Wedding Technology: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Emails and texts often replace letters and personal conversations. How has technology impacted weddings? Technology can be helpful to the couple as they plan their big day, but some traditions should not be replaced by a technological alternative. Which tech trends are appropriate for a wedding?

Wedding Planning

The process of wedding planning is where tech really shines. There  are several ways that couples can use technology to make the wedding planning process more efficient and even fun. Create a Pinterest board and start pinning wedding ideas early in the process. As you make decisions about wedding decor, dresses, cakes, and other wedding details, you can edit the Pinterest board to reflect your choices. You can share the board with certain people or keep it private.

Do you have relatives who offer way too much advice on what the wedding should be like? Add them to a Pinterest board, not necessarily the one you are using to narrow your choices. When the imposing relatives give advice, ask them to pin it on the board. You may find something you like. If not, at least the relatives feel that their voice was heard.

Google Docs can be helpful for wedding planning. A document can be created with a To Do list or wedding planning ideas. The document can be shared with others you trust to help you complete the To Do list or provide feedback on ideas.

Invitations

While a Facebook Invite might be appropriate for a picnic or birthday party, it is not acceptable for a wedding. The social media butterflies may feel inclined to forgo the traditional invitations for a quick Facebook Event listing, but this impersonal, one-size-fits-all option is not the best choice for weddings. The traditional invitations are one way to introduce the wedding to your guests.

Traditional wedding invitations show the couple’s style and personality. The social media invite for weddings is so impersonal that guests are bound to feel cheated. Receiving invites to a wedding by any computer tech method such as social media, email, or text comes across as lazy and cheap.

Wedding Attendance

As a general rule, internet tech does not belong at the wedding ceremony. Brides and grooms should not be texting or tweeting during the ceremony. Believe it or not, those things have happened! There are some cases when internet technology has assisted in the big day. When a beloved relative such as a parent is too ill to attend the ceremony, the relative can still attend with the help of Skype and a laptop or tablet.

Sharing Wedding Photos

The internet is great for sharing photos or video of the wedding. Instead of adding this to the seemingly never-ending list of responsibilities, consider asking a friend or relative to take on the job of posting the photos to a wedding blog, Facebook, or other photo-sharing option.

Technology has its place in day-to-day life. Some use of wedding technology is helpful. We use technology to learn about wedding trends and to coordinate the wedding planning with friends and relatives. When deciding whether or not to use technology to replace a tradition, consider if the tech alternative will improve the wedding or if guests may be offended by its use. Will the technology enhance the personality and flair of the big day or come across as impersonal?

For more tips about wedding planning and the use of wedding technology, please see this article about Planning a Wedding like a Professional which includes a tip about wedding planning software.