The Do’s and Don’ts of Social Media for Brides
Getting married these days means you have to go digital. Most of the time is makes your life a whole lot easier, like with the free wedding registry we offer here at the Bridal Guide, but other times it’s just not the time or place for social media.
Here are some of the major do’s and don’ts for the biggest social media platforms.
Facebook / Twitter
Do
Write statuses/tweets before the wedding – but with a limit. You won’t check in to your wedding or tag yourself in a selfie in the limo ride to the ceremony (we hope not!) so it’s important to post A FEW statuses/tweets before the wedding. Tag yourself at the nail salon with the bridesmaids and get your guests excited. After the wedding there’s a huge time gap before you get your professional wedding photos, so it’s nice to be active on Facebook and Twitter before the wedding to make up for it
Don’t
Post negative remarks about the wedding – EVER. It’s okay to be flustered and overwhelmed when planning a wedding, but you don’t need to broadcast it. Talk with close friends and family about issues you’re having, just don’t share them with everyone, it brings down the excitement of the wedding.
We Heart Photography
Do
You will DEFINITELY want to create a unique hashtag that all your guests can use when tagging photos – this applies to Facebook and Twitter too. That way all the pictures from all the guests can be found in one place when you search the hashtag. It’s so practical!
Don’t
Post all your photos with a cheesy filter. It’s nice to adjust lighting if it’s dark, but don’t start editing all the photos your friends and family took. Less is more right after a wedding so keep it simple and don’t post low quality or edited photos just for the sake of it – if a photo needs a filter, maybe you shouldn’t be posting it at all, you’ll have hundreds of other nice photos later.
Do
Create a secret wedding board. Pinterest is practically made for brides, but you don’t want all your friends who follow you to know the exciting details and dress and decorations you’ll have at your wedding before the event. If you make all the pins that you will use a secret, your guests will be in awe when they come to the wedding and see everything for the first time.
Don’t
Get hung up on DIY projects. Pinterest is a slippery slope – first you spending hours pinning things then the next thing you know you’re crying because the craft you spent another three hours on isn’t working and won’t be ready for the wedding. Keep things simple and true to what you have time for and what you’re capable of doing on your own.
There are a million other ways to use social media for your wedding but the biggest thing to remember is moderation. It’s easy to update your friends and followers on everything, but weddings are still pretty old fashioned. Don’t post that you’re engaged before telling your family and friends (my friend did that and the Maid of Honor was pissed!) and don’t make a Facebook event or send online invites for your wedding, but make sure you do take advantage of photo and video sharing and use social media to update people on your exciting honeymoon adventures.
Jillian Zacchia is a contributing writer for the Bridal Guide.
