How to live stream a wedding

As anyone planning a wedding or event in the past twelve months can testify, things have been anything but easy.

Even as mass vaccination roll-outs continue to offer hope to struggling industries across the UK, policy limiting the number of guests allowed at events such as weddings, christenings and even funerals remains a distinct possibility. 

In which instance, event organisers will be left with two probable options: postpone or play-on. 

For those who choose the latter, live streaming presents itself as a great platform, allowing people to tune-in to an event in realtime, wherever they are in the world, provided they have an internet connection.

In this blog we’ll discuss how to live stream a wedding or event, offering top tips for anyone looking to set up a live stream themselves, as well as professional wedding photographers or videographers looking to add live streaming to their existing product line-up.

How to live stream from your phone or tablet

The first and arguably the simplest way to live stream a wedding or event is to do so directly from your smartphone or tablet. To do this, you’ll need a stable internet connection, as well as a device that comes with a decent quality camera built-in. 

You’ll also want to invest in a tripod and phone mount, which will save whoever’s in charge of the stream from having to hold the phone up for the duration of the event.

Once you’re connected to the internet and have the phone or tablet in place, you have a couple of options when it comes to setting up the stream itself.

The easiest option is to live stream directly through Facebook. By doing this, you’ll be able to show the live stream within a specific event or group, or even to a set audience, such as the families of the bride and groom. 

Just remember, if you’re wanting to live stream a wedding to a private group or event on Facebook, you’ll need to be listed as a group administrator first. This can be done by whoever set up the group and following the steps below:

• From your News Feed, click Groups in the left menu and select your group. If you don't see Groups, click See More.

• Click Members below your group's cover photo.

• Click next to the person you want to make an admin or moderator.

• Select Make Admin or Make Moderator, then click Send Invite.

Another option is to stream directly through YouTube, although this is only available to users with over 1,000 subscribers. 

Zoom is also an option for those looking to set up a super-basic live stream. This can be done by scheduling a private meeting on Zoom and distributing an invite over email to those who you want to attend. 

If using this option, be sure to instruct everyone on the call to mute themselves prior to the event going live. The last thing you want is Auntie Vera ruining the moment you say ‘I do’ by slurping her afternoon tea. 

Pros and cons of live streaming through a smartphone or tablet 

As you’d expect with a setup as basic as those listed above, there are a number of pros and cons to consider.

In terms of the pros, this setup can be managed by anyone in attendance, meaning you won’t have to rely on a professional photographer or videographer to set things up for you. As a result, this option will save you money and the need to organise external suppliers on your big day. 

As for the cons, there are two major issues to consider. 

First up is audio. With no way of monitoring audio levels, you’ll be at the mercy of your phone or tablet’s microphone - which isn’t really designed to pick up audio from across a large room. 

One way around this particular problem is to use a wireless mic system, such as the Rode GO Wireless, however when you consider that this is likely to cost you over £100 to buy, you may find that you would've been better hiring a professional to set up your live stream after all.

Another major con is that once your phone or tablet is set up on the tripod, you won’t be able to monitor the video unless someone stands with it during the entire duration of the stream. This means in the unfortunate event of something going wrong, you won’t find out until the event has finished. 

Bypassing this issue can be achieved by using a more advanced camera, such as the GoPro HERO8, as this can be monitored wirelessly via a smartphone once it has been set up. Again, this isn’t the most cost effective option though, with the HERO8 retailing at close to £300.

How to live stream from a professional DSLR or mirrorless camera 

As you might expect, streaming directly from a DSLR or mirrorless camera yields much better results when compared to the options listed above. That said, by opting for this particular approach, you’re going to need to invest in a few accessories to help get the job done.

What kit do I need to live stream through my DSLR camera?

• HDMI (type A) to HDMI Micro cable 

• Laptop computer 

• Tripod 

• Capture card 

The most important of all these accessories is the capture card, as without this, you won’t be able to stream directly from your DSLR or mirrorless camera. At Studio Lester, we use the popular Camlink 4K by Elgato, which retails at just over £100. 

This fits into the USB port on your laptop, with the larger end of the HDMI cable connecting the camera to it.

As the name suggests, this capture card can be used to stream events in stunning 4K quality. However given that doing so would likely result in buffering or even drop outs, we’d recommend sticking with 1080p.  

Another great feature of the Elgato Camlink 4K is that it streams audio as well as video - great news for anyone with a shotgun mic or wireless lav-mic system attached to their camera. 

For those that don’t have any audio equipment in their kit bag, the capture card can also be set to stream audio using your laptop’s microphone instead, just as it would if you were attending a Zoom meeting or Skype session without headphones. 

With your camera mounted on the tripod and connected to your laptop, live streaming can then be achieved through a number of channels, including Facebook, YouTube and even Zoom. 

However, if you’re wanting to create something with a truly professional vibe, we’d definitely recommend using Vimeo. 

With a premium account - which costs £840 per year - you can create a link to a given live stream event prior to the event itself going live. This link can then be shared by the couple getting married to anyone who wants to tune in, whether they’re doing so on a tablet, smartphone or desktop computer.

These links stay live even after the event has finished too, allowing anyone who missed the live event to rewatch it at a time more convenient to them. 

The golden rule of live streaming

The biggest issue, regardless of the setup you choose, is that live streaming can only work with a strong internet connection - something that most wedding venues simply don’t offer.

Even for those that do have a decent WiFi connection, you can bet your bottom dollar that most of the wedding guests will be battling for bandwidth, which may result in your live stream suffering from a number of issues. 

With this in mind, we’d always recommend tethering to your mobile device or personal hotspot instead. 

Naturally this can only be achieved if you have decent signal, so be sure to check that this is the case before committing yourself to deliver a live stream. This can be done by either visiting the venue prior to the event, or by phoning the management team and getting their professional opinion. 

Live stream your wedding with Studio Lester 

With a range of cameras, lenses and lights at our disposal, we’re well versed in delivering professional grade live streams for our clients. Whether you’re planning a wedding or event, our prices start at just £100, so be sure to get in touch if you’d like to team up.