Though the concept has only really existed for the last decade or so, social media has fast become a regular aspect of everyday life. Whether you absolutely love endlessly scrolling through Facebook and Twitter feeds or you’d rather not bother with all the noise, it can be important to stop to think about how social media can impact your wedding day. You might not use Instagram, but you can bet most of your guests do and will be looking to share a ton of pictures throughout your event.
Luckily, social media doesn’t need to take up a ton of your mental space when you’re planning for your wedding. All you need to do is take a look at some of these tips and see how you can easily integrate modern trends with your own special event.
Hashtags Matter
In regards to social media, one of the biggest considerations is the hashtag. A hashtag is a simple and effective way to group together various posts on the internet so that people can easily find the posts later. Since you want to be able to scour the internet at some point for all images related to your wedding, a clever hashtag can help you find exactly what you’re looking for and weed out all the excess.
While you don’t want to spend too long thinking up something creative, having a unique hashtag can definitely make a difference. You want the hashtag to be unique enough to ensure no one else has used the same tag before. Often, coming up with a clever pun based on your name or your partner’s name can make for a fitting and sometimes funny tag. If you’re having too much trouble creating a name, try to ask for help or just ditch the idea altogether and figure out a better way to scour social media for relevant images.
Unplug the Masses
You might also be the type of person who absolutely hates the idea of social media. On the day of your wedding, you may want to have all eyes on you instead of constantly looking down at a phone. While there are many reasons to allow guests to stay connected throughout your big day, you also might want to enforce some “no phone” rules now and again to keep your guests present. There might be some pushback from this, but hey, it is your wedding day!
Putting a “no phone” policy into effect during your wedding can be a bit challenging. You’ll most likely want guests to feel free to use their phones at certain points, especially during the reception. The best thing to do is have someone make an announcement early stating that the couple would prefer if guests limited phone use throughout the night, especially when speeches or toasts are taking place. Though it might seem like an impossible request, you’ll be surprised by how many guests actually listen.
When To Share Your Own Moments
Though most brides and grooms tend to ditch their own phones when the big day rolls in, there are plenty of couples who are obsessed with their phones. While it can be fun to play with filters and favorite shots right away, you’ll find it is way better for your own mental energy to wait until after your honeymoon to start posting. Allow yourself time to really experience married life for a moment before you start posting your “Just Married” pictures across all your social media accounts.
Social media might be a somewhat new invention, but it most likely will be around for many years to come. Get the most out of your big day by knowing when to take advantage of social media and when to let it be and just enjoy the moment.