The new hotness: How to stream your wedding with Facebook Live

Have you participated in any Facebook Live streams yet? Here's how some are using it to stream their weddings…

The idea of streaming your wedding day to the interwebs isn't new. Friends and family who can't physically attend your wedding for whatever reason can tune in via the internet and experience the ceremony in real-time — from anywhere in the world! The future is nigh, my friends.

Late last year, a new kid arrived on the block and we think it's a great option for streaming weddings. In December 2015, Facebook Live was unveiled. This feature allows users to livestream anything to their Facebook friends by pressing a few buttons on their phone.

Why do we love Facebook Live wedding streaming?

It's simple. Really, really simple. Rather than having to purchase an external webcam or learn how to use unfamiliar software, if you have Facebook's app on a camera-enabled smart phone, you're pretty much set.

By going with Facebook Live, your grandparents won't need to figure out how to use an entirely new app in order to watch your ceremony.

Secondly, you probably have a bunch of friends and family already on Facebook. By going with Facebook Live, your grandparents won't need to figure out how to use an entirely new app in order to watch your ceremony. Instead, once you start streaming, your Facebook connections will get a notification. From there, all they need to do is click the notification and Facebook will take them to your stream.

Facebook Live wedding streaming best practices:

Ask for help

You'll see the best results if you appoint somebody to be in charge of the stream. This way, if there are any problems with it during the ceremony, they can troubleshoot.

If you really want to err on the safe side, you may want to consider giving this streamer's cell phone number to a few people who will be watching the stream and encouraging these viewers to text him/her if there's an issue. This way, if the streamer makes a mistake, such as putting a finger over the phone's mic and muffling the audio (which is easy to accidentally do), viewers can give her/him a heads up.

But if you do so, be sure to ask the streamer to put their phone on vibrate, so they don't disturb the ceremony.

Consider hardware

If you're planning a ceremony in a noisy or outdoor environment, we definitely recommend looking into an external mic.

While Facebook Live will work fine just with a phone and no accessories, you can ensure a steadier shot by employing a tripod. For you audiophiles out there, a number of companies make external microphones that can attach to smartphones. Using one of these will improve the stream's audio quality.

If you're planning a ceremony in a noisy or outdoor environment, we definitely recommend looking into an external mic.

Coordinate a location

In advance of the wedding, determine where you'd like the stream to happen from. Setting it up in the front row is often a good vantage point.

Be sure to let the photographer know this location, so they don't accidentally stand in front of the streamer and block their shot. On the flip side, it's important that the streamer is positioned in a way that doesn't make getting a good photo difficult for the photographer.

Ensure a connection

Check with the venue to see if there's a solid wi-fi signal. It's a good idea to get the network's password before the ceremony. If wi-fi isn't an option, a good 4G connection will work. Be warned though, if the signal is weak, Facebook won't let you initiate a stream.

Give it a test run

Before the ceremony, make sure Facebook's app has been downloaded. Open it up, log in, and confirm that the app works properly on whatever device will be used.

Be sure that your streamer is familiar with the process of starting a live session:

• Open the app and hit "What's on your mind?"
• Then, select the circular, livestream button.
• Finally, select "Go Live" to begin the stream. Note that you can also adjust the sharing settings, to determine who can see the stream, by clicking on the "Friends" button.

We suggest doing a test stream from the venue well in advance of the ceremony. This way, if there's any kind of issue, you'll have plenty of time to address it before wedding time.

Will YOU be using Facebook Live to stream your wedding?