White Cat Media

White Cat Media

I kind of think that, in 2025, it's part of the package now and shouldn't be charged for separately.

White Cat Media

Have never heard of anyone charging extra because the wedding falls on a special day, not even if the wedding falls on Christmas Day.

But I have heard of plenty of people who will charge LESS for weekday weddings, or sometimes winter or autumn weddings.

White Cat Media

Here's five different quality levels of livestream (which means five different expense levels as well).

As to which way is the "best", well, it's a trade-off between price and quality.

1. A friend with a phone. Usually with a tripod for the phone as well. And I've seen plenty of weddings that do this.

2. Next level up: cheap livestreaming company. The cheapest companies will basically do what friend-with-a-phone/tablet does. But the big difference is that it's their job. They have to take responsiblity for the stream and constantly monitor and adjust the camera.

3. Next level: it's still a single camera, but this time it's a proper camera, not an iPad -- and probably proper audio. For instance, they might be getting audio from the DJ's desk, whereas the cheaper companies are just using "on-camera audio", and there's a difference in audio quality. On-camera is more echoey and has more background noise. Some of these single-camera livestreamers will also offer a moving camera.

4. And then the next level is multiple cameras-- for instance, one wide and one close -- with the ability to switch between them.

5. And then the most complicated setup I've seen at weddings is something like three or four cameras with a larger team. For instance, there would be one person in charge of switching between the angles and monitoring audio, and then one or two people in charge of operating the cameras.

Other considerations:

1. Definitely not all videographers offer streaming. But just ask!

2. Internet connection. This is a constant worry of livestreamers. If the venue or church has a WiFi or ethernet connection the livestreamer can use, that can help, but often the venue might charge extra for the service. People who livestream weddings don't have access to the level of equipment used by professional TV networks, so no one streaming weddings can guarantee the stream will work! But if it doesn't work, they'll still record the event, and upload as soon as possible afterwards.

3. Setup time. For the more elaborate livestreaming, the streamer could need an hour or two to move gear in and set up. It's not instantaneous.

4. Projection. If the venue has projector screens, it's not hard for the livestreamer to send a signal to them. Usually, they'd just need to set up their main desk next to an HDMI port. This can be useful for large weddings where a lot of people might not have a good view. (The only catch is the venue would charge you extra for the screens.)

5. The good livestreamers don't use YouTube, as another commenter has said. But the bulk will, because it's free. The problem is that YouTube will stop the stream or mute it if it detects copyrighted music.

6. If there are any pre-recorded videos, coordinate with the livestreamer ahead of time. Get them a copy of the video that they can play directly into the stream. (For instance, I livestream a lot of funerals, and often there is a visual tribute as part of the service.)