How Social Media Influencers are Changing the Wedding Industry
The wedding game has been changing a lot in the past decade, but nowhere has it changed more than with the advent of social media platforms. Weddings now have their own hashtags, some even have their own followings, and couples are feeling the pressure to make their weddings Instagram worthy.
While the average couple’s wedding may not make a big Instagram splash, many social media influencers use their weddings as another chance to gain followers and expand their brand awareness. By using carefully curated hashtags, social media influencers are able to make their wedding an ‘event’ that will be seen by thousands, but this means careful planning.
With weddings now becoming more extravagant than ever before, wedding influencers have to work twice as hard to get noticed. Now, a pretty wedding dress isn’t enough to get you seen, instead, you have to have something truly unique. JJ’s House designer Jessica has noticed this trend towards wedding dresses.
“We’ve seen some incredible gowns getting massive likes on Instagram. Things like dip-dyed wedding dresses or two-piece wedding dresses are hugely popular with influencers right now,” she says.
So why are social media influencers doing this? Weddings now are big money and getting the right following can mean that you will link up with a big brand who will further promote you. Wedding planners or designers take advantage of this by partnering with big brands for sponsored content, like a specific type of alcohol, or honeymoon destinations. This mutual promotion assures organic virality for the big brand while helping push the influencers’ status up higher.
You can now literally brand your wedding with the use of hashtags, which will allow you to not only share your big day with the world but will also permit you to collect all the photos taken of you that day. Many people now have their preferred hashtag clearly visible at several spots throughout the ceremony and reception so that guests know how to tag the pictures that they will inevitably be taking. However, it’s essential to keep the expectations of your wedding within a manageable range.
The royal wedding of Harry and Meghan, the Kardashian wedding, or even the weddings are obscure but extremely wealthy can all give potential brides completely unrealistic expectations of what their wedding will look like on social media. What’s feasible for Meghan Markle or Kim Kardashian is impractical for the vast majority of the population, so you should still focus on how you want to feel during your big day over how you want it to look.
The future of the wedding industry is now entirely changed by social media influencers. Each year, more and more newly engaged couples are turning to social media to find inspiration for their upcoming nuptials. Décor ideas dress ideas, and even food ideas are all things people are turning to social media for inspiration on.
If you’re planning your wedding, expect to spend some time on social media instead of buying up wedding magazines as the future of the wedding industry turns to embrace the Internet and social media.