It may seem cliché to long for “the good ole days” of yesteryear, but there’s a certain nostalgia that goes along with eras we never knew. When it comes to exchanging vows, hosts may yearn for a time where they only had to keep far-flung family members from over-imbibing and not worry their perfectly coiffed heads over their guests’ mobile phone addictions.
Well, if you can’t beat the tech-dependent wedding guests (away from those phones, that is), use them! More betrothed couples have enlisted family and friends to help record and share wedding-day memories on social media using wedding hashtags. So, if you’ve got a ceremony of the something-old-something-new variety in the works, here are some quick tips to help you figure out the perfect, clever hashtag for your big day.
Keep it Simple. #DecipheringLongSentencesInHashtagFormIsObnoxious, am I right? Not only that, but with guests typing in the tag on cell phones (and possibly while inebriated), you don’t want to add any more obstacles. I would propose a 30-character limit on your nuptial tag. Examples: #HappilyEverHarrison (19 characters), or #JonesPartyof2 (13 characters).
Incorporate the Date. Particularly if your first and/or last names are fairly common, including the date keeps your wedding memories separate from all the other Jims and Sues tying the knot. So instead of #BridgetLovesJohnny, try #BridgetLoveJohnny424, or #BridgetLovesJohnnyMay24. Bonus: guests who have spent months staring at your (lovingly crafted) Save-the-Dates and wedding invites on the fridge will probably remember the date better than a complex hashtag.
Use Your Name(s). While #TyingtheKnot815 or #GettingHitchedAugust10 may be easy to remember, they’re also generic, and generic means someone else probably considered it, as well. So try #JamesandLucyTietheKnot or #CherylandBenGetHitched2015. It’s simple, memorable and unique enough to keep your wedding separate on the web.
Poll Your Friends. Sometimes, collaboration is the mother of invention. Ask a few close friends – perhaps your wedding party – for their ideas. For all you know, your best man has the perfect celebrity-combo name for you that not only makes your hashtag unique, but evokes a little giggle in the meantime. On that note, run your ideas by those trusted friends; they’ll usually notice a confusing or common tag before the bride and groom do.
Search the Hashtag. While you may have dreamed up the perfect hashtag four months before your wedding day, who knows how many others chose the same one? Adjusting your hashtag last minute is preferable to mixing up your photos with a stranger’s. So the day before, make it a point to check that your hashtag is still in the clear.
Make it a Game. I’ve seen several posts on social media where guests became secondary photographers and were even prompted with a scavenger hunt-like list of shots to take during the ceremony and reception. See the flower girl dancing with her daddy? Snap a pic. What about the father of the bride watching his little girl? Photo op! Include a list of candid moments you’d love to revel in after the fact on each table, along with your chosen hashtag, to create a fun, festive environment.
Above all, remember to #HaveFunWithIt.
