4 Tips on How to Use Social Media for Your Wedding

In the digital age most guests will be using their mobile phones to Tweet, Facebook and Instagram the day. Studies show that the older generation are beginning to use social media more and more every year which means even grandma will be posting about the day. With such a large portion of your guests using social media it only makes sense to use the technology in your favour, here we will go over the main ways in which you can use social media for your wedding.

Wedding Hashtags

Having a personal wedding hashtag can be a great way for your guests to link their photos and videos to one phrase (digital place). For example, if your guests use the hashtag ‘#MrandMrsSmith’ then every photo uploaded during your day can be found under the same hashtag. Think of the process as a way to digitally collect all of the photos and videos from the day without having to surf through hundreds of irrelevant pictures. Using a unique hashtag also gives a personal touch to your day that is free to create and requires very little digital knowledge or setup. 

Top Tip: Before you decide on your hashtag, search the phrase on Twitter and Facebook to see if the hashtag has been used before. Used hashtags can still be used however if you are looking for a unique hashtag then you may need to add an extension to the end of the phrase for example if ‘#MrandMrsSmith’ is taken then try ‘#MrandMrsSmith2020’.

Create your own Geotags

Geotags are a new upcoming feature on social media such as Snapchat and Instagram, it is a way in which you can have a filter that is displayed in a set location. For example if you go to Big Ben in London and open up the snapchat app you will have a choice of Big Ben themes to choose from including location stamps. It is a way for guests to share with their followers where they are by having a unique filter that can only be used at a certain location. A geotag also adds a greater sense of importance to the location by adding an exclusive tag that only those who were invited can use. Some apps will charge for this service and rates can change depending on a multitude of factors but it is well worth looking into.

Shared Facebook Album

Most of your guests will have a Facebook account, creating a shared Facebook Album is a great way for your guests to share their photos and videos to the same digital location after the wedding day. Guests can all post into one shared album dedicated to your wedding, this way you won’t have to spend the time going through lots of profiles to find your wedding photos. Having access to this will also give you the chance to reflect on your wedding the day after unlike your official photos from your photographer that may take months to edit.

Get the Timing Right

When planning to include some of these social media features in your wedding make sure you consider the right time to do this, there are certain parts of your wedding day that you do not want guests to take upon themselves to take photos and videos for you.

A key time is your ceremony, more and more couples are opting for an ‘unplugged’ ceremony meaning they make a sign or poster requesting guests to enjoy the moment with them and not use their phones or cameras to take their own photos and videos. This gives their photographer the opportunity to get better quality photos without guests in the background with their phones out but guests’ genuine reactions, for example that special moment when they first see the bride walking down the aisle.

Better times for guests to take photos and videos would be your drinks reception when your photographer is busy getting your couple and group shots, or in your evening reception when your photographer may have finished for the day. These are also key times where you could miss out on memories as you are busy getting your professional photos taken or greeting your evening guests so it is nice to see guests photos during this time after the wedding. 

How will you use social media for your wedding?

These are just a few ways in which you can use mobile phones to your advantage during your wedding day, usually based around capturing memories in photos and videos.

Having a professional photographer is great, but they cannot be everywhere at once, by having some additional mobile cameras will help to fill in the blanks of your day and may capture parts that you would have missed. Have a sign on each table during the wedding breakfast or a banner made with the details for how your guests can get involved through social media. You could also include your chosen hashtag on the photo booth print outs so guests are given every opportunity to share their moments with you.

Have any social media suggestions? Comment below other ways you have seen online platforms used to enhance a wedding day.