Wedding Etiquette Forum

Restricting social media at wedding?

I'm not planning on doing this but I now know of multiple weddings that have and am curious about opinions. 

At the beginning of the wedding they asked everyone to not post anything from the wedding to social media. The only photos that they wanted on social media were ones that they posted from the professional photographer. 
Now, I find it a bit of a strange request but maybe that's just me. Is this rude because you're dictating to your guests what they can and can't do (like an unplugged wedding)? Or is it fine because people should be able to control their presence on social media? 

(Guests were allowed to take photos for their own use)

What is the general consensus? 

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Re: Restricting social media at wedding?

  • Ironring said:
    I'm not planning on doing this but I now know of multiple weddings that have and am curious about opinions. 

    At the beginning of the wedding they asked everyone to not post anything from the wedding to social media. The only photos that they wanted on social media were ones that they posted from the professional photographer. 
    Now, I find it a bit of a strange request but maybe that's just me. Is this rude because you're dictating to your guests what they can and can't do (like an unplugged wedding)? Or is it fine because people should be able to control their presence on social media? 

    (Guests were allowed to take photos for their own use)

    What is the general consensus? 

    Yep, rude.



  • I also believe it is rude to tell guests what to do with their own photos.  Legally in fact they own the copyright anyway!  

    My friend went to a wedding last month with a 24 hour ban on posting to social media.  She took a really beautiful picture of the bride, but after the 24 hour period was up, she felt too uncomfortable to share it.

    Basically the 'rule' had made her unsure as to whether social media was welcomed or not by the couple.  She wasn't sure whether the bride would even want the image.  She just found the whole thing really awkward.

    For my wedding next month, of course in theory it would be awesome if the first images of us on social media were the stylised shots taken by our fine art photographer.  In theory!  

    But it in reality it will be pictures taken on someone's iPhone at a dodgy angle, because our friends won't need weeks to edit and Photoshop them!  It is what it is.

    By trying to control how your guests view and share your wedding, you will just come across as a control freak brideszilla.

  • I also believe it is rude to tell guests what to do with their own photos.  Legally in fact they own the copyright anyway!  

    My friend went to a wedding last month with a 24 hour ban on posting to social media.  She took a really beautiful picture of the bride, but after the 24 hour period was up, she felt too uncomfortable to share it.

    Basically the 'rule' had made her unsure as to whether social media was welcomed or not by the couple.  She wasn't sure whether the bride would even want the image.  She just found the whole thing really awkward.

    For my wedding next month, of course in theory it would be awesome if the first images of us on social media were the stylised shots taken by our fine art photographer.  In theory!  

    But it in reality it will be pictures taken on someone's iPhone at a dodgy angle, because our friends won't need weeks to edit and Photoshop them!  It is what it is.

    By trying to control how your guests view and share your wedding, you will just come across as a control freak brideszilla.

    Not necessarily! My cousin took a picture of DD as she was starting to walk down the aisle with my H. It is a beautiful picture and one of the first if not the first posted on FB.
  • Ironring said:
    I'm not planning on doing this but I now know of multiple weddings that have and am curious about opinions. 

    At the beginning of the wedding they asked everyone to not post anything from the wedding to social media. The only photos that they wanted on social media were ones that they posted from the professional photographer. 
    Now, I find it a bit of a strange request but maybe that's just me. Is this rude because you're dictating to your guests what they can and can't do (like an unplugged wedding)? Or is it fine because people should be able to control their presence on social media? 

    (Guests were allowed to take photos for their own use)

    What is the general consensus? 


    I don't find it strange or rude and I plan to do the same, except, there will be NO photos posted by me or anyone else on social media unlike this bride who wanted just photos she approved of posted. In fact, I had that written into my contract with the photographer that he can use the photos for his own portfolio and to show clients, but I did not want them posted anywhere public and when I explained why, he totally understood and respected my wishes by having it inserted into the contract.

    Some people simply don't want their face plastered on the Internet for any number of reasons and as a guest, I think it's rude not to respect their wishes.

  • levioosa said:
    It is rude because you are dictating how your guests act at the wedding.  There are also plenty of ways to avoid the picture being posted to your side of social media (i.e. changing your settings so that pictures must be approved before they are posted to your timeline/you are tagged in them).

    And, I'm sorry, but if SO and I take a cute picture together at the wedding, that is my property, and I'm going to post the picture.  

    Yes, in this age of me, me me, you do you boo. But if you posted my photo to social media after I asked that you not, we would no longer be friends. And FYI, social media goes beyond the scope of Facebook and includes many sites where you have no approval control over images.
  • edited June 2016
    @glamqueenbride you have a genuinely unique situation that, I think warrants, what I consider to be rude outside of serious, safety risk parameters.   I'm also assuming your guests are already aware of your choice to not participate in social media.

    My sisters best friend and then FI put in place parameters leading up to the wedding to ensure their safety.  A very dangerous person in their past was trying to discover where the wedding was so they asked friends not to divulge details and they blocked comments from being public for the month leading up (in addition to hiring a security guard). 

