Hey y’all! While we have been working with many couples who chose to elope this summer and fall, I have also been thinking of our couples who want to celebrate with a larger group of people and are not sure what to do for late 2020 and all of 2021… and beyond.

After a lot of research, planning and investment on our part, we are really excited to offer a new hybrid wedding experience where we can work with guests in Savannah as well as welcome up to 80 more guests in an online celebration which they can enjoy from their home, anywhere in the world.

Our new Online Zoom Celebration Add-On focuses on three important principles- (1) designing an opportunity for your guests to be part of your your ceremony, (2) creating an enjoyable way for your guests to watch and feel like they are part of the event, and (3) allowing you to interact with your online guests after the ceremony in an efficient and meaningful way.

You’ll also get a link to the unedited video and Zoom event after the event. We’ve worked with a lot of couples this year who struggled with technical issues when trying to create streaming and Zoom options themselves and we want to to help!

This September, we conducted our first hybrid wedding experience with Jessica & Shelby, who downsized their Savannah wedding like many 2020 couples did. Jessica & Shelby originally planned to have an Intimate Destination Wedding with 40-50 guests, but changed their plans to have a Savannah Elopement Experience with ten guests in person, including our Adventure Hour Add-On with pedicabs so they could get lots of beautiful photos all over Savannah. They also invited guests who couldn’t attend to participate in an Online Celebration on Zoom. 

We hosted the event virtually and helped guests enter the event, go to small rooms to talk with each other like they would at an in-person event, and moderated mics and other issues. Ashly McCoy, our photographer, handled the video on site as well as helping Jessica & Shelby interact with their online guests and share their joy with them.

Guests were invited to join the event up to 30 minutes before it start to socialize. Once the ceremony was ready to begin with Partner Officiant April, we brought them to the event in Savannah so they could be part of it. 

Here’s Jessica & Shelby’s guests reacting at the end of the ceremony and their first kiss! Look at those spontaneous claps!

After the ceremony, Jessica and Shelby also had time to speak with everyone who was online. (Because this was a small group, all the guests interacted with the couple at once. For bigger events, we would help set people up in rooms for more intimate interactions if needed.) Jessica & Shelby also received a link to the recorded video and Zoom event after the wedding.

In Savannah, Jessica and Shelby had more beautiful photos with Ashly. Here are some of my favorites from the two hours they spent together.

We’re grateful that Jessica & Shelby had a great time, too!

Want to learn more about how to have your own Online Zoom Celebration with Savannah Custom Weddings & Elopements?

• Create and share special messaging and ideas, like food and cocktail recipes and Savannah trivia, to help your guests enjoy Savannah remotely and feel like they are part of the event 
• Order special Savannah gifts for your remote guests, if desired
• Set up the Zoom room for your wedding, including meeting and pass codes and all technical instructions for you and your guests
• Create a timeline for any special remote performances or videos you would like to include before or after the ceremony (optional)

• Welcome guests 30 minutes prior to the ceremony and assign them to small groups (breakout rooms) to enjoy the pre-wedding time
• Manage muting guests and transitioning them to the ceremony in Savannah
• Provide a high-quality video stream of the ceremony to your Zoom guests 
• Facilitate the experience onsite so you can see your virtual guests on camera and thank them for being part of your day, including in private groups
• Manage the viewing of remote performances and intermission slideshows (optional)

• Receive links to download an unedited JPG of the ceremony footage within a week of the ceremony