Wedding Trend | #WeddingHashtag

Hashtags are nothing new when it comes to social media. It's also not new for couples to have a hashtag for their wedding.  There are definite pros of wedding hashtags, but there are also cons! I for one love them, but I understand why people have a problem with them. Getting the guests perspective is nothing new! Remember when everyone had disposable cameras on every  table at their reception? It's like a modern version of that!

The Pros:

• It's a fun way for your guests to feel involved during your wedding!
• You and your new spouse get to see some wedding pictures the next day easily by just looking up your hashtag on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
• You could get to see a moment of the wedding that your photographer didn't get. (Not that your photographer would miss anything important, but most of the time photographers don't stay until the end of the reception!)
• You might end up getting one of your favorite candid shots from the wedding that a guest just happened to catch! 
• If you don't choose your own hashtag, guests will try to make up their own. It's best to have one posted somewhere at the wedding so there's not 4 different hashtags floating around with your wedding pictures. You could put it in your invitations, in the program at the ceremony, or somewhere at the reception. 

The Cons:

• Depending on the ages of your guests, some people might not understand the concept of hashtags, and will just be confused by the whole thing.
• You could get really disappointed that only a handful of people post pictures.  You might see 12 pictures of your cousin and her boyfriend,  and one blurry picture of you walking down the isle. 
• People might want to take and edit pictures during the ceremony and reception, so they might not be paying attention during important parts of the wedding.
• As a photographer it can get REALLY annoying when all the guests are trying to get pictures and might get in their way! If guests are using flash, it's even more annoying for them!
• The first picture that ends up on social media of your wedding could be a very unflattering picture of you. Do you want that to be the first picture people see?

Advice:

• Research your hashtag before hand! Make sure you don't have the same one as another couples wedding!

Are you having a hashtag at your wedding?

xo, Val.