When Your Family Can’t Come to Your Wedding

By offthechartentertainemnt
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21 Aug, 2017
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Do you want to include all of your friend and family for your wedding? Here are some ways that you might be able to include faraway friends and family!

Last month, we talked a bit about wintertime destination weddings. Whether it’s a destination wedding or you simply live far away from your family and friends, sometimes our loved ones can’t attend our weddings. This can be emotionally difficult for both the bridal couple and those relatives who would like to be a part of the special day but can’t. If you find that you’re in this predicament, here are some ways that you might be able to include faraway friends and family in your wedding from afar:

Have a post-wedding reception
Most of us have receptions immediately following the wedding ceremony, but you don’t have to do it right away. If you have flown off to Tahiti to tie the knot, you still have the option of having a reception or party when you get home in order to let your friends and family share your joy! This can range from a catered affair, complete with a “first dance,” cake cutting and bouquet toss, to a simple lunch held at your home or in a public park. You might consider specifying, “no gifts,” particularly if people have already sent you checks or gifts; you don’t want it to look like you’re only looking for more presents.
Have a Skype (or other live streamed) wedding
With the technology currently available, it’s possible to get married in New Jersey and share the event in real time with your best friend who lives in Australia. Skype allows you to have a video chat with one person for free, or a group video chat with up to 10 people for $10 per month. Purchase the service just for the one month that you need it if you wouldn’t normally use it otherwise. Other options for a live stream wedding include iPhone FaceTime, HangWith for iPhone or Android, YouTube Live Stream, and UStream.
Send a special package to a faraway relative
If someone close to you has moved away and can’t make it back for your wedding, consider putting together a special package just for her to include her after the fact. A custom-made album of photographs from your day, including the pre-wedding events and activities, would likely be appreciated. You could even have a photo book bound from an online company such as SnapFish, complete with captions. A copy of the wedding video is also a great way to send the details of your special day to that faraway friend or family member.

Getting married is something that you will want to share with everyone close to you, but sometimes a special someone (or many special someones) simply can’t make it. In times like these, it’s great to be able to take advantage of modern technology to include people from anywhere on the planet, either during or after your wedding.