Ever since the pandemic happened, many people have used virtual alternatives to abide by the new normal and social distancing protocols. People now have virtual classes, virtual meetings, online jobs, online dating, online parties, and of course, online weddings. If you recently got engaged, you might feel skeptical about the idea of having your wedding online. After all, your wedding should be the most romantic day of your life, and you want everything to be perfect and memorable.

Some of you would opt to move your wedding date for the following years to come, hoping that the pandemic and the social distancing protocol will be over by then. While it’s true that nothing beats the traditional way of getting married, choosing to have an online wedding also has its perks and benefits.

Why Online Weddings?

If you’re recently engaged and about to start your wedding planning without waiting any longer for things to get back to how they were, you might want to consider an online wedding. So, you may ask, why should I have a virtual nuptial?

1. Less Stressful Planning Involved

Everyone knows how stressful it is to plan a wedding, even if it’s still months away. Even if you’re planning a wedding of 200 guest lists or 50, the process and the stress involved can be the same. You need to plan the venue’s decorations, food catering, flower arrangements, transportations, and accommodation arrangements for everyone attending. Meanwhile, if you’re having an online wedding ceremony, you don’t need to worry about those things anymore.

There are two ways you can have an online wedding. The first setup is when you and your partner are getting married face-to-face while all your guests watch online. The second setup is everyone, including you and your partner, is getting married virtually. The latter usually applies to couples living in different parts of the world, and it’s also recognized under US law. Whether you have the first setup or the second one, you don’t need to go through tedious planning since everything is done virtually.

There may be a few preparations needed like your bridal gown or suit, hairstyle, makeup, the officiate of the ceremony, or the venue (if you and your partner are having a face-to-face ceremony), but that’s pretty much it. The more time and energy you save from planning, the easier it’ll be for you to focus on essential things like sending out online invitations and creating your online guest lists.

2. It’s Budget-Friendly

Another reason online weddings are here to stay is that it’s a cost-effective option. As mentioned earlier, you don’t have to go through strenuous planning, which means you don’t need to spend a lot of money. Gone are the days when engaged couples have to save up for years just so they’ll have enough money for the big ceremony to ensure that it’s special and extravagant.

If you prefer to decorate your venue with flowers and other decorations, you can do so. After all, you don’t necessarily have to spend much time and money on the decorations since you’ll only be decorating the part featured in the camera. With the money you budgeted for your supposed traditional wedding, you can use it for other things like purchasing a new house or having a grandiose honeymoon once the pandemic’s over.

3. Everyone Can Virtually Attend

One of the significant advantages of conducting an online wedding is having as many wedding guests as you want without worrying about budget constraints. Unlike before, the more guests you have on the list, the bigger budget you must spend to order more food, book a bigger venue, and prearrange more accommodations for the guests. Meanwhile, with an online wedding, you don’t need to plan or spend a budget on those things. All you have to do is choose a streaming platform that can accommodate the number of guests you’re planning to invite.

Furthermore, this option could also be a lot easier for your guests. They wouldn’t have to worry about preparing themselves and spending money to travel thousands of miles to attend since they can join in your wedding ceremony from the comfort of their home. This is also a perfect option for couples whose parents or grandparents live in other countries and are old enough to travel back and forth. Lastly, your guests can also let their kids or pets join or watch the wedding ceremony without worrying about disturbing the ceremony with barking pets or shouting kids.

4. You Can Have Unique Wedding Photos

An online wedding will always be like no other, which means you’ll surely have some unique photos afterward, too. For the ceremony pictures, it’ll be you, your new spouse, officiate of the ceremony, and the video/photography crew (2-3 people).

You can also take pictures with your virtual guests. But instead of a screenshot from the laptop, you can put your laptop’s screen on a projector view for a bigger picture. Then, all you and your partner have to do is stand next to the white screen or blank wall with your virtual guests joining in on the group photo. If you want, you can also send these photos to your virtual guests.

5. It’s A Safer Option For Everyone

The primary reason behind online weddings becoming a norm is safety concerns. The pandemic has forced everyone to resort to virtual alternatives to prevent themselves from going outdoors and risking themselves in contracting the coronavirus.

When it comes to choosing between health and the ceremony, the guests and the couple would definitely prioritize health first. After all, there’s no such thing as being too careful regarding safety. Furthermore, hosting an online wedding will also put you at ease knowing that you, your partner, your family, and the rest of the attending guests are safe from the virus.

6. You Can Still Own Your Day

Just because it’s an online wedding doesn’t mean you can’t own it and make it extra special. There are plenty of ways you can make your online wedding ceremony extraordinary and memorable. For instance, you can send cocktail kits or bottles of wine to your guests so each one of you can celebrate and share a toast virtually. You can also send out mini-cakes to your chosen guests so everyone will have something to eat after the ceremony.

Wrapping Up

As you can see, having an online wedding doesn’t make your wedding day any less special. It also comes with its benefits and uniqueness. After all, an online ceremony is better than not having anything at all. Plus, this is the best option for couples who are tired of repetitively rescheduling their wedding dates. Most importantly, this is the safest way of celebrating your marriage and union together without putting yourselves and other people at risk for the virus.