Today there isn’t a major (or minor!) event that isn’t posted all over social media, from images to commentary to memes to tweets, and if it happens, you’ll find it on social media. That’s a fact. However, proper social media etiquette is just being formulated because of the relative newness of the field. Even though Facebook and
Twitter have been around for just over a decade, that isn’t a very long time in the scheme of things.
So who decides what proper etiquette is and what is not? It would probably be the users who are also very vocal about what they like and what they don’t. When it comes to wedding etiquette on social media, there is a lot of controversy over what is acceptable and what is not. Here are a few of the ways in which you can inadvertently step on a few toes along the way.
Creating an Acceptable Timeline
One of the biggest attractions to social media channels like Facebook is the timeline function where the platform keeps track of major events and brings back memories on a particular date years down the road. So then, what kind of timeline would you consider acceptable? The happy couple surely doesn’t want it posted who they are arguing with, but they do want to save all those well-wishes that stream in as friends and family begin following your page. In fact, if you want a truly acceptable wedding timeline, why not start a separate page from your personal page? Call it the “Jim and Jane Wedding Journal” for example and only post relative to the big event on this page. What a great wedding album this would make!
Photo Journaling the Big Event
From that moment when the happy young man presents his bride with the most beautiful engagement ring, hand-chosen from premier sites such as ascotdiamonds.com, you will want everything photo journaled. The advice here is that it really is proper etiquette to have an onlooker as you pop the question or how else could you snap that shot for Instagram? There are some events during the lead up to the wedding that you may not want open to the world, but that ‘down on knees’ moment needs to be authentic. A re-enactment just won’t do because the raw emotions just won’t be there.
PM or Email Followers Who May Not Want Their Photo Online
Perhaps the biggest mistake of a social media photo journal of your wedding would be to post pictures of people in your wedding party or a guest at the engagement party who doesn’t want their pictures made public. It is in bad taste to upload photos of anyone who asks you not to put their picture online, so before uploading any photos of guests at events make sure to touch base with everyone you have a snapshot of. This is a must.
It’s Up to You to Set the Rules of Acceptable Behavior
Just remember that this is an event you want to memorialize so make sure all social rules are understood before inviting anyone to join your page. From here on out it will be tons of fun to create great memories, but always start with your idea of what you consider acceptable. A social media wedding is something unheard of in previous generations so you are in on the ground floor and setting examples for years to come.
