Social Media Wedding Etiquette

Social media has added a whole new chapter to the etiquette books. Unfortunately, sometimes Facebook or Twitter updates that are posted out of excitement can unintentionally hurt other's feelings.

Weddings are emotional for most people, and when emotions run high, so does the potential for drama. So how do you know what to put on Facebook or post on Twitter? Here's a list of some guidelines for social media use.

1. Do Not – use Facebook as a replacement for your wedding website. Wedding websites are there for a reason. Use them! They already have pages for everything, and you can limit the people who have your URL.

Visit us at Dreamz Wedding Planner

Some websites even allow you to password protect your site or individual pages so that you don't get any unsolicited traffic.

2. Do Not - use Facebook to vent. It's just inappropriate. If you're having planning related problems, discuss them with your soon-to-be husband and practice your team problem-solving skills. Or, if you just need to vent, call up one of your girlfriends and have a good rant. Or, if you really feel the need to write it all down, start keeping a journal. Journaling is very therapeutic, and can help tame stress levels.

3. Do Not – send invitations via Facebook If you're hosting a keg party in your backyard, Facebook invites would probably work. But if you're out of college and want your invitations to symbolize that (1) you're old enough to be getting married, and (2) you understand that a wedding is more than just a party, send real invitations.

4. Do Not - put your registry information on Facebook. If people want to send you a gift, they will. It's totally inappropriate to be soliciting gifts from people who weren't even invited to the wedding. Again, this is an item that would be appropriately placed on a page of your wedding website.

5. Do Not- Discuss your wedding plans on Facebook. It is rude to talk about an invitation-only social event in front of someone who was not invited. You wouldn't do it in person, so why would you do it online?

6. Do Not – update your status during your ceremony. What may seem like a fun idea now is just going to seem ridiculous to you in 20 years. Not only will you feel foolish for pausing your serious, commitment-oriented ceremony for something trivial, but Facebook and other types of social media are constantly shifting, and whatever type you're using will likely be obsolete by the time you're trying to explain to your kids what you're doing with your mobile phone at the alter in your wedding video.

7. Maybe – Announce your engagement on Facebook There's nothing wrong with letting people know you're getting married, but there's a right and a wrong way to go about it. Before you post anything on Facebook, make sure you've told all of your close friends and family personally.

Think about it from their perspective: wouldn't it hurt your feelings if you found out about your daughter's or best friend's wedding online at the same time as everyone else? And be aware, if you post about your engagement, everyone who reads it is going to expect an invite. Explaining that they are not invited may actually be more stress than it's worth.

8. Do – Post engagement photos and pictures of your ring. Facebook is a great way to share information, and your friends and family are definitely going to want to see pictures of you and your soon-to-be spouse.

However, when/if you post pictures of your engagement ring, do so thoughtfully. Don't write tacky, boastful captions about how huge the ring is. People want to see pictures because they're happy that you found love, not a two-carat ring.

9. Do Not- Post messages for your bridal party or other wedding-related groups. This is the same thing as talking about an invite-only party in front of someone. You undoubtedly have friends who you didn't include in your bridal party, and talking to/about your wedding party members may make them feel like their missing out on the fun.

Remember that this type of etiquette is meant to avoid hurting others, but it's also meant to limit the drama in your life. The fewer feelings you hurt the fewer hurt people you're going to have to deal with.

10. Do – post your wedding date. People who know you're engaged are probably going to want to know when the wedding is, so it's perfectly fine to share this. Your wedding date can't really be misconstrued in any way. Someone would be hard-pressed to find a reason to feel this was offensive. But again, be aware that some people may take this information as an invitation.

11. Do Not – Post the details (time, location, etc). First of all, you're just asking for some wedding crashers, and second of all, this information should be given to people via your invitation, not Facebook. Facebook friends who weren't invited may consider this an open invitation, and you could find yourself with a few unexpected guests.

12. Do Not – Post the link to your wedding website. This totally defeats the purpose of not putting this information on Facebook. You should only share your wedding website information with your friends, family, and people invited to the wedding. Unless you're inviting all of your 750 Facebook friends to your wedding, send your website link out on your save-the-dates or invitations.

13. Do – post pictures of your wedding. After the big day, everyone is more relaxed, and less likely to take offense to something you post. Plus, you'll also be under a lot less stress, so should a situation arise, you'll have more time and energy to handle it. And, posting pictures is a great way to help people who couldn't be there feel included.

Also Read: Wedding Planners In Delhi