10/6/13

#Your Wedding: Invite Social Media to Your Big Day

Today we welcome a guest blogger – Christine Meadows – to share her thoughts on Hashtagging your wedding! Christine is the Early News Producer at Global Edmonton. Follow Christine on Twitter @CMeadowsGlobal.

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It’s 2013. Let’s face it…phones will be out at your wedding and pictures will be posted almost instantly to the World Wide Web. If you are okay with the idea, it’s time to give your guests and your big day a hashtag!

Instagram, Twitter, and now Facebook use hashtags. It’s the # symbol before a relevant keyword or phrase with no spaces. When a guest goes to post a photo he or she will include the hashtag. It creates a searchable category that essentially tags your photo by whatever catchphrase you used. Just like that a virtual album is born.

How To Successfully #YourWedding:

  • Choose a unique and memorable hashtag:  If your hashtag is too simple or too generic, there is a good chance it will already be used.  For example, #SmithWedding may not be the best choice but #SmithsSayIDo2013 could be unique to your wedding.
  • Search your hashtag: To find out your hashtag is already in use, simply do a search on Instagram.
  • Spread the word: Share your hashtag with your guests in the wedding invitation, on a sign at the wedding or through word-of-mouth.
  • Enlist a few friends to get the ball (and your hashtag) rolling: Guests will be more inclined to post if they see others already doing it!

It was not too long ago that disposable cameras were left on tables for guests to capture photos of the party. This is just an evolution of that trend. The hashtag is also a great perk for those who can’t make it to your wedding. They can follow along and witness the day unfold over social media. You can also screen grab or collect the images later and make a photobook. #YourWedding doesn’t replace a professional photographer – it’s just a bonus from a different viewpoint.

I wish I could have had #ChristineAndSteveGetHitched back in 2009, when I said “I Do”. Many of our guests came armed with cameras snapping photos, getting great angles and frame worthy candids. The majority, we’ve never seen. Nearly four years later those photos are likely sitting lost on a memory card or even worse, in a virtual trash can.

Now, if you tremble at the thought of a snap of you in your dress on Instagram before the ink on your marriage certificate even dries – a hashtag isn’t for you. What you need is a smartphone ban and someone to enforce it.

Happy Hashtagging and Happy Wedding!

Instagram Your Wedding

Photo Credits: LeftTop, Bottom.

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Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planning + Design