Virtual Zoom Wedding

A Sensible Social Distancing Wedding Ceremony

Like lots of people, I’d not really prepared for a pandemic! It still seems weird despite being a week under lock down. I’ve spent most of my time rescheduling dates for my couples whose weddings have to be postponed til later this year or next. Organising a wedding is stressful enough without then having to un-organise everything and put it all on hold for another date!

Which is exactly what happened to my lovely couple Paula and Loc.

They were due to get hitched yesterday, but the virus put paid to all that. Add to the fact that Loc is in the restaurant business, and well, it’s been a tough couple of weeks.

But their amazing celebrant, Zena Birch, decided that the show MUST GO ON! And so, together with Paula and Loc and lots of friends and family, Zena arranged to hold a little virtual wedding ceremony online!

A virtual wedding courtesy of the internet and Zoom!

It was emotional. Loc and Paula put their wedding rings in a jar, their two beautiful children had made coloured rice, and together as a family, they filled the jar to be opened at their actual ceremony next year. There was confetti, champagne corks popping and laughter (and a few happy tears) all round.

As soon as the virtual wedding was over, I downloaded the recorded 40 minute ceremony, and got to work turning it into a five minute film they would cherish forever. It’s not got the best audio, it’s not the best quality, it’s not a creative masterpiece. But it is a perfect little moment in time captured forever – and Paula and Loc love it, just like we love those faded old photographs of our loved ones long gone and out of focus pictures of Chritmasses, birthdays and celebrations from when we were kids.

In times like these, our network of people is so important, and things like this make you realise just how much connection really matters.

So big thanks to Zena (if you have yet to book a celebrant, she is the best!), for making it all happen. And to Zoom, for bringing 40 homes together in the time of lock down.