Social Media Wedding Etiquette: Essential Bride and Groom Guide

From the second that ring is slipped onto your finger, you're faced with the daunting task of sharing your nuptial news with your family and friends, as well as your wider social networks. And news travels fast in this hyper-connected world of ours, so it's easy to understand how your journey to the altar can be tracked, tagged and tweeted via social media every step of the way. To make sure you do it with dignity, we share with you the secrets of this modern-day minefield and help you successfully navigate social media wedding etiquette.

Engagement Announcements:

• Tell your immediate family first.
  While it's tempting to immediately shout your engagement news to the world via your socials, a phone call home first is the still the preferred way to play it. There will be plenty of time to bask in the glow of your online announcement, but being the one to break the news to those who matter most sure beats them finding out from Aunty Sharon after she saw it online!

• Tasteful or tacky?
  Ask yourself this question before you go live online. Does your announcement focus on the happiness you feel as a couple about to embark on this next adventure together, or is it mostly focused around the size, cut and cost of your new bling? Being true to yourself and remembering why you're so excited to get married in the first place will allow others to genuinely share in your joy.

Before the Big Day:

• Save the nitty-gritty for your nearest and dearest.
  No one in your online community wants to know every detail of your rollercoaster ride to marital bliss. Planning a wedding can be stressful, political and evoke differences of opinion from all corners. Save these discussions for 'real people' conversations and avoid the temptation to rant about your mother-in-law's demands in such a public forum. After all, that is what bridesmaids are for.

• Keep your wedding dress offline.
  Some things are worth waiting for. Don't spoil that first moment of your groom catching a glimpse of you on your big day by leaking dress details (or even worse images) online before the big day.

At Your Wedding:

• Clearly communicate your social media standpoint to all guests.
  While some couples spend long hours devising clever and creative wedding hashtags, others opt for a totally unplugged wedding experience and ask that phones and personal cameras don't make an appearance during their celebrations.

Whatever you decide is completely up to you, but it is also your responsibility to communicate this clearly and explicitly to all guests. Some weddings feature signage spelling out the bride and groom's social media preferences, while others opt for announcements during the formalities - or even a combination of the two to cover all bases. 

After the Main Event:

• A collective thank you post does not replace a traditional thank you note.
  Just like a Facebook event should never be used in place of proper wedding invitations, your thank you notes should be handwritten and from the heart. There is no problem with a collective thank you post - as long as it's in addition to the personalised thank you notes all guests will receive post-honeymoon.
  
  
• Updating your status.
  Updating your status and the decision to change your social media identity to feature your married name, is an entirely personal choice that is up to each individual couple. Whether you choose to make this change as soon as the wedding curtain comes down or later down the track, is completely up to you. After all, you have a lifetime to decide.

Navigate every modern-day wedding minefield

Now you've sorted your social media wedding etiquette, find every detail to make your wedding day amazing at personalisedfavours.com.au And be sure to check out our Social Media Wedding Etiquette Essential Guest Guide on next week's blog!