As brides and grooms everywhere prepare for their wedding, they’ll have to consider just how much they want social media to play a role in their big day. Some couples choose to be as plugged-in as possible while others take a more traditional route.

#Wedding

Hashtags have become wildly popular at weddings, often with signs that encourage guests to use a personalized hashtag to document the day in real-time. These hashtags are great for viewing photos taken at your wedding, but aren’t the best for those with privacy concerns. If you don’t mind internet strangers scrolling through your wedding photos, hashtag away! Many couples now share entire albums of hashtagged photos on Facebook and Instagram.

Just Pin it

Many girls begin planning their weddings long before they’re engaged, thanks to sites like Pinterest that allow users to “pin” ideas and save them for later. Girls confess to planning their “dream wedding” via Pinterest, saving anything from wedding dresses to fancy cakes.

A Wedding Planner in the Palm of Your Hand

Mobile apps have revolutionized the way couples plan their big day. Instead of hiring a planner, they now opt to DIY with the help of an app that offers checklists, sends reminders, and even helps get their guest list in check. Many are even ditching the traditional RSVP card and simply ask guests to submit it online.

Live Streams

There was a time when missing a wedding meant you didn’t get to see anything but photos (unless, of course, it’s the Royal Wedding). Now, many couples opt to stream their wedding ceremony live on the web for the guests who can’t make it.

The Status Update

While obtaining a marriage license is the “official” way to change your marital status, nothing seems to matter more than your Facebook relationship status. Newlyweds typically seem quite eager to let the world know they’ve tied the knot, and some even do so while they’re still at the altar! We know it’s an exciting moment – but trust us, the update can wait.

Unplugged Weddings

On the opposite end of the spectrum, many couples are opting for “unplugged” weddings that encourage guests to turn off their devices during the ceremony. Many brides just don’t like the idea of cameras, phones and even tablets blocking their view of the groom as they walk down the aisle.

As social media continues to weave itself further into our daily lives, it will be interesting to see just how much this evolving technology will continue to play into the world of weddings. But, it still begs the question: to hashtag, or not to hashtag? You decide.