Grandma Can't Be There...Advice?

I was watching an episode of Newlyweds the First Year and one of the brides getting married... her mother was in the hospital and couldn't attend. I'm not sure how they did it, maybe they used Skype, I'm not sure, but the mother was able to watch the ceremony live on a laptop. It wasn't the same as being there, but she seemed so happy that she could at least watch it.

I'm afraid I might have a similar situation with my grandma. She was supposed to go shopping with me for my dress but due to her health had to cancel that day. Now things have gotten worse this week and I'm afraid she won't be at my wedding next year. So I was thinking of ways to include her and since she has an iPhone I would facetime her while getting ready and probably again at the reception. We also weren't going to hire a videographer but I was thinking of having someone film our ceremony so we can watch it with her after the wedding. I really hope my grandma will be able to make it to my wedding and I hope your grandma will be able to make it to yours as well!

I'd try to Skype with her the day of the wedding, maybe while getting ready and then later with your FS after the ceremony.

I think Skyping or Facetiming the day of your wedding is a lovely idea. You can have a friend or family member videotape the ceremony to send to her later. Or even have one of your guests Skype/Facetime her during the ceremony so she can watch that way? Would that be possible?

You can try to skype the ceremony. If that doesn't work, have someone videotape it (either professionally or discreetly). Ask your officiant to mention your grandmother during the ceremony. She'll love hearing that when she watches the video. It will really touch her. Just know that she would do everything in her power to attend, but her body will not cooperate. It's part of getting older and it totally sucks.

I had a wedding last year where the grandma broke her hip a week before the ceremony. When the bride and her dad came down the aisle, her mom was on her other arm with an iPad Facetiming with Grandma in the hospital. She walked with her granddaughter, then the mom held it so she saw/heard the ceremony, and then she had a private moment with the B&G right after the recessional. So awesome!

Last year I also had a toast from Oslo Norway (the groom's brother couldn't make it) and at a different wedding one from Afghanistan where another brother was serving

Technology is there- use it and you'll be glad you did

Good luck & congrats!

My cousin recently had to accommodate a similar situation for his wife. He had one guest designated to record live with an iPad (or some kind of tablet) and her grandmother got to watch during the ceremony. It wasn't a disruption at all and many of the other guests thought it was very sweet.

Skype or FaceTime! My friends brother got called out in the Navy for a job he couldn't turn down like a week before the wedding and they had him on FaceTime for the whole ceremony and the important (dance, speech, cake, rec) parts of the reception

There's no way to do it closer to where she lives?

@FutureMrs.C I'm so sorry you're in a similar boat!! It's always comforting to hear you're not alone in something like this, though. I really hope your grandma will be able to make it!!! I like your videographer idea. :-) I hope that works out!

Thank you all for the advice so much! I think that Skype and/or FaceTime sounds like the best bet! We're also going to try to visit her as soon as we can afterward. My mom had mentioned that a family member would record it, but I also wanted to be able to communicate with my grandma the day of. I'm glad in so many instances it's worked out!

@Jay Farrell Photography unfortunately, no. Our wedding is in one week, so it's too late to let everyone know, let alone deal with telling all of our vendors. We'd considered a really quick trip to get officially married in front of her, but she lives in another state and the policies for that state's marriage licenses make it impossible (I work full-time and they need you to be there in person and then wait 3--7 days). That would've been nice, though!