Whether you’re planning a huge party or a romantic elopement, knowing the best way to live stream your wedding has become an important part of every celebration.
Wedding live streaming has quickly evolved from a guest waving a phone in the air to employing professionals to create a polished production. There are many great reasons why live streaming a wedding has boomed in popularity.
Obviously the correct answer is simple: ask a professional wedding live streaming company like CeremonyCast to look after this important task for you. After all, when you’re live streaming a wedding, you only get one chance to get it right!
But if you’re set on doing it yourself, here are our top 5 tips.
1. Choose the best camera
Most people have a device which can shoot video. It could simply be your phone.
If you have a mirrorless or DLSR camera, you’ll get great video. Make sure your camera doesn’t have an auto switch off feature enabled! You’ll need to feed the video from your camera into a laptop, which is usually HDMI. Not all cameras offer a clean HDMI out. For instance, you may find the video feed also shows all the icons on your camera screen such as battery levels. Furthermore, make sure everything is fully charged and have some spare batteries on hand! Weddings rarely begin on time and you don’t want your stream crashing out due to low power at a crucial moment.
Alternatively, the Mevo camera is a great little gadget aimed at live streaming beginners and can be bought from somewhere like JB HiFi. This is purpose built for live streaming and requires a smartphone app to control it. It can stream to multiple platforms and is easy to learn. You’ll need a tripod, or a stabilising gimbal.
Bonus expert tip #1
It’s best to stick to just one camera to keep it simple, but if you have an iPad and several iPhones among your family and friends, you could use them to create a multi-camera streaming event.
Switcher Studio is a great iOS app which allows you to use the cameras on your iPhones to vision mix between different shots. The controller runs on one device and is straightforward to use with a quick learning curve. There are several choices of platforms to stream to, and there’s an option to pay per event, so you don’t have to subscribe for a year.
2. Make sure you can be heard
Here’s another key point. Good audio is equally, if not more important, that good quality video. People can put up with lower quality video but they are much less forgiving if they can’t hear what’s going on. Use an external microphone attached to your laptop or phone. For our wedding live streams, we use the Rode Wireless Go II, which is awesome.
2. Choose the right platform
Social Media
YouTube is a popular choice for live streamers. You’ll need your own channel, and you’ll need approval to go live. You can request the feature for free if you’re in good standing, with a 24 hour approval period. There are various privacy controls and it’s a simple option for people watching who are not so tech-savvy,
Facebook is another option. A great way to control who watches your wedding live stream is by creating a Facebook Event or Group, and then inviting guests. It’s easy to go live from the Facebook app on your phone or the desktop site, but anyone who wants to view will need a Facebook account and your stream resolution will be limited to 720P. The maximum streaming time on Facebook is 8 hours.
Meanwhile Instagram offers live video for up to 4 hours. Anyone who follows you can watch your video, so not a great option if you have concerns over privacy.
Dedicated apps
There are also several dedicated wedding live streaming apps which offer an all-in-one solution. One example is LoveCast. This aims to make streaming a wedding a simple as possible. However you’ll still need a bit of know-how to make it work.
Likewise there is always a video conferencing solution like a group FaceTime call or a Zoom meeting. If you choose this approach, make sure everyone is muted – unless you want Aunt Muriel interrupting during the vows! Another good way to improve your stream is to use a quality USB webcam mounted on a tripod, connected to your laptop.
Bonus expert tip #2
Don’t forget about music copyright restrictions. YouTube and Facebook will mute or automatically end your live stream if commercial music is detected. Therefore you’ll need to mute your audio when any music is played! Note that professional live streaming services like CeremonyCast do not use these platforms for that reason.
3. Choose the best internet connection
Wedding live streaming lives or dies by the internet available at the wedding venue. Is there WiFi? This is a solid option, especially if there are a big group of guests. More guests=more phones=more stress on the mobile network.
If you’re using a mobile signal, 5G is the best choice. 4G is OK, 3G won’t work.
Check your UPLOAD speed. You’re sending video out, not downloading it, so upload speed is key. Use the Speedtest app to see how fast the network is. You’ll need a minimum of steady 5MB upload speed for reliability.
We use a dedicated 5G mobile WiFi hotspot for wedding live streaming.
5. Choose the right settings
720P or 1080P resolution? What’s the correct bitrate? This all depends on the internet speed you have available. Set your bitrate at half your upload speed. We stick to a maximum bitrate of 3MB which is a sweet spot for quality versus reliability.
Is your stream buffering or stuttering? If the internet is slow, reduce your resolution as well as your bitrate. This can be the trickiest part of the live streaming process to get right.
5. Go live!
Good luck, and don’t forget the three golden rules of live streaming:
- Test
- Test
- Test
Get in touch with us
Did our tips on the best way to live stream your wedding help you? Or does all that sound just a little too much? Can we help you with professional wedding live streaming? We’re always here to chat.
About the author
Written by Stephen Lee
Owner, CeremonyCast – Professional Wedding Live Streaming
Covering Sydney, Southern Highlands, Wollongong, Central Coast, Newcastle & The Hunter