Grooms in Cornwall and Devon

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Digital Weddings

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From searching to streaming, digital technology has transformed the way we plan and share weddings. Wed outlines tech-savvy solutions.

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From searching to streaming, digital technology has transformed the way we plan and share weddings. Wed outlines the tech-savvy solutions for a thoroughly modern celebration...

Wedding ceremonies haven't changed much over the last few centuries.  Stunning white dress, olde English vows, pair of rings - and a kiss to round it off.  

Entrenched as these traditions are, the world around them has marched ever onwards. Can you imagine life now without the internet, tablets or smartphones?



Although the vows may stay the same, technology has infiltrated every other part of a wedding. Start to finish, tech can be a focal building block for your day or a silent partner, keeping things slick and stress-free.

#Planning + #Searching
Google has conquered all in its path, its use so ingratiated into our psyche that we fail to appreciate how finessed the process has become. Type a three-word search and you can find an alphabetised list, complete with map, of the available suppliers, ready for immediate review. Provided you have the minimum required organisational skills (the ability to create a folder), this tech task is undertaken by most engaged couples without a second thought.  

Opening the door to a wonderful world of wedding inspiration, Pinterest is the modern bride's best friend, making it easy to create mood boards, collate ideas and share your vision with suppliers. Then there's the communication opportunities opened up by Facebook and Twitter, which allow you to communicate updates instantly - as well as engage with sources of advice and inspiration. "I've followed Wed Magazine on Twitter since I got engaged," comments bride-to-be Emily Hasson. "It's been a handy point of communication to ask for advice and recommendations."

#SaveTheDate + #Augmented Reality
Save the date videos are growing increasingly popular, but the really impressive tech comes with incorporating this cinematic spin in conjunction with a classic card through the door - augmented reality video cards. Like a QR code, you use your smartphone camera, but rather than simply opening a website, you see your video play as part of the real world image on the screen. Very cool. Maybe not so useful for inviting your nan, but definitely memorable.  

#GiftLists
Why deal with the trepidation (and dare say, disappointment) of leaving weddings gifts to chance? With the average big day costing more than £15,000, it makes sense to make the most of this crowdsourced reimbursement. Couples can sign up to a range of websites (Amazon, John Lewis, House of Fraser) and go on a clicking spree, or package up your perfect honeymoon and appeal for specific contributions (flights, transfers, excursions) on sites such as honeyfund.co.uk or virginholidays.co.uk.



#GuestManagement + #WeddingWebsite
Many couples make entirely bespoke sites from scratch, using a free wedding website builder. Wedding planner Sarah Gillett of Perfect Preparation (perfect-preparation.co.uk) often suggests this strategy to her clients. "They're extremely useful. Guests can RSVP and choose food options, which can then be downloaded," she comments. "You can also include all the details about the day, as well as a map that shows where guests are staying, so friends can choose the same hotel."  

Bride Emily Hasson has taken this online management one step further. Emails are good for quick one to one contact, but using MailChimp has given her the ability not only to use template designs, but also track statistics about who has actually opened the email and how many have clicked through to the website.

#WeddingDay
As with all things in life, there are examples of excess, courtesy of celebrities, early adopters and 'eccentrics': 3D printed wedding dresses, rings, even hats designed at home and produced bespoke in the lab or chosen from a range of templates. For 'off the rack' tech, companies such as CuteCity can even produce garments lined with conductive silver, which create a connection when the bride and groom kiss, triggering a private message on the linings of their clothes.  

#Streaming #Automation
Weddings bring people together; friends and family from all over the world unite to celebrate in the love of their kin. Sadly, it's not always so simple: dates clash, flights are delayed, visas are denied.  

Broadband allows us to transmit more data than ever before, so why not provide a live visual to guests who couldn't make it? It certainly makes them feel more involved in the celebrations than the traditional reading of a card by the best man. The level of complexity is entirely up to you: Skype or FaceTime are easy to use, but are limited to one person per call.

That's why recent groom, David and his wife Bee, sought another solution: fully-fledged live streaming through Ustream (the same system used for live Cornwall Channel broadcasts) and an automated photographer (via two DSLRs rigged to the laptop to take pictures every few seconds).

"We wanted a tiny ceremony, but it was important for me to share the day with family and friends," says David. "We got some really wonderful photographs, and it was lovely to be able to go back afterwards and read all the comments left on the Ustream page".



#SocialMedia #Hashtag
Photography is a huge part of any wedding, and most wedded couples can make use of another resource - a room full of smartphones.

Guests acting as well intentioned paparazzi can be both a blessing and a curse. It's wonderful that your loved ones are able to share how much they enjoyed your day, but quite often their photography credentials leave something to be desired. Thankfully, Instagram has gone ways to mitigating this. Hundreds of filters at the click of a button can turn the most mundane snap into a thing of beauty.  

Many couples decide that the best way to approach social media at weddings is to embrace it as part of the day. Alongside the usual signage, couples encourage guests to use a hashtag for any posts about the wedding.  

No one could possibly invite every single contact on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, but a dedicated hashtag can at least let them follow the action throughout the day. This has the added benefit of being searchable, allowing you to go back and browse everything that was uploaded, reliving the day vicariously through social media feeds. You might even use a television or projector as a social media hub throughout the day, which displays tweets and Instagram images as they're posted. There's a multitude of apps to collate guests' photographs in one place; take a look at Wedding Party, Eversnap, The Wedding Snap App or Snapable.

#MakeItYourOwn
For all the jargon, grandiose excesses and sharing faux pas, ultimately it's about what you want as a couple. Technology, however you decide to use it, is just there to help make your day as special as it can be, with the people that are important to you.

David sums it up nicely: "Bee and I met online, so without technology, we would never have even got together. And technology allowed us to share the day with our friends, who were able to watch from half a world away. We knew our wedding wouldn't be the most normal, but it was our day and we got to make it our own. "


words Christopher Wasey

Copyright Wed magazine 2014