Virtual Ceremony NOT Virtual Guests

5 Tips For The Best Guest Experience

Authored by: D.K Diosi
January 19, 2021

Having a virtual wedding ceremony may or may not be the format you’ve always dreamed of for your big day. But if you are like many other engaged couples, it’s the recent restrictions to gatherings that is causing you to pivot in this direction, leaving you with a lot of questions about how to make it a memorable and enjoyable experience for your friends and family. Although the ceremony is virtual, your guests are not avatars, they are your dearest family and friends and you want them to enjoy the day just as much as you will!

For the best guest experience here are 5 things you may want to consider….

1. Sending a Guest Bag

You will be off to a great guest experience with this one! I mean, who doesn’t like to accept a lovely package delivered right to their door!  You can stuff it full of goodies and send it to your guests ahead of time. A guest gift bag can serve as a way to provide your guests with much-needed communication and fun stuff too!  

Of all of the guest bag ‘stuffing’ be sure to include…

• Day of Details: Set your guests at ease by ensuring that they are well informed of the days’ happenings.  From log-in through the ceremony to cake cutting, toasts, and speeches. This is your opportunity to provide them with all the information and itinerary for the day. This can be as simple as a print out on nice paper to a fancier picture postcard with a customized QR code for the tech-savvy crowd leading them to all the details. It is good to be mindful that your guests may have questions ahead of the big day so help them to get the answers they are looking for by providing them with your preferred method of communication like an email address or phone number to your wedding planner, helper, or yourself.
• Gifting Details: As with an in-person wedding your guests will want to give you gifts, so be sure to include this information. In an easy to understand format or a one stop location link to your wedding website, gift registry or E-transfer details. 
• Wedding Day Momento:  Guests will feel included when they see that you have thought of them! A small gift as a thank you is a wonderful way to say thank you and celebrate them. If your budget will allow, this may be a good place for a bit of splurge. One example would be a small bottle of Prosecco with a personalized label and a couple of glasses both classy and fun! That being said, one of the hottest trends in 2020 was a personalized hand sanitizer!

2. DRESSING UP

Some of your guests are attending from home but that does not mean they should attend in their jammies, at least not from the waist up! 

Invite them to attend your wedding wearing the attire that they would have worn in person. Dressing up at home will help that day and time to feel special and set apart from regular at home activities. 

3. FLOWERS FOR VIP’S

Help any VIPS who are attending virtually to stand out from the crowd and feel extra-celebrated, by arranging to have boutonnieres or corsages for them to wear.  Delivered to them on the morning of or evening before the special day.

4. FUN FOR YOUR GUESTS

Fun is always part of any wedding day, to help the virtual crowd relax and enjoy a laugh plan to have the virtual host (emcee), play some virtual ‘get to know you’ type games either before the ceremony or whenever there is downtime. Another idea would be to ask your guests to pre-record videos of their well-wishes and messages and have your host play those throughout.

5. PHOTOS

Let’s face it, you cannot have enough pictures on this special day and will definitely want photos of your guests and I’m sure they will be happy to oblige! Invite them to photograph themselves and their guest experience for you. If you have a “couples” hashtag ask your them to use the hashtag when posting their pics so they can view other attendees photos as well. Compile the photos of your choice into a  digital or printed memory book that you can enjoy for years to come.

A virtual ceremony does not have to be anything less than a dream wedding for you, and a really good and memorable experience for your guests as well!  Your ideas can be unique as you are so be creative, have fun, and most importantly enjoy this unique opportunity to shine!

About the Author: D.K Diosi
Debbie is a freelance Copywriter/Blogger and a Certified Life Coach. Her goal is to live a life that out-lives the breath in her lungs. She believes that each of us possess an unique life purpose fueled by our passions and her desire is to help others through her love of writing and coaching to define and achieve their best self resulting in living their best life!

Google analytics says “virtual marriage” is trending…

Authored by: Anette Marchant
January 19, 2021

You are not alone in wondering if a virtual wedding is for you. Your hesitation in moving forward is understandable in light of Covid-19 restrictions. Your carefully selected wedding date along with all your plans, on pause. The simple desire to celebrate with family and friends is hard to ignore… 

But sometimes there are special considerations to make. As one couple decided, they wanted her grandfather to see them get married. They went ahead with a virtual wedding and one month later he passed. Now they cherish the fact that they didn’t wait. 

Though restrictions vary from province to province, couples can plan on having 10 people attend in person. If you look at it this way, you can invite more people than you initially planned to a live-streamed event!

It may be difficult to make this decision but virtual or live-streamed weddings aren’t going away any time soon. Many couples are already making this choice as they have family and friends all over the world.

Inquire Today

Live Streamed weddings are every bit as special…

“It wasn’t how either of us had imagined we would get married, but it was so full of love and pure joy…we still hope to celebrate sometime soon with family and friends in person, but for now, we are so glad to be officially husband and wife.” 

—Julie and Benjamin

It is important to clarify that you can’t have a fully virtual wedding in Canada. For legal purposes, your marriage license must be signed and witnessed in person, with your officiant on the wedding day.  

We’re finding that couples have a hard time letting their wedding day pass and don’t want to postpone. So honor the wedding date you’ve picked. Your full wedding plans can be realized down the road should you choose. You can do both—we encourage it!

Enduring Promises offers a special package for those couples wanting to take care of the legalities now, followed by a ceremony with family & friends at a later date.

Inquire Now 

Don’t leave out any of the trimmings! If you’ve already booked a florist, see if you can have curbside pick up of smaller bouquets or, maybe they offer a virtual tutorial on how to make your own bouquet. 

You will want the memories and photos of your special day; so it’s still a good idea to hire a photographer. 

