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Smart Ways to Use Your Smartphone on Your Wedding Day

Think about the last time that you went to a concert. Now, think about all of the time that you spent recording what appears to be the entirety of the show. Finally, be truthful with yourself. How often do you watch these videos? Likely, the distractions that came with recording the videos and finding the connection to post them on all of your social media accounts took some value away from this special experience. In other words, rather than watching and enjoying the experience through your own eyes, it was simply watched through a screen. The same logic applies to your wedding day. Although your wedding will be overwhelming at times, and it will certainly fly by, remember that the day is an experience that you must be present for and immersed in. Most importantly, leave a majority of the documentation up to the photographers to discourage any screen-based digital weddings. That is what you paid them for, right? 

Hosting an unplugged wedding, however, is rather unrealistic given the digital age that we are living in. Luckily, there are better ways to utilize social media without taking away from the overall experience and presence of your wedding day. Consider some of these smart ways to use your smartphone on your wedding day to create a unique and well-connected experience.

Create an Instagram Hashtag

A hashtag will encourage your guests to post for you, which will lessen the times that you may feel personally responsible for documenting the day. Creating an Instagram hashtag is an excellent way of dedicating a page that consists of all of your guest’s posted pictures into one location. This creates a collage of your guest’s photo that are personal to your unique wedding experience. In addition, it organizes all of these personal wedding photos into one central location that unifies the entire experience in one glance or one scroll, depending on how many pictures are featured. In order to create awareness about the hashtag, consider promoting it by adding it to the screens of any televisions in the venue, printing it on small pieces of paper or the menus on each table, or by having your DJ announce the name of the hashtag. When deciding on what to name the hashtag, the most important thing to remember is to keep it unique and differentiate it from any other hashtag that any other Instagram user has created. This is especially important because when scrolling through the results of your hashtag search, you certainly do not want to see a different wedding. In order to differentiate the hashtag from others, consider incorporating your own and your fiancé’s name into it.

Designate Someone Else to Take Phone Pictures or Videos

Although the professional and formal pictures will be left for the photographer, you will likely want some casual and more personal pictures to be taken on your phone. Rather than placing this pressure on yourself, designate one person to be in charge of any photos or videos that you would like on your own phone, rather than the photographer’s camera. Yes, this means putting one well-trusted person who takes decent photos on phone patrol. This should include handing your phone to this person during the times that you consider are most important. If you want silly pictures of you and your husband cutting the cake as your screensaver that night, give your phone to this person. It is important to keep in mind that doing this will limit any pressure that comes with physically holding the camera and taking the pictures. At the end of the day, this day is all about celebrating you and your husband. Apply this pressure elsewhere, and enjoy your experience with open hands, literally.

Stay Connected With Guests Who Could Not Make It

Although too much use of your phone and social media can potentially disconnect you from your overall experience, it also has the amazing power of connecting you with friends or family who could not make it. If you do not think some important people will make it to your wedding for any reason, consider designating another, or the same person, to FaceTiming or Skyping that person through your phone. Have that person stream and narrate the most important events to keep yourself connected with anyone who was missing out. A simple touch of the FaceTime app or download of the Skype app onto your phone will immediately allow special people not physically at your wedding to experience it live and with you.

Use Words of Encouragement

Another important thing to consider is how difficult it is to tell guests to simply not use their phones during the wedding. Instead of doing this, encourage and inspire guests not to use their phones. Most importantly, do not make them not use their phone. Subtle, but impactful ways of encouraging this includes placing small signs outside the venue upon the guests’ arrival. The sign should include says that inspire guests to feel present and be in the moment. For example, one sign may say “we invite you to be fully present in our ceremony.” To stay consistent with these theme, consider placing baskets in the center of your table where phones can be placed during meals.

Establish Ground Rules

Finally, it is important to determine some ground rules that you expect your guests to abide by. For example, this may include not posting any pictures of you on social media before guests arrive. First reveals and entrance into your venue is important, and if you do not want your best friend posting your dress or outfit changes to his or her community of followers, establish this rule. A huge part of the excitement has to do with the first-times in the experience. It is important that a Facebook post, snapchat or Instagram story, or tweet does not take away from this magic. Other rules may include not posting pictures of your decorations until guests can see it for themselves upon entrance into the venue. The less that is posted beforehand, the more that is anticipated. In order to build the anticipation, consider posting countdowns teases that excite the guests. This anticipation creates the excitement of and magic within your wedding experience.