It’s ironic. Two of the hottest 2016 wedding trends are as polar as opposites get. This is the mobile age, where a couple can use apps to communicate with their wedding planner, receive RSVPs, create and manage guest lists, stay on top of wedding to-dos, and even monitor budgets.
It shouldn’t shock anyone to find out that on one hand there is the couple who is head-over-heels in love with mobile technology, incorporating it into their wedding ceremony and reception, and on the other is the couple who equally passionately want just one day free of all clouds, including the social kind.
2016 is the year where sharing weddings via Instagram has gone mainstream, while more and more couples are declaring that enough mobile technology is enough. “To Upload or To Unplug?” is the burning question.
PC: Abigail Volkmann Photography
To Upload…
Many couples now actively recruit their guests to take candid photos and share them, primarily via the popular Instagram app. Free and fast, it allows even your loved ones who can’t attend to instantly share in all of the important moments of your day through the eyes of your guests.
Granted, it takes an intensive tutorial session to get some less tech-savvy folks on-board (we all have that friend), but the results can be fun collections of “in-the-moment” pics, often from perspectives you’ll never get to see on your own wedding day. Couples choose cute and clever hashtags and even incorporate them as wedding design elements in their décor.
To Unplug…
PC: Laura Murray Photography
The pros of a “Cloud”-y wedding include instant sharing and the potential for some really creative documentation by your friends and family. The cons, however, range from practical – overzealous amateur photographers can easily interfere with (and sometimes violate the contracts of) professionals; to the philosophical – envision your guests peering through their lenses to share your day instead of living in the moment with you.
And then there is your worst nightmare: your guests + open bar = social media disaster. It takes the “drunk text” to horrifying new levels when your wedding becomes its very public, viral backdrop.
And THAT is the Question
PC: Colin Cowie Weddings
This is a fiery debate among couples and wedding pros alike. In fact, we’re pretty sure if you were to poll event planners in Richmond Virginia, you would find as many defending the social side as you would the unplugged.
Which camp, then, The Uploaders or The Unpluggers, is right? Well, while we may have our own personal opinions, like many modern wedding planning trends, the answer is that, as a couple, you have to decide what is right for you. As long as you are following your hearts and being respectful of both your guests and your professional service providers, you really can’t go wrong.
We’d love to know, what is your plan? Will your wedding go viral, be totally mobile-free, or something unique and in-between?