Whether invited or not, most of the guests at your wedding will be bringing a “plus one”. No, i don’t mean a date…. I mean their smart phones. Most people now a days (including myself) are inseparable from them. As much as you want your wedding day to be all about you, people fawning, gushing, and making over you, they will more than likely be doing it with a smart phone in their hands. It can be a major buzz kill. You want people involved, you want them to participate, but every time you look up their faces are illuminated with the glow of a screen and not the glow from your smile. For this reason, some brides request a completely “unplugged” wedding. Included on the invitations, programs, and even announced from the officiant at the beginning of the ceremony is a message: NO CELL PHONES ALLOWED. That is your right! It’s your party go unplugged if you want to! i am in FULL favor of this, during the ceremony. When i consult with my prospective brides i always, always, always encourage this. I won’t get into all that now, but trust me, it makes MY life WAY easier. During the reception, however, why not put those bad boys to work FOR YOU!

I am 30 years old. That may not seem that old, but in social media years, i am pretty much middle aged. Most of my brides being early 20 somethings probably know more about it than i do. But i try to stay on top of things! 😉 So here are the three titans: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. No more than you walk down the isle all three of those platforms are going to be bursting with images OF YOU. Most brides never see the images that guests take of her or of people and things at her wedding. They get lost on an SD card or tucked away in box or lost forever when a computer goes to cyber heaven. Creating a custom hashtag for your wedding is the perfect solution. Guests that are snapping away attaching your custom hashtag are centralizing all of the images from that day into one place. As the photographer it is my job to get you amazing pictures of your day that will last you a life time, however, i can’t be everywhere at once! I am not able to see everything that everyone else is seeing! Every moment during that day is precious to you and sadly even you don’t get to see it all! Let your guests, and their smart phones, help!

Sadly, the hashtag feature on facebook is still all jacked up. More than likely they are going to tag you so no worries there… But in the worlds of Twitter and Instagram the hashtag is king. Hundreds of tweets and photos from your wedding day at your disposal at the tap of screen. As an added bonus, you get come up with cute and clever ways of displaying this custom hashtag all over so guests know about it! Include it in your program, have the DJ announce it, print it on koozies! The ideas are limitless…. but if your struggling there is always Pinterest 😉

I’ve never met a bride who didn’t want to see pictures from her wedding day. From the guests, to the details, even a rock that may have been laying on the walkway she used…. It’s all important to them. Allowing your guests the freedom to use their smartphones, their creativity, their “eye” (during your reception ;)) is an awesome way to engage them during your wedding in age where Social Media is King. They will still be there and be present… experiencing it all with you, except now, they get to show HOW they experienced it.

So come on brides! create that hashtag and enjoy viewing even more perspectives from your oh so special day!