Wedding

The Case for Staying Off Social Media on Your Wedding Day

posted on August 12, 2019 | by Heather Bien

The Case for Staying Off Social Media on Your Wedding Day

You may have spent hours obsessing over the perfect hashtag, but there’s one thing you should consider avoiding when you’re the bride: posting on social media. We know you’re thrilled to share your big day with the world and shout your newly minted marriage from the rooftops, but, if it’s a possibility for you, here’s the case for staying off social media on your wedding day.

It should go without say, but you want to be present

We shouldn’t have to tell you this, but you want to be in the moment on your wedding day. Don’t worry about finding the perfect Lightroom edit for your morning-of breakfast view. You can ask someone else to snap a quick pic of you and your maid of honor over mimosas. The selfie of you and your new spouse can wait for the honeymoon.

Give your phone to one of your trusted friends and leave it behind from the time you wake up until you go to bed that evening. Focus on making memories with the people you love while they’re present with you rather than broadcasting it to those who didn’t make the guest list.

You hired your photographer for a reason

Wedding photographers cost a pretty penny. And, if you hired a good one, they’ll turn out a beautifully framed narrative of your day. Your photographer will capture all the candid smiles, the happy tears, and the belly laughs. That means you can take a deep breath, put your phone down, and stop worrying about whether you need to document every single second.

Your friends’ Insta stories will still be there 12 hours later

Scrolling through your guests’ Insta stories is a fun behind-the-scenes peek into all of the little moments you missed on your wedding day. The boozy brunch that preceded getting ready, the bus ride to the ceremony, the dance floor antics. You want to soak up every last minute! But, resist the urge to pick up your phone and press “Share to Your Story.” The beauty of stories––they’ll still be there up to 24 hours later for you to check.

And that hashtag? That exists so that you can revisit the photos later––without having to catch them in real-time on your feed.

Going social-media free could save you money

Some photographers are offering a discount for couples who implement an official social media ban at their weddings (who wants a crowd full of camera phones in that classic exiting-the-ceremony shot?!).

The name change can wait until you’re headed home the next day

We get it, you’re excited to share your brand new married name with the world. But, when you log in to Facebook to change your maiden name to your new married moniker at 11:30 PM the night of your wedding, you know what everyone knows you’re not doing?

So, for those who have had a wedding day, did you choose to post––or did you avoid social media altogether? Share with us your reasons for avoiding or incorporating social media on your big day!