Why I chose to livestream my wedding with Lovecast

When I resolved myself not to get stressed about wedding planning or turn into a tomato-faced “bridezilla,” it was long before the world had heard of COVID19.

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We got engaged on December 14th, 2019, in Valle D’Aosta, Italy.

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After six years of long-distance, we were ready to get the show on the road. We planned to marry quickly on March 29th, 2020, in my hometown of Toronto, Canada.

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The Coronavirus caveat was that my Italian partner Damiano was in lockdown in Turin, Italy, while I was firmly planted an ocean away in T.O.

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Logistics is challenging for even the most resilient couple when the bride and groom are in different countries.

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Two weeks before our (first) big day in March, the borders closed and we admitted defeat.I reluctantly reached for my simple yet perfect wedding day outfit hanging on the back of my door and hid it away in the closet.

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Fast forward to the summer—things were looking up. Yet, we were painstakingly aware that a second-wave was expected in the fall.

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Used to unexpected pivots after six years of long-distance across two continents, we began our second wedding plan. Our wedding would now happen in Italy, we just weren’t sure exactly when.

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We knew that there was a good chance that it would be just us, in an unremarkable government room, with little-to-no family. My family and friends were understanding and encouraged us to move forward with our “plans.”

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I found ways to incorporate them into the wedding day like, wearing my mom’s vintage pants and my best friend’s earrings from her wedding. Still, it was a tough pill to swallow that I would be far away on this important day.

Lovecast saves the day

The moment we decided on an intimate wedding in Italy, I knew that technology would play a big part. I began researching wedding live stream apps.

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My techy (read: nerdy) university degree in Radio and Television Arts would never allow me to have a live stream wedding with bad audio.

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When researching, I consulted with friends who:

• Recently attended a Zoom wedding
• Work in the tech start-up space
• Are nerdy like me

The consensus with Zoom weddings was:

• It was hard to see/hear what was happening.
• It was impersonal. The guests didn’t feel connected to the couple.
• It felt like a work call versus a special event.

Zoom weddings felt like too strange a concept. I don’t plan to do a bouquet toss at the watercooler so let’s not bring work tools to our wedding.

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I was thinking of my 74-year old Uncle Maurice telling me that new app learning was “above his pay grade.”

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I needed something better. Here’s what I was looking for:

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High-quality output: Asking 20 of my favorite people to login on a Saturday to watch me tie the knot meant it needed to be an enjoyable viewing experience.

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Recording capability: I needed a live stream app that was going to offer me the opportunity to re-watch the big day when the adrenaline finally left my body.

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Stability: I accepted that internet capability was always going to be a “me problem” to figure out. Having the ability to test that beforehand made it less stressful.

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‍Easy login: Once a maid of honor, I knew that day-of tech stress was wedding kryptonite. A simple link that my guests could click into without fumbling with confirmation codes was key.

When I discovered Lovecast I did a happy dance. Here was an affordable solution that ticked every box.

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The bonus features confirmed my choice to use it to livestream my wedding in Italy:

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No awkward eye contact‍

I didn’t want my virtual wedding guests to feel pressured to lock eyes and smile with mere-strangers as they viewed our ceremony.

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Keeping it casual and convenient‍

We’re all Zoom fatigued.

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No obligatory fascinators or bow ties were required. I wanted my guests to be able to watch comfortably in wooly socks and their finest flannel—toque optional (I’m giving away my nationality here). 100% of the guests were relieved not to be featured on-camera.

The test website

Our “bleak government room” ended up being a medieval olive garden outside of a castle in Gradara in Le Marche, Italy. There was a harp. It escalated quickly.

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Knowing that our backdrop was going to be stunning, we went the extra mile to capture it. We purchased a cheap shotgun mic/tripod from Amazon for $50.
The day before, we brought our best friend and ”witness” to the venue in Gradara. We tried the test website to confirm a strong signal and set him up on the app in case of emergency (Mercury was retrograde—if you know, then you know).

Lovecast: one of the best decisions we made

The ceremony streamed beautifully in high-definition (HD). Our loved ones sent us photos of it on their big-screen televisions. We felt just like royals.

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Those who couldn’t make the live event were able to re-watch and feel connected to us even from across the ocean with a link texted straight to their phones.

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In the days that followed, Lovecast provided me with fast email responses to answer all of my questions. They showed me how to download my video from my webpage and pointed out that the app automatically saved a local copy directly to my phone. Now, I can watch it again whenever I’m feeling nostalgic (which is always).

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I’m convinced that a live stream wedding is for every couple getting married—with or without coronavirus. Download the Lovecast app to play around with the test website before the big day. These memories you make will last a lifetime.