Do all the special moments you want! A cake can also be ordered for curbside pickup, or be brave and make it yourself. Stack up the happy memories, and show us that love conquers. It will be a day to remember for all involved. 

Though you can’t be with all your guests, make it special for them! Click the link at the end to get some ideas of what you could do. 

A few things to keep in mind…

The first thing you need to consider is what platform you will use to make your virtual wedding possible. Google Hangout, Facebook Live, Instagram Live, and Zoom are the most popular options. 

Live streaming options such as Facebook or Instagram, allow guests to view the wedding and use the chat feature, sending their love and happy wishes. 

Zoom and Google Hangout are video conferencing apps where guests are encouraged to use ‘Speaker View’ to see you, but can also see and interact with each other. Zoom also allows a virtual waiting room where guests can log in and mingle, adding to the wedding atmosphere.  

Ask someone to be the technical administrator for your day. They can be the virtual host to welcome guests when they log in, moderate the waiting room, mute and unmute, and even make sure the video call is being recorded as a special memory. 

Please keep provincial marriage license regulations in mind. If your original wedding day has passed since the license was issued, confirm with your registry office that the license is still valid.                                                                                                       

What Enduring Promises can do for you…

We will tell your story the way YOU created it! Our online console is accessible to you once you’ve booked your wedding with us. We have always been about minimizing the stress of your wedding day. We want to help you celebrate and we’re not camera shy!

 “We used Enduring Promises to design our ceremony and couldn’t be happier. Using the ceremony builder you can really make it your own. We received so many compliments about our beautiful and unique ceremony! Our officiant did an amazing job and was such a pleasure to work with! I could not recommend this company enough!”

—Samantha & Jordan

You may not have expected to do your wedding this way, but we’re here for you! Now more than ever, we need a reason to celebrate–bringing a little joy into each other’s lives. Imagine the stories you’ll tell and happy memories you’ll create!

5 Tips For The Best Guest Experience

About the Author: 
Annette Marchant is a copywriter and homebody from Calgary. She writes—and is a happy contributor to this blog. Her love of words is fueled by black tea and a great set of headphones. Her home is filled with boys and one of them is an Officiant with Enduring Promises.

Feeling overwhelmed and short on ideas?

How To Plan A Wedding During Covid-19

Virtual wedding shows bring the inspiration!

Authored by: Annette Marchant
January 14, 2021

The excitement is setting in, your Honey has proposed ? and the next chapter of your life is about to begin. Then t he anxious thoughts move in–how on earth are you going to plan a wedding during a global pandemic and the current restrictions? You’ve found the one you love, your lives have blended, your home is where the other is and you are moving forward together. Our world has indeed changed but there is no reason for you to miss out on this special time in your life! 

It’s easy to assume that you’ll be able to book an appointment to try on wedding dresses, but where do you go if you just want to see what’s out there first? 

We understand and want you to know that there are solutions to your questions and we have good ideas to share with you. Schedule a day in, grab your warm drink, pull a blanket over your knees, and sign in to join us at a virtual wedding show. 

Virtual wedding shows make planning your upcoming wedding easy! Don’t miss out on celebrity guests and featured presentations, no jostling for a seat in a cramped auditorium. You can experience a virtual show by registering (for a reduced price) with all the same benefits of attending in-person! What’s better than Pj’s, coffee, and all things Bridal?

Every vendor you would expect to see at an in-person show is there; your ability to connect with them is easier than it would be in a crowded venue. Exclusive vendors include special offers, prizes, and are open to your questions. Use this unique opportunity as a resource of idea inspiration!

Fashion is a vital part of wedding shows. The best from exclusive bridal boutiques with all the latest in gowns and bridesmaid dresses for you to enjoy and be inspired by. We got you!

Workshops and demos from wedding planning to floral design, and everything between. Ideas and resources to help you plan and make your day special. Many vendors are adapting to the changes, and their ideas are fresh. Register and see for yourself!

Wedding shows are the perfect virtual option for you to connect with wedding professionals, including Enduring Promises. We are a group of award-winning wedding officiants who have the expertise, experience, and passion for your day. 

We want to help you create your unique and memorable wedding ceremony at the location of your choice. We will guide you through the process with flexibility, to help reduce the stress of your wedding day. 

“With the chaos surrounding COVID-19, our officiant went above and beyond our expectations! He was accommodating despite our multiple date changes and made this part of our wedding a breeze. Mike had a clear voice and allowed our guests to enjoy every word. The online tool was helpful and straight forward which allowed us to have the exact ceremony and vibe we wanted. Enduring Promises was phenomenal to work with and stress-free. HIGHLY recommend!” —Jennifer on Wedding Wire

Book Your Virtual Wedding Consultation

“Enduring Promises’ process was easy and worry-free from start to finish! We chose Glenn to officiate our COVID wedding. He is a kind soul who was very helpful and accommodating, especially with our uncertainties! He assured us he would be there wherever and whenever we needed to go in order for us to be married. We are glad all worked out as planned and that we had Glenn officiate and be a part of our special day!” —Stephanie Lee on Wedding Wire

Don’t let choosing your Officiant be the last detail you consider, because hey, you can’t get married without us! We look forward to meeting with you at one of these upcoming virtual wedding shows…

The Wedding Planning Summit

Love’s Not Cancelled

The Wedding Ring

Bridal Expo

Take the stress off, enjoy the show, and let the planning begin! It’s not too early to book your Officiant. If changes are needed we promise to be flexible and accommodating!

Contact Enduring Promises

About the Author: Annette Marchant

Annette Marchant is a copywriter and homebody from Calgary. She writes—and is a happy contributor to this blog. Her love of words is fueled by black tea and a great set of headphones. Her home is filled with boys and one of them is an Officiant with Enduring Promises.