This is not your mother’s wedding! Weddings in the 21st century have evolved with today’s technology. Webcasting (livestreaming), social media, cell phone and mobile devices have forever changed the format of ceremonies and receptions.
The use of modern technology at weddings started to emerge approximately 5 years ago when my best friend and his bride married in Las Vegas. I was invited to a livestreamed webcast of the ceremony, on a Friday afternoon and it was a real treat to sit at my office computer and see them tie the knot in real-time, in the gardens at the Hilton.
Today, in this “social” world, brides and grooms create wedding websites when they get engaged; where they blog and fill people in on everything related to their plans for their special day, from a sample of the bridesmaids’ dresses to their choices of gift selections for the bridal registry.
Couples are creating #hashtags for their invitations so guests can use them when uploading and broadcasting their photos during the wedding day. It’s all about memorable posts and tweets for 21st century nuptials.
This season’s receptions are sporting charging stations, that are set-up on beautifully decorated tables and serve as a convenience for their guests’ cell phones and mobile devices. This is certainly a thoughful gesture and a natural evolution, that didn’t exist 20 years ago!
With the popularity of cell phones and social media, one can broadcast a wedding with ease. The phone’s camera is ready for guests to take pictures of the altar and they can immediately capture “the kiss” before the couple see it, and broadcast it via the world-wide web, for all those who were unable to be present.
Frank Michael Photography
Taking pictures during the ceremony is becoming a controversial topic with brides and grooms asking, “Is it appropriate for guests to take photos of us during the ceremony, when we have hired a photographer?” While some couples don’t mind, others are chiming in and asking their guests to unplug. After all, without the ceremony there would be no marriage.
Read more about Unplugged or Plugged: here,
