Daniel and Ilana got married in Guatemala City at the start of this year. But what they want was a modern-day time capsule that would preserve their memories of the wedding and a meaning through which they can revisit the day their tied the knot.
“As we started to plan the wedding, it became clear we needed something that could truly capture everything about the day, in a way we could enjoy many times over,” said Daniel.
A few month into the wedding and the couple has already relived their wedding many times by watching it in virtual reality. YouVisit, a Florida-based startup was hired to capture the 360 degree videos of wedding and stitch in into something that will be able to virtually send the couple back in time and enjoy their special day.
“My wife, who has watched the video many times already, cries every time,” Daniel said. “No matter how much we see it, there’s always something we hadn’t noticed before. These are things that would have gone unnoticed because we were so wrapped up in the moment, but it feels like a whole new day every time we step into the virtual environment.”
A team from of professional VR filmmakers came during the wedding to set up cameras at different locations throughout the wedding marquee. The footage of each camera was then compiled by YouVisit and put online so the couple could share it with friends and family.
“The ability to capture personal moments in VR is a trend that has been growing exponentially, particularly as 360 cameras are becoming mainstream,” said YouVisit cofounder, Abi Mandelbaum. “As a fully immersive medium, VR has the ability to completely shift how we tell stories, both on a corporate level through business marketing but also a personal and social level.”
Watch a 360 degree VR wedding ceremony. Watch in HD please:
YouVisit start-up has made more than 1,000 interactive VR footage ranging from theatre performances and musicals/ concerts to corporate and athletic events. Getting a customized VR experience is expensive, but YouVisit is offering packages starting from $10,000. The company also offers open access to its Experience Builder software. This platform enables the users to build their own VR experiences by uploading 360-degree photos and videos of their choice.
It took 2-3 months to develop and finalize Daniel and Ilana’s VR wedding from conceiving the idea to final editing. The couple has even shown the VR footage to friends and family who could not make it to Guatemala for the wedding and hope that one day, they will show it to their children too.
VR isn’t the only tech being used at the wedding ceremonies and other important events to get high-quality footage. Some people also hire drones to take aerial footage of the wedding marquee and sneak GPRO or Tech30 cameras at opposite ends of the aisle to capture the bride’s walk towards the groom. Since VR is expensive, not many couples will opt for it as there are so many other things to manage within the limited budgets. But Daniel is happy with his decisions and recalls,
“The takeaway for us was not so much to be leveraging innovative technology, but to be able to capture this magical day in Guatemala and to go back and visit whenever we want.”
What about you? Many of us dream of a grand wedding but would you want to relive those moments in VR? Let us know what you think.