Every Indian wedding now has a cousin in Dubai, an aunt in New Jersey and a grandparent who cannot travel. A live stream lets them see the muhurtham as it happens — but only if they can find the link at 6:30 AM IST without waking anyone up. The trick is to put the stream inside the invitation, on the event it belongs to, so the same link they already have is the one that goes live.
Step 1: choose the platform
| Platform | Best for | Guests need | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube Live | Large family, one-way viewing | Nothing — opens in the browser | Embeds inside the invitation; recording stays available after |
| Zoom | Small group who want to be seen and heard | Zoom app or browser | 40-minute limit on free plans; passcodes confuse elders |
| Google Meet | Small group, Google users | A Google account for some settings | Simple, but 100-participant cap |
| Instagram Live | Friends | Instagram app | Not for elders; disappears after 24 h unless saved |
For a wedding, YouTube Live wins for one reason: it plays inside the invitation page itself. Guests tap Watch live and it starts — no app, no code, no "which link?".
Step 2: set up the stream
Most wedding photographers and videographers in India now offer live streaming; ask for a YouTube Live stream and the watch link a few days before. If you are doing it yourself:
- Create or use a YouTube channel (the couple's or a family member's).
- Go to YouTube Studio → Go live → Schedule stream. Set the visibility to Unlisted — anyone with the link can watch, but it will not appear in searches.
- Set the date and the start time (a little before the muhurtham).
- Copy the watch link — it looks like
https://youtube.com/live/…orhttps://youtu.be/…. - Stream from a phone on a tripod with a stable connection; a videographer's camera through an encoder is better.
Step 3: put it on the invitation
In the ShareMyInvite editor, open the event that will be streamed — usually the Wedding Muhurtham — and expand Live stream. Paste the link and, optionally, a note such as Streamed live from 6:15 AM IST.
That is it. On the invitation, the event card shows a Watch live button:
- Before the day it says Watch live and opens the stream page, which shows the countdown YouTube provides.
- During the event window it switches to Live now with a red dot, and the stream plays inside the invitation — no leaving the page.
- After it becomes Watch the recording if the stream is saved.
Zoom and Meet links work too: the button opens the meeting, with your note (a passcode, for example) shown beneath it.
Step 4: tell the guests who need it
Do not rely on them finding the button. Send the relatives abroad a message that says the stream is inside the invitation, with the time in their zone:
Dear Priya Athai, the muhurtham is on 14 February at 6:30 AM IST — that is 7:00 PM on the 13th for you in New York. It will be streamed live; open our invitation and tap Watch live on the muhurtham card: [link]
A reminder the evening before (their time) helps more than anything else.
Etiquette and practicalities
- Announce it at the hall. Guests who are present like to know that family abroad is watching; some priests will even greet them.
- Point the camera at the mandap, not the crowd. The people abroad want to see the couple.
- Test the audio. Mantras through a phone mic sound like wind; ask the videographer for a feed from the hall's sound system.
- Keep the link unlisted, not public. Nobody wants a stranger's comments under their wedding.
- Save the recording. Relatives in other time zones will watch it later — the same Watch button serves it.
Live preview — scroll it like a guest would.
Paste a YouTube link once — the button goes live by itself.
Add a live stream to your invitationFAQ
Does adding a live stream cost extra?
No. The live-stream link is part of every plan, including the Link plan.
What if I do not have the link yet when I send the invitation?
Send the invitation without it. When the videographer sends you the link, open your edit link, paste it into the event, save — the *Watch live* button appears on the invitation everyone already has.
Can I stream two events — the muhurtham and the reception?
Yes. Each event card has its own stream field, so the reception can have a separate link (or the same one).
Does it work on the WhatsApp browser?
Yes. The YouTube player is embedded with the privacy-friendly domain and plays inside the WhatsApp in-app browser on both Android and iPhone; if a phone blocks embedded video, the button opens YouTube instead.
Ready to try it?
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