Marriage And Social Media: A Match Made In Heaven?
We’ve all seen an epic engagement announcement on Facebook or Instagram and added our likes to the hundreds of others. In fact, if you’re anything like us (completely unashamed romantics) you probably also added some heart emojis! Sharing the joy of friends coming together is one of the wonderful sides of social media, a medium of communication that often gets criticised for its lack of authenticity.
Posting about your wedding journey online has become so common that social scientists are now researching the phenomenon. So of course, we had to share with you some of the facts they’ve discovered about social media behavior from the moment she says yes, to the moment they say I do.
Unsurprisingly, the Knot Social Media Survey 2016 revealed that brides are using social media more than ever to announce their engagement, as well as share photos and details during the wedding planning process, from the start of their wedding planning journey, all the way up to the big day. Here are some of the findings from the survey, you'll see that social media has pretty much changed the whole wedding game! If you're in the midst of planning your own wedding don't hesitate to book in now for a no obligation chat with one of our wedding experts.
The YES was swiftly followed by a social media post
60%, or three out of five brides reportedly announced their engagement via social media within the first 24 hours of saying yes. Within a week, a grand total of 86% of ‘Brides to-be’ had shared their special news via Facebook.
Overall, 62% report using social media more following their engagement with 7 out of 10 using social media to help with wedding planning. The most common social media platforms associated with wedding planning are Pinterest (89%), Instagram (38%) and Facebook (38%).
Wedding hashtags are the new black
A personalised wedding hashtag is a great way to customise your photos and keep them all in one place once you’ve posted them. You can also remind the guests at your wedding to use your hashtag, that way you simply have to search for the hashtag to find every one of your wedding-related posts. The Knot survey showed that a massive 60% of couples have already used a personalised wedding hashtag to accompany their wedding posts. While online generators can help with developing a hashtag, 4 out of 5 couples preferred to truly personalise it by creating their own, or asking a family member or friend to help create one.
Couples went on to use their personalised hashtag throughout their entire wedding journey. 82% created one within six months of their engagement. Hashtags are a great mark of personalisation – 64% of people surveyed made sure that their hashtag was unique and you can too with this handy, free site.
Couples use social media to plan weddings
Social media has become one of the most effective ways to develop engagement party ideas and contact wedding planners. 80% of brides surveyed reported using a wedding idea that they found on social media. Around half of newly engaged couples used Instagram for wedding planning as well as for inspiration and one in four say they used Instagram to seek out and hire wedding vendors. Instagram is a great way for vendors to share the beautiful celebrations they put together. It’s just like having an online portfolio that’s easily accessed by millions.
Live streaming is now a popular thing
Couples are now taking advantage of the Facebook Live feature to steam their weddings online. It’s a pretty nifty idea since certain friends and family who can’t physically attend weddings can now witness them over the internet! For a clear and consistent stream, you might want to get an external camera and mic hooked up to a laptop with a really good internet connection.
Credit: Luke Middlemiss Photography
Couples leave the mid wedding posts to their guests
On the day of the wedding, couples are enjoying the festivities and leaving the posting to guests. 75% of couples claim that they want to be completely disconnected from social media on the day of their wedding. 90% of wedding guests from the ages of 18-24 and 61% of guests aged 35-50 posted about their friend or family member’s wedding via social media.
While the majority of couples aren’t busy using social media during the wedding celebrations, around one third admit to posting at some point during the day and another third admit to requesting a few professional photos from the photographer for sharing on the day.
It’s apparent that engaged couples are using social media more than ever for wedding-related activities. Remember that more than half of newly engaged couples share the good news online via Facebook and Instagram within 24 hours of the occasion. We’re not surprised - it’s completely understandable to want to show off that gorgeous rock or an adorable picture of yourselves immediately. You’re proud, elated and excited – and you want everyone to know! It’s normal to want to share the news with everyone, but before you hit “post”, here are some etiquette tips to follow that will ensure your announcement on social media is a tasteful one.
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Credit: Luke Middlemiss Photography
How To Stay Classy On Social
First of all, try not to overdo the Facebook posts. We understand that you’re over the moon with happiness, but please refrain from flooding other peoples’ Facebook feeds. Dozens of constant status updates and ‘had to be there’ photos or other wedding-related posts might overwhelm people or just flat-out annoy the ones who weren’t invited. You don’t want to be that, - you might just get unfollowed!
Choose one lovely photograph to announce your engagement. Whether you’d like a professional photographer to take it, or you just want to snap it from your smartphone and upload it, one great photograph of you two smiling and (perhaps) showing off your new bling will make for a tasteful, high-impact post to share your happiness with the world. Don’t forget to include your wedding hashtag if you’ve already decided on one!
Avoid boasting about your ring. We know that you’re proud of it and there’s nothing wrong with a picture of the ring, but we’d advise you not to mention details like how much it cost, what jeweler it was from or how many carats it is. It’s a little tacky and definitely not tasteful. A picture speaks a thousand words and while diamonds are gorgeous, marriage is about more than the bling.
Don’t provide too many details of the wedding planning process. Your Facebook feed isn’t you wedding planning diary. We suggest you keep details to a minimum and mostly within your wedding team. This will also avoid any hurt feelings from uninvited guests. It will also keep the wedding itself a little more mysterious, making the big day that much more thrilling for your guests to arrive at.
Remember to reply to all of the comments and well wishes you receive. It’s important to be courteous and gracious when you receive congratulatory comments from friends and family on social media. People took the time to wish you well, so take the time to either like their comments back or write a little reply to them individually.
If someone else has gotten engaged and is posting about it on social media, for heaven’s sake don’t make it about you. Avoid bringing up your own engagement in the comment and instead just wish them well. A freshly engaged couple is focused on each other, so save the chat about how your engagement happened or how much you love your ring and let them enjoy the moment too!
Botanica Weddings Is Here To Help
If you’re engaged to be married, you’ll know that it’s never too soon to start planning. Here at Botanica Weddings, we have a wealth of knowledge and experience of every stage of the planning process. So don’t hesitate to check through our blogand video library for lots of helpful tips. We have a broad range of exquisite venues to suit every taste and budget. Planning your big day with Botanica Weddings means that every step of the way will be as enjoyable as it should be. There are many venues out there but if you really want to create the wedding of your dreams make sure you choose an expert by asking your wedding planner these questions first.
We don’t mean to boast but over experience has taught us a lot about Australian weddings, and we’d love to share that with you. Whether you’re feeling a little overwhelmed or absolutely elated, we’re here and provide a no obligation chat with a wedding expert to answer any questions you may have.