    However, the people who do what the OP are requesting are doing so in vain, and seem to me to be bridezilla esque in their efforts to control how and when photos are released. People will be excited to see your photos, but it's really not that serious. 

    ETA:  I typically follow the couples lead. If they're active social media users then I'll probably post their photo the following day. If they're not, I'll wait to share photos with them until I see other people doing the same. 
    image
  • I would seriously side-eye that request that NO pictures be posted. I can understand that some brides have unique situations and if I were invited to a wedding where there was the potential for bad things to happen (like the two above) I would definitely withhold. 

    I will say that I plan on asking my guests not to use their cell phones during the ceremony because I want to see their faces in the pictures not their phones and it blocks the photographer. Would y'all consider that rude too, though?
  • I would seriously side-eye that request that NO pictures be posted. I can understand that some brides have unique situations and if I were invited to a wedding where there was the potential for bad things to happen (like the two above) I would definitely withhold. 

    I will say that I plan on asking my guests not to use their cell phones during the ceremony because I want to see their faces in the pictures not their phones and it blocks the photographer. Would y'all consider that rude too, though?
    but how would you know? I know people in past abusive situations who do not tell most of their friends or colleagues about it. 

    If a bride and groom asked me not to post pictures of THEM on social media, I'd be fine with it. If they asked me not to post pictures of anything else on social media, I'd roll my eyes pretty hard. 
    In my friends situation, everyone knew the basis for the concern as it involved a deceased parent.  Our group of friends received a simple IM on Facebook saying something like "Just to let you know, we've blocked people from sharing on our walls between now and the wedding.  We've had some safety concerns and have hired security for the day of, but we're asking people not to share anything until the day after the wedding so this person can't find out when and where we are getting married."
    image
  • Thanks for the discussion everyone. I feel like the day after the wedding I would be itching for any photos of the event to see! I might not be thrilled if someone posts a super unflattering photo, but I'm also assuming that my friends wouldn't do that anyways because they don't do that in normal life. So I do think it a bit of a strange request but social media is such a new thing and everyone has differing levels of comfort around it. 

    I am not sure if they would have been fine with photos of other guests at the wedding, like @levioosas comment, but none have shown up so maybe those were banned as well. Not sure. 
    I totally get if someone has safety or security issues with someone in their life but I am quite confident this wasn't the case in the several weddings I've heard of this (the brides are typically fairly active on social media). 

    And @DrillSergeantCat requesting an unplugged wedding is a bit of a touchy subject. I suggest you do a search of this site for other threads related to just that before making your decision. The rough summary of the threads will be "don't". 
  • I would seriously side-eye that request that NO pictures be posted. I can understand that some brides have unique situations and if I were invited to a wedding where there was the potential for bad things to happen (like the two above) I would definitely withhold. 

    I will say that I plan on asking my guests not to use their cell phones during the ceremony because I want to see their faces in the pictures not their phones and it blocks the photographer. Would y'all consider that rude too, though?
    A good photographer will be able to work around your guests. Nobody will "block" the photographer, and if they do, the photographer will adjust. I would 100% side-eye a couple for telling me not to take photos during the ceremony. I'm a grown up... please don't tell me how to behave. 

    Also - some of my favorite photos from my wedding were taken by my guests. And it was nice to not have to wait weeks and weeks after the wedding to see photos. I got to see the photos my guests took the very next day! 
    --

  • @JediElizabeth In these two instances cited above, I believe they've told their guests their reasons. 

    @banana468, @charlotte989875, @Ironring, and @floridabride44 thanks for the input. I saw a post on facebook (so it must be true) from a photographer who showed pictures from a wedding he'd recently photographed showing all these cell phones in the way and he was basically pleading with people not to do that. Then, of course, that got popular on Pinterest (again on the Internet so it must be true). 
  • @JediElizabeth In these two instances cited above, I believe they've told their guests their reasons. 

    @banana468, @charlotte989875, @Ironring, and @floridabride44 thanks for the input. I saw a post on facebook (so it must be true) from a photographer who showed pictures from a wedding he'd recently photographed showing all these cell phones in the way and he was basically pleading with people not to do that. Then, of course, that got popular on Pinterest (again on the Internet so it must be true). 
    When researching photographers for our wedding we used this as a litmus test.  Did they share it on their FB?  Automatically removed from our list.  The rest of the photographers we asked about it.  Our photographer's answer was that's every event before and after cell phone and they know how to work around it.
    image
  • @DrillSergeantCat I guess there's always a chance that your ceremony could end up looking like those photos that have gone viral with all of the phones and screens and stuff, it's pretty unlikely. Those photos are taken from only several weddings out of the thousands that are great. The internet likes to sensationalize issues like that and make them seem bigger than they really are. 

    Before popularity of smart phones, most people had digital cameras and it wasn't an issue then and is a similar concept. The people who are going to jump in the aisle to g a photo or get in front of the photographer will do that even if you ask for an unplugged wedding. Most people know that they should be somewhat discrete about taking photos at a ceremony. Just get a good photographer and I'm sure you will have beautiful photos. 
  • I also believe it is rude to tell guests what to do with their own photos.  Legally in fact they own the copyright anyway!  

