How to Manage Social Media at Your Wedding

We all know that social media has become an integrated part of our everyday lives, so it’s likely that the topic may have already been discussed during your own wedding planning process. We’ve all seen key moments posted on Instagram or a professional wedding photo ruined by guests taking their own photos on their phones. Regardless of your own thoughts on this topic, it’s a good idea to have a conversation about how to manage social media at your wedding. Keep reading for tried and tested tips to ensure your wishes are met and everyone knows the score on the big day.

Where do you stand?

Firstly, it is important to figure out what type of couple you are and where you stand on the whole social media front. You may be a modern couple who are happy for everyone to snap away all day long, posting live to their own various social media platforms. Or you may be a little more private, preferring to ask guests to refrain from taking pictures or videos or at least wait to post them until your professional wedding photos have been shared on social media first.

Have an unplugged wedding ceremony

Choosing to have an unplugged ceremony benefits both you and your guests. Without the temptation of their phones, your guests will be fully present throughout the wedding ceremony and wedding reception. You're guaranteed that there won't be any unflattering photos, and you'll get to see your guests' faces, not a sea of phones when you're walking up and down the aisle.

Not only will you be able to see a snapshot of your wedding day from your photographer’s expert perspective first, but your photographer will be very flattered and thankful that you made this decision! It can be very tricky for photographers to capture your special moments when Auntie Karen and Uncle Bob are in the way trying to capture their version of the perfect shot!

For more information on ‘unplugged’ ceremonies, head to our previous feature, What is an Unplugged Ceremony, and Should I Have One?

Inform your guests of the rules in advance

If you are considering asking guests to kindly not document the day, we would advise you to add this request to your wedding website beforehand to give your wedding party an official heads-up in plenty of time. You could also include this on the wedding invitation if you have enough room, or simply by explaining on the day through the use of carefully positioned signage clearly explaining that the happy couple would prefer it if pictures and videos could be left to the professional wedding vendors on the day.

Naturally, there may be the odd guest or two who will forget or simply ignore your wishes not to entertain social media at the wedding, but we’re afraid you’ll just have to let this slide. As long as the majority of people understand your request and abide by it, that’s a pretty great result. You could always ask a groomsman or bridesmaid to assist and step in where appropriate to remind guests to refrain from making those dancing TikToks or Instagram boomerangs.

Set your boundaries

If you are allowing guests and vendors to take all the images they like, what boundaries are you setting? Are you happy for vendors to take images of their work and general images of the day? Are you happy to appear in the images? Or would you be happy for guests to take images of the décor and dinner but not of you in your wedding outfits? There’s no right and wrong answer here; what you decide is unique to you as a couple. Whatever you do feel comfortable with, though, should be clearly explained before or on the wedding day itself so that your wishes can be respected by your wedding venue, vendors and wedding guests alike.

Create a wedding hashtag

If you're the kind of couple who are totally up for unlimited snaps at your wedding, then embrace it and make the most of it. Creating a wedding hashtag can be a fun and creative way to get everyone involved. Having a wedding hashtag will allow guests to follow your wedding planning journey (create one as early as possible) and spread the word. Your wedding hashtag is the perfect place for guests to post photos, enabling you to collate all your wedding photos in one place. Sure, you may be hiring a wedding photographer, but by getting everyone to share all their snaps, you never know who may have taken that shot of you in your dress!

Consider hiring a content creator

If you're one of those people who doesn't want to miss one piece of content for the 'gram, then why not hire a content creator? They can be the one person allowed to have their phone out at your wedding and will capture your day as you see it or snap away in tandem with your guest list. They will work alongside your photographer and videographer to create all the raw, natural behind-the-scenes candids which you can have access to immediately, and they can even manage your social profiles while you're otherwise engaged and getting married! It could be that you can still have an unplugged wedding with your guests phone-free but without sacrificing your wedding social story. Just think of all those TikTok or Instagram Stories and Reels they can make from that glorious raw footage!

Remember to be present and enjoy the moment

Unplugged or plugged, or a happy combination of the two, remember that it is your decision, and it should be respected by all who attend the wedding. If you've been thinking of having an unplugged wedding, don't forget that the photographer and/or your content creator will capture all those important moments and happy tears, so don’t worry too much about kindly reminding your guests to leave it to the pros! You've spent so much precious time planning your dream wedding day; don't forget to try to savour the celebration as much as you can. It's true what everyone says; it really does fly by!