves and celebrate in the way that feels most true and authentic to them—no anxiety, no crowds, just love.

Big or small, elopement or micro wedding, your wedding day is special. Let the team at The Salem Waterfront Hotel & Suites serve as a guide to make your day truly unforgettable. Small is beautiful. Let’s spread love and help weddings continue. Weddings may have been hit hard during this pandemic, but there are ways we can make it special. After all, what matters most is the celebration of your love.