Social networks affect all of our daily lives. There are people who have decided to distance themselves from them, and there are those who have learned to use them to their advantage and for whom it is a job. But somewhere in the middle is the majority, all of us who use them to follow the daily lives of others and share ours to a greater or lesser extent. Just like in other areas of life, social networks have introduced adjustments in the wedding sphere as well. They have made wedding planning easier and speeded up the communication process, digital invitations are being sent out and a wedding website has been created. A wedding is both a public and a very intimate event, so there are several important nuances to consider so that the wedding in the virtual environment is reflected in a pleasant way for the couple and so that guests who use social networks during the wedding do not spoil the special moments of the event.

Communicate your wishes

There are couples who already in the planning process pay special attention to making sure everything looks good on social networks, follow trends and shoot special Instagram Reels and TikTok videos on the wedding day. There are also couples who hold an "off-line" wedding and ask guests to refrain from using social networks and phones on the wedding day. However, even if you are not a very active user of social networks, but you have no particular complaints about their use, it is worth giving your guests some guidelines in this regard. Although nowadays everyone knows the general etiquette of using social networks, it is likely that the guests at the wedding will be as happy as the couple and will want to document and post everything, so you should not rely on the fact that relatives and friends will refrain from using the phone camera at the wedding, as it would be at other public events, where we decide when and what is acceptable to photograph and post.

Everyone wants to capture their special day in as many ways as possible and see it from the guests' point of view, but it is important to make it clear that, for example, you want the guests to document the social part of the wedding, but you don't want it to be published immediately. Alternatively, you can use private Instagram Stories that only your closest friends will see, or create a private Facebook group or WhatsApp chat for guests to share photos. If you're not informed about whether and on which platforms to post pictures, when you wake up the next morning, the first thing you and your followers will see from your wedding isn't the perfect photo shoot pictures, but rather hazy guest companies from the moments when the party hit the highest wave. We're used to posting everything now and now, but when it comes to weddings, couples still want to post galleries of professional and edited images first.

Different rules for ceremony and party

On the wedding day, the young couple is in the center of attention and in a sense become celebrities. Fortunately, wedding guests are not an intrusive mob of paparazzi and can be told ahead of time how and if you want to be photographed on your wedding day. You can state in advance in the invitations that, for example, they will receive professional wedding photos from the ceremony , but the rest of the time guests are invited to take pictures so that the couple can see the day through their eyes afterwards. If you want guests to refrain from using their phones, disposable or Polaroid cameras can be placed on the tables in the party area. Also, taking pictures can be made one of the entertainments by setting up a specially designed photo corner. This way, the photos taken by your guests will be aesthetic, attractive and you will avoid the fact that most of them have champagne glasses and plates of food in the background.

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There is already a professional photographer at the wedding

The guests should remember that the couple has already invested in having the most important moments of the wedding day documented by a professional photographer and maybe even a video operator . Therefore, you should refrain from conducting your business on the phone, especially during the ceremony. Mainly because you will disturb the work of the photographer. He or she will already have planned the angle from which to document the ceremony, and quite simply you can get in their way, block the shot or obscure the lighting. Perhaps unbeknownst to the guests, there is another camera on the side or back of the hall that captures a general view of the guests, in which case you will be the guest standing up and covering their face with their phone screen in the photo.

Etiquette for using social networks at weddings

The same guidelines for using social networks that apply to other situations should be followed at weddings - you should not post too much, not post unflattering pictures and the like. If the couple has not clearly expressed their attitude towards the coverage of their wedding on social networks, you can be guided by the principle - don't publish first. This is especially true for photos of the bride and groom, as they should be the first to post their wedding on social media. this principle should be followed early in the wedding preparations. Close friends and relatives who are involved in the process of organizing the wedding should also not publish anything related to the wedding before it has taken place, for example, girlfriends should not share photos in which the bride is seen in the wedding salon wearing the chosen dress. When preparing for a wedding, every detail and overall impression is carefully considered, so it is usually important for the couple that it turns out to be a wonderful surprise for themselves and their guests on the wedding day.

To be present

The main thing on the wedding day is to be next to the new couple and celebrate love together . Everything else, including the use of social networks during the wedding, should be guided by the situation and feelings. It is best to document the moments when it seems appropriate, but it is better to leave the review and publication of the photos until the days after the wedding, when you have time to carefully select them and ask the couple's opinion. It's a special day where, if not quite literally, you at least try to leave your phones at home so they don't get in the way of being present and letting the moment go.

Author of the article: RENĀTE BERGA