By Laura Seaman
Sharing your engagement on Instagram, sending out rehearsal dinner invites via Facebook, and getting wedding ideas from Pinterest — social media is everywhere these days, and weddings are no exception. Well, for most people anyways. According to the eighth annual “What’s on Brides’ Minds” survey by David’s Bridal, 44 percent of brides think that digital rules are important at weddings, while 14 percent are completely banning cell phones from their special days. That means no photos, tweets, or status updates! It’s rumored that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have set this rule for their wedding this weekend.
Even if social media isn’t allowed at your ceremony and reception, that doesn’t mean it won’t be part of your wedding at all. Page after page of Pinterest boards are dedicated to wedding décor ideas, and brides are known to bring a friend to judge their dress over Skype if she can’t be there in person. These are both simple ways to use technology to make your wedding exactly how you want it.
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Other couples use social media to make their wedding an Internet sensation. There’s the usual practice of putting wedding photos on Facebook, but some people go the extra mile and put videos of their wedding on YouTube or broadcast the entire occasion via video chat. In fact, 36 percent of people surveyed thought that Skype was a good way to open the chapel doors to guests who can’t attend in person.
The survey further shows that many brides have acknowledged the role social media plays and have their own dos and don’ts for their weddings. For example, 62 percent of brides believe that the bridesmaids should not post photos of the bride in her dress before the ceremony, while 58 perfect of brides think that they or their husbands should be the first people to post wedding pictures. A smaller number of brides — only 22 percent — think that they should be the only ones posting wedding photos at all.
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Of course, pictures aren’t the only way to let people know about your wedding. 56 percent of brides will update their social media profiles with their new name within a day of the wedding, and 10 percent will even do it while the wedding is still happening!
So whether you plan on letting your wedding become the next YouTube sensation or you’re going to put cell phones on hold like Kimye, it’s clear that social media will probably play some part in your big day. Just don’t forget to #livehappilyeverafter!
What is your opinion on social media etiquette at weddings? Let us know in the comments below!
