Love it or hate it, social media has changed we way we communicate. Integrating social media into weddings is one of the latest trends and will undoubtedly continue to grow and shift how we experience live events.

This past weekend, my little sister, Meral, got married. She had a beautiful ceremony in Colorado Springs, CO at Cheyenne Mountain State Park. Me, being the matron of honor and a social media marketing professional, I gladly took it upon myself to take care of the social media tasks associated with the wedding. I will share with you the three ways I integrated social media into the occasion:

1. Live-Streaming with Facebook Live.

My sister had around 150 guests present for the wedding. It was such a beautiful ceremony and reception, so I'm so happy we were able to share it with the friends and family that were not able to attend in person. We don't have any extended family that live in Colorado so being able to share the big day with those far away was so cool. Also, the entire family on my dad's side live in Istanbul, Turkey. We got to share the wedding with them in real time thanks to technology! Watching an event live has such a different feel to it than watching it after the fact. The day before the wedding, I created a Facebook event and invited all of our close friends and family members that weren't going to be able to make it. The day of the wedding, I made sure to designate one person who wasn't a part of the wedding party to do the live streaming. My cousin Subie was the cameraman. I opened Facebook Live, added the title "Meral & Clint's wedding," hit broadcast, then handed it off to Subie. Normally, I would have happily recorded but since I was going to be standing up at the alter, I needed some help. Our family members were so thrilled to be able to virtually join us. I loved going back later and reading all of the comments that came in during the broadcast. My sister and father were even able to interact and say hello to some of the guests on Facebook Live before he walked her down the aisle. Here's a screenshot of me introducing my Facebook friends to the cameraman for the wedding ceremony live stream:

2. Create a hashtag.

Creating a hashtag is a great way to let your guests share their favorite shots from the wedding! The possibilities are endless for what you choose as your wedding hashtag but typically people a combination of both last names, the groom's last name, or something cutesy. My cousin's wedding hashtag was #FinallyKlepack which is great so you don't get mixed in with other random hashtags. The one we decided on for my sister's wedding was #MeralClint2016. The most important part, of course, is making sure you let the guests know by having signage around the wedding! If you google image search "wedding hashtag signs" you will find so many cute examples! This is where I got the inspiration for the sign below that I created on a chalkboard:

3. Create a custom Snapchat filter.

This is a relatively new trend. Trust me, your wedding guests will be delighted to find out there is a custom filter they can use on their snaps! I also surprised my sister and brother in law with this a few days before the wedding and they didn't know what the filter would look like until it was live! You can find the instructions on how to create and upload a custom Snapchat Geofilter here. It's really simple and very cheap! So don't be afraid to try it out. The hardest part is designing what the filter will look like and no worries if you're not talented with photoshop or canva, you can hire a graphic designer to design it for anywhere from $20 to $80 depending on the artwork. My filter was made by Award Winning Snapchat Interactive Storyteller, Shaun Ayala. Check out Shaun's website for awesome tutorials, tips, and his list of product offerings including custom geofilters for your next event! I was SO happy with how my snapchat filter turned out:

Shoutout to my friend Carlos Gil for introducing me to Shaun. For more actionable tips on Snapchat strategy, creating filters, and much more be sure to follow Carlos!

I hope this has been helpful for you. Wishing you all the best for your future wedding or upcoming event! Don't hesitate to reach out if you need any help.

I'd love to hear your thoughts or questions in the comments below. Do you have any tips to share with future brides or grooms to be regarding social media and their wedding? Thank you for your time and thanks for stopping by!