When you get all dressed up and look your best, you want to document the occasion and share the pics on social media. But if you’re going to a wedding, you probably want to pause before you post anything involving the wedding, the happy couple, or any other event details. The thing is, you’re a guest, so it’s really not up to you to share images of their big day before they give the okay.
These are the social media etiquette mistakes wedding guests should avoid, according to certified etiquette and image advisor Taylor Perramond.
- Announcing the nuptials before the couple - Even if you’re the first person they tell when they get engaged, it’s their news to share, not yours. This is especially true if they haven't made the announcement yet on social media, since you don’t want to steal their spotlight.
- Not checking the ground rules - Every couple has their own idea of how much of their big day they want documented, so check their wedding website’s FAQ section for guidance, look for signs at the ceremony and listen for announcements from the officiant about phone preferences.
- Posting pictures of the couple before the ceremony - If you’re in the wedding or see the bride or groom before the event begins, don’t share anything about their look ahead of time. To play it safe, hold off on posting details like table settings, decor, and other guests until the next day.
- Capturing the ceremony - The etiquette expert says this isn’t the time or place to have your phone out as it’s “disruptive, not only in action, but it could potentially ruin the moment that they most likely hired someone else to record.”
- Livestreaming without permission - If there are loved ones who can’t be there in person, it may be okay to video call them, just ask for the couple’s permission beforehand, not the day of the wedding.
- Posting unflattering images - Don’t share photos of the couple looking anything but their wedding day best. Perramond points out, “What seems silly or funny now may not seem that way the next morning, in four weeks or four years.”
- Not keeping comments positive - That old saying about if you don’t have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all is still true, especially as a wedding guest.
Source: Brides
Scott's Thoughts:
- So share those snarky comments in a text to your BFF, not a Facebook post!
- Social media didn't exist when I got married in 1993! Hell the internet was just getting started then! That's right. I am old as dirt!
- I don't even take my phone into a wedding for fear that it will ring while I am in there. I have people. like parents and kids, that are on override for when the ringer is turned off. Receptions maybe?