For couples who would like to gather all of their friends and family on their original wedding day!
The Virtual Toast is an opportunity to maintain the spirit of your wedding, which is the coming together as a community to celebrate love. This is not a replacement for your wedding day, inside it is a moment, in these uncertain times, to say love is worth celebrating, even if we can only do it via video!
Your Virtual Toast is crafted during a 30-minute meeting with your wedding celebrant. During this time, you will discuss what you want your toast to be about – some couples are look for something playful to breakup the stress or lock down, while other opt for focusing on community and support – and the tone that you would like to strike – whether something more playful or reverent. You will discuss the people you would like to involve in the ceremony – we recommend 2 to 3 either for readings, speeches, or toasts. Though a typical wedding ceremony focuses on the couple, the focus here is on the communal aspect of this experience. The idea is that the experience is fun and engaging for everyone. Included in the discussion will be any communal rituals you would like to include. Examples of this could be a communal toast or a communal vow to continue to support each other through all this uncertainty or something completely different that resonates with you. And finally, you will talk about any vows you would like to make to each other, think quarantine-inspired vows.
From there your celebrant will draft the script for your Virtual Toast for your final approval and be in email contact with the people you would like included in the ceremony. Upon finalizing the script for your experience, your celebrant will provide you with the password-protected login information for your Virtual Toast, which will be hosted on Zoom.
When your date comes around, your celebrant and a technical assistant will be in your Zoom meeting room to greet you and all of your guests. The technical assistant will be there to ensure smooth running of your event, including microphone management, prepping the next speaker, and playing any music that you request. In addition, you will have the option to continue the party after the ceremony, as well as have a video recording of your Virtual Toast.
Have we piqued your interested? Read over our FAQs below to understand exactly what is involved.
FAQs
I think my guests will be confused by this?
That is understandable, there is a lot that is confusing about this moment. However, if you are searching for the right way to explain it to your guests, tell them this is a chance to celebrate the importance of love, community, and interdependence at a time when we feel all alone. If that doesn’t work, tell them that they can bring a drink.
Do we have to exchange vows?
Only if you want to. If you want to save them for the big day, don’t worry. Alternatively, you can share some quarantine-inspired vows, i.e. I vow to clean up my coffee cups and never to do my home workouts while you are on a work call.
How do we get people involved?
The first and most controlled way is to ask 2 to 3 people to make a speech or a toast. This doesn’t have to be on the same level as the actual wedding day. Instead, ask them to share a memory of you two from when you first met or a funny story about you from quarantine. Remember, this is also a moment to let everyone forget, for even just a bit, about the stress of the outside world and enjoy themselves.
How does this affect the ceremony to be delivered on my new wedding date?
It doesn’t! Your wedding ceremony will be delivered as originally planned on your new wedding date. If your wedding is being postponed until 2021 your wedding celebrant will be in touch with you early next year to refresh your ceremony in the ways you see fit.
Is there a restriction on the number of guests?
Yes, there is a restriction. There can be no more than 100 connections via phone or computer. However, one couple calling in together would count as only one connection.
How much does it cost?
This service is listed to the general public on our website for €279, plus VAT. For Your European Wedding Celebrant’s existing couples, the cost is €99, plus VAT.
How do we book?
Please email your celebrant telling her that you would like to book a Virtual Toast for your wedding date and advise at which time that you would like to have your ceremony. To secure your celebrant the full €99 fee, plus VAT, will be due and an updated contract, including the new service, will be shared with you. Please then arrange with your celebrant a suitable date and time for a 30-minute call to discuss your Virtual Toast and start thinking about the fun you will have!