    My friend went to a wedding last month with a 24 hour ban on posting to social media.  She took a really beautiful picture of the bride, but after the 24 hour period was up, she felt too uncomfortable to share it.

    Basically the 'rule' had made her unsure as to whether social media was welcomed or not by the couple.  She wasn't sure whether the bride would even want the image.  She just found the whole thing really awkward.

    For my wedding next month, of course in theory it would be awesome if the first images of us on social media were the stylised shots taken by our fine art photographer.  In theory!  

    But it in reality it will be pictures taken on someone's iPhone at a dodgy angle, because our friends won't need weeks to edit and Photoshop them!  It is what it is.

    By trying to control how your guests view and share your wedding, you will just come across as a control freak brideszilla.

    Not necessarily! My cousin took a picture of DD as she was starting to walk down the aisle with my H. It is a beautiful picture and one of the first if not the first posted on FB.
    Knowing my luck it will be the dodgy one of me looking a bit fat, but don't care that much TBH!
  • There have been posters on here who only have any photos because guests took them. 

    And do you think anyone that needs to scroll facebook/ig during a wedding ceremony is actually going to listen to some cheesy poem (probably chalkboard) telling them not to?


  • ei34ei34 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    I loved seeing all of the photos guests posted on social media, especially since it was a few weeks after our wedding that our photographer shared his images with us.
    As a rule, dictating behavior to your adult guests rubs me the wrong way.
  • edited June 2016
    @JediElizabeth In these two instances cited above, I believe they've told their guests their reasons. 

    @banana468, @charlotte989875, @Ironring, and @floridabride44 thanks for the input. I saw a post on facebook (so it must be true) from a photographer who showed pictures from a wedding he'd recently photographed showing all these cell phones in the way and he was basically pleading with people not to do that. Then, of course, that got popular on Pinterest (again on the Internet so it must be true). 
    Haha I appreciate your sarcasm.

    Yeah, don't do it. Trust your guests to be polite. Trust your photographer to get great shots. 
    I was one of the people that ended up having a horrible wedding photog and for awhile, guest photos were all we had. Ironically, the person who provided us the most photos was the husband of someone DH likes to lovingly make fun of for always taking too many photos. Well, thank God they took all those photos...

    And anyway, those wide-angle shots of the crowd? It's not like that will only be your only ceremony picture ever. I prefer ceremony shots that are close-ups of the couple. You'll have tons of guest photos from your reception. No use making a big deal about the inability to get a "nice" wide-angle ceremony shot. 

    Edit-typo
    ________________________________


  • I always thought that asking guests not to take photos or to turn off their phones was really rude and that everyone would have the common sense to turn their phones off or to take a few photos discreetly, however, I went to a wedding Saturday and I'm starting to change my tune. we could barely see most of the ceremony because the 3 rows in front of us were all taking photos or recording. A lot of guests didn't turn their phones off so we could all hear the iPhone shutter sound every time a photo was taken. A few guests behind me were taking so many photos the sound was non stop and it was really distracting.

    I haven't decided what to do at our wedding yet... I know I can't stop anyone from doing what they want, but we may have the officiant give a polite reminder to turn their phones ringer off and to turn the camera sound off as well.
  • @DrillSergeantCat The argument I usually bring up about unplugged weddings is this: I'm not a big picture taker. I just don't do it much. DH's mom and aunt, though, capture everything... because they care and they want to have that moment captured for themselves (because realistically, the vast majority of guests don't get access to all your photog's pictures, so naturally if they want some they figure they'll have to take them for themselves). That's who these women are, and they're certainly not getting out their phone because they don't care to be present - just the opposite.

    I see an unplugged wedding as a rejection of who they are, in a way - "The way you would normally behave, with all the picture taking? Don't be that way." If you truly don't want other adults to behave the way they would normally, usually your polite option is not to invite them, not to invite them but then dictate their behavior. It's just such a minor thing anyway that I think it makes couples look like control freaks.
  • Haha I appreciate your sarcasm.

    Yeah, don't do it. Trust your guests to be polite. Trust your photographer to get great shots. 
    I was one of the people that ended up having a horrible wedding photog and for awhile, guest photos were all we had. Ironically, the person who provided us the most photos was the husband of someone DH likes to lovingly make fun of for always taking too many photos. Well, thank God they took all those photos...

    And anyway, those wide-angle shots of the crowd? It's not like that will only be your only ceremony picture ever. I prefer ceremony shots that are close-ups of the couple. You'll have tons of guest photos from your reception. No use making a big deal about the inability to get a "nice" wide-angle ceremony shot. 

    Edit-typo
    It's not about the wide angle shot. It's that some people want to step out into the aisle to get a shot of the bride and the person behind them steps out a little further and the one behind them a little further and so on and so on. This is the picture that started it all and got me thinking.
  • You know what, shots like that are ones that make the 'reveal' all that more enjoyable IMO.   DH commented that he couldn't see me because everyone was leaning over.  

    Nearly 9 years later, it's a fond memory.   Not cause for doing away with camera phones. 
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