Webcast that wedding: new tools make nuptials more social than ever

It’s wasn’t long ago that beaming one’s wedding to the whole internet was reserved for those named Kate and William. Now, the practice has gone mainstream as companies spring up to help couples share their vows far and wide.

As the New York Times reports, live-streams and hashtags are joining rice and bouquets as wedding fixtures. For some couples, a live webcast is a way to expand the guest list and share the happy event with faraway loved-ones through a password-protected link. Others simply blast their wedding to all comers in yet another form of full-blown social sharing.

The companies in the space include MarryMeLive, Idostream and SeeMyMarriage. Prices range from $ 200 to $ 1,500 depending on whether it’s a professional or do-it-yourself production and on the location (weddings are being streamed everywhere from churches to cruise ships).

Wedding webcasts can also create a more participatory experience.  In the Times story, for instance, a woman describes tweeting about her friend’s wedding from her Brooklyn apartment. But as with other rituals that move into a social sharing space, there is potential for mischief. One campus website lists a number of wedding-related Twitter hashtags to watch out for such as: #whitetrashwedding, #uglydress and #whoinvitedher.

(Image by Jeff Schultes via Shutterstock)

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

  • Report: Monetizing Digital Content
  • Controversy, courtrooms and the cloud in Q1
  • Q4 Wrap-up: SOPA and the future of digital content



GigaOM