Have you ever been out to dinner with someone who won’t stop taking pictures of their food?  By the time you’re on your second glass of wine, they’re still looking for the perfect filter to add to their appetizer selfie.  While you’re figuring out the check, they’re wondering if they should tag the chef on Instagram.

  

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It’s annoying, right? Well, guess what? When you create your own wedding hashtag, you are essentially giving your wedding guests permission to all be as insufferable as that snap-happy dining companion.  

We’ll admit that hashtags are a great way to group together similar posts on Twitter and Instagram.  And now that everyone has a smart phone (except your dad, who still holds onto that 2003 flip phone even though it's been through the wash a few times), it makes perfect sense that the wedding hashtag would emerge. 

 

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The problem is that now, people are being bombarded with cutesy customized hashtags from the first engagement announcement!  

 

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And woe to the poor sap who sits next to an old person at the reception.  Have fun explaining to grandma why a “pound symbol” is printed all over the décor.

 

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For couples who are terrible at wordplay, there are online wedding hashtag generators.  Just enter your names into the boxes and… voila! Kim Kardashian and Kanye West turn into #KKPartyof2 or #HappilyEverWest. Adorable and clever.

 

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Some couples have turned the wedding hashtag into a “fun” game by printing out an “I Spy” style photo checklist for guests.

 

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This “I Spy” game seems like a perfect example of forced fun. Don’t tell us what photos to take, newly married couple! (And chances are, the worst dancer doesn’t know he’s all that bad… and now there are photos on Instagram that show his sub-par dancing skills to the world. #worstdancer #sad)  

We think the best way to deal with the hashtag trend is to ignore it entirely.  Have a completely unplugged ceremony and ask your guests to check their phones at the door.  You’ve already spent a fortune on a photographer, so why have your friends ruin your image with a poorly timed candid?                                 

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Still, if you must have a #fullyconnected ceremony, consider offering guests a charging station near the dance floor.  You don’t want them running out of batteries before they’ve had time to tweet about you cutting the cake. 

 

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Another cool way to get the most out of your wedding hashtag is to rent an Instaparty Box.  The Instaparty is a portable photo lab that will instantly print any Instagram photo that’s been tagged with the appropriate wedding #hashtag.  Give the prints out as favors, or keep them as mementos for yourself.  It’s like you’ve turned your guests’ phones into Polaroid cameras! #amazing

 

Image Source: intimateweddings.com

If you must jump on the wedding hashtag bandwagon, don’t make your wedding all about social media. The hashtag is a way to group memories together, not to attract more followers or likes. If you remember to live in the moment and enjoy your big day, your wedding will be #one2remember.