7 Best Garden Wedding Decorations and Accessories
Is Social Media Making Your Wedding Day Less Private?
It’s not often that we accept guest posts but when this one dropped into our inbox we could’t resist posting it because we feel it’s such an interesting topic! With the rise of social media and almost everyone owning iphones or smart phones it’s easy to see how times have changed…
‘It’s fair to say that social media sites have had a massive impact on our lives. Websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest have connected us to friends, relatives and strangers wherever they are in the world, allowing us to talk about whatever is on our mind, any time of day.
But all this online networking does have its drawbacks. Everyone knows a story about a job interview that never happened because bosses did not like what they saw on Twitter, or a tale to tell about embarrassing photos on Facebook that come back to haunt in new relationships.
And for couples about to tie the knot social media can also be a minefield of dos and absolutely do not’s.
We all know the superstition about the groom not seeing or speaking to his bride-to-be on the day of the nuptials. Should this include social networking? Probably. Those precious seconds as the bride walks down the aisle should contain an element of awe and surprise. That will be lost if the pair have been tweeting each other, or updating their Facebook status all morning.
And even before that moment the privacy and secrecy of your wedding day could be lost if you spend too much time talking about it online. Yes, friends and family will think your wedding shoes are gorgeous. But posting every hour about your latest wedding plans can get rather dull and the amusement will soon wear off.
Besides, how are you going to impress them on the big day if they’ve been hearing nothing but cakes, favours, table decorations and first dance songs for the past six months?
Your wedding day is the one opportunity to indulge in the art of keeping a secret and throwing a massive party that is all about you. Why would you want the world and its mother knowing every single detail before they even arrive?
If you absolutely have to take to social networking to share your excitement, frustration, worries or purchases for your wedding, try to keep it vague and only reveal details if you absolutely have to. If you’re the type of person who can’t eat breakfast without taking an Instagram photo and sharing it with thousands of followers, then just try to tone it down a bit. Photograph some of the detail in your dress without giving away the style. Instead of revealing what flowers you are having at the church, just take the time to tweet a thank you to the florist. And rather than unveiling your first dance song, drop hints by posting some of the lyrics.
Basically, the trick is to not give too much away while indulging in your need to share. Keep your social media messages short and sweet. Think of them as a teaser trailer for the main event and keep everyone guessing until the very last minute.
Then, when the ring is on your finger and the magic words have been said, tweet and post to your heart’s content. Just make sure to enjoy yourself and relish the moment first – the internet will still be there tomorrow!’
This guest post was contributed by Holly Powell on behalf of Elegant Steps, specialists in wedding and evening shoes.
What Jess thinks about this:
I think it’s fair to say i’m a bit of a phone addict, constantly checking emails and whatsapp or scrolling through the Instagram feed is definitely a few of my habits but having said that, I know when to stop. You see, there are relevant times to be doing these things and they’re normally out of boredom. I feel so strongly about using your phone when you’re having a conversation with someone, it’s just plain rude! I can’t stand it when I’m trying to talk to somebody and they are point blank just reading something on their phone and only listening to me half hearted or when i’m watching a movie and someone by the side of me is texting away, surely you can leave your phone alone for 2 hours? It seems that they are becoming an extension to the human body! So when it comes to your wedding, I say ditch the mobiles for the day and enjoy the moment!! This is directly for the bride and groom, i’m all for guests using their phones on their wedding day! I love the cool apps that have been designed for them like X and X that allows everyone to share their photos, etc and creating a hashtag for the wedding day! But, when it comes to the happy couple, that special moment when the bride is walking down the aisle will be even more special if it’s all a big surprise!
What Emily thinks about this:
Like Jess, I too have become somewhat of a phone addict. I’m constantly checking twitter, facebook and instagram mainly because my job involves social networking a lot of the time. I find myself checking my phone when i’m watching a film, when i’m eating, when I’m meant to be sleeping, the list goes on… I’m trying my hardest to stop doing this, I make a point of putting my phone away when I’m not working mainly because I don’t want to be in work mode all the time, I need to give myself some downtime, just to enjoy the more simple things in life. So when it comes to a wedding I have to say it’s important to give phones and social media a rest. The photos will still be there for you to upload tomorrow, you don’t need to do it on the day.
The real question here is, what do you think about social media on your wedding day?
Much Bespoke Love
Jessica ♥
Image credits can be found by clicking on the photos
It’s funny how this article has the angle of the bride giving too much away in the run up. I’m not that way inclined and haven’t really mentioned much detail about it on social media. Plus I wouldn’t want to hype it up only for people to be disappointed. Better to have the element of surprise so everyone can be pleasantly surprised. What I’m more worried about is the guests uploading all the pics in real time. I’m not sure I’d want all the photos splurged all over facebook etc. And everyone getting to see them before you do. I’d like to chose the few I might want to put on there really….
Great post! I am definitely on the boat of “refrain myself from speaking any wedding-related on FB” – in fact, my fiance and I haven’t even announced our engagements on FB yet! When it comes to our engagement and ultimately wedding, we wanted to keep it more traditional and we made huge efforts in telling all of our friends in person or through phone calls, so we definitely would like to keep it that way. I even cringe sometimes when I see people’s weddings posted live on FB as it was happening. I don’t want that to happen to me but I know it’s hard (or even impossible these days)
With that in mind, what do you think would be the best way to tell your guests to refrain from posting any photos during the wedding without sounding rude (e.g. at least wait until the next morning)? Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds made everyone sign a contract and leave their cell phones at the entrance, but I think that’s a bit too extreme. I’ve been seeing many apps (like Appy Couple or Wedding Snap) in which guests can post photos to a specific location rather than just simply uploading on FB/Twitter, which may help. Have you ladies seen any other ideas??
We think its a great idea if you mention somewhere in the invite or order of service that you have an app for friends and family to upload photos and videos, which will help you to avoid any awkward conversations. You could word it something like “If you really couldn’t live without your phone for the day then we would really appreciate it if you could use this super cool app to upload your photos and videos instead of using social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter”. By doing this you’re not missing out on the great candid shots that friends and family have a great knack of capturing but you are also ensuring that the use of social media is controlled. Let us know if this helps or if you have any other ideas x
Social media plays a big part in todays wedding day decisions. Brides come into our Boutique and included there distant friends in the decisions to be made for the big day. Just recently we had bridesmaids on Facetime while other bridesmaids were involved in the shop, so this can only be a good thing as far as i can see.
My mum was giving my daughter a hard time cause she was constantly texting while watching television. I explained that for her it was like having her friends in the room and they were chatting to her about what they were all watching on tv.
Love all the social media and love all our Facebook fans who do control how we buy shoes and accessories for the shop and online, lets face it if they like it we supply it.
I agree very much with what Peter is saying. Social media is a massive part of our lives and we have to embrace it and work with our clients.After all its for the common good.