Kim Kardashian is used to living her life in front of the cameras, but at her recent wedding to Kanye West, the reality TV star limited her and her guests' use of social media. It took Kim, who is extremely active on Twitter and Instagram, three days before she released photos from the ceremony, while her guests only gave their followers a sneak-peek into the nuptials with a couple of snaps posted online. Should the modern day bride and groom say "yes" to social media at their wedding?
While newlyweds want their friends to enjoy and capture their special day, many are taking cues from celebrity couples such as Kim and Kanye, Poppy Delevingne and James Cook, and Kaley Cuoco and Ryan Sweeting who laid bare their digital rules. Some 44 per cent of brides believe they should be the ones to set guidelines on how public their wedding will be online, according to the "What's On Brides' Minds" survey carried out by fashion house David's Bridal, who quizzed newly engaged and married women. Only 14 per cent are following in Kim's strict steps and saying "no" to social media posting during the ceremony. A majority 62 per cent of women agreed that the bridesmaids shouldn't spoil the surprise by uploading images of the bride in her wedding dress before the nuptials.
For couples who do want to share their day online, 58 per cent of those surveyed said that the bride and groom should be the first to post a photo from the wedding, much like Kim and Kanye did. Some 26 per cent would go a step further and ask their friends to use a specific hashtag, just as Kaley did by adding "#thesweetings" to her images. Her first wedding photo posted on Instagram under the hashtag received more than 48,000 "likes" from her fans.
While it took Kim four days to change her social media profiles to read "Kim Kardashian West", some 56 per cent of brides would update their page with their new name within 24 hours of the wedding. A keen 10 per cent would make the change on the day. "It is hard to escape the presence of social media, and many brides use it to announce their engagement and as a key tool during the wedding planning process," said Brian Beitler, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at David's Bridal. "Our 'What's On Brides' Minds' survey found that while some weddings are shared by guests with hashtags created by the bride and groom, others are requesting that guests power down completely and simply enjoy the festivities without digital distractions." What do you think of the use of social media at weddings? Leave your comments below.