Wedding hashtags are the new fad in the wedding industry. Think about it...In the early 2010s nobody was using them for weddings. As instagram (and hashtags in general) skyrocketed in popularity, so too did wedding hashtags. Brides and grooms get creative with their first names, last names, wedding date, venue, and even nicknames in order to come up with the perfect hashtag for their perfect day. These hashtags are used from the time save the dates are sent out, to the time when thank you cards are delivered. You might see them on invitations, various wedding decorations around the venue, and especially in the captions of the photos that are captured on the special day. Not to mention bachelor and bachelorette pictures on social media.
You can see why people spend so much time trying to come up with a clever hashtag. Thanks to social media, wedding hashtags can be seen rapidly by a large number of people. Online wedding hashtag generators, input from friends, and even other people’s hashtags make ideas everywhere. Thus, over time you are bound to find a hashtag that you LOVE, but is already in use in social media. What should you do?
Will there be confusion?
Your ideal wedding hashtag may already be in use by others, but chances are very good that your guests have never attended a wedding that had the same exact hashtag as you. More importantly, unless the wedding of the competing couple is on the same weekend as yours, all your photos will be sequential and grouped together as your own on social media. The photos from the other wedding are highly unlikely to be confused for your own wedding! So take people being confused out of the equation. (Unless of course we are talking about your great grandmother who has never used Instagram before!)
Creating Ideas
If you are really hesitant about using the same wedding hashtag as someone else, there are ways around it. Try changing the spelling of a word (ie use two instead of 2, “&” instead of and, or Mar instead of March). Using an online hashtag generator is at least a great starting point, and don’t forget to powwow with other people (not just your spouse)! Many times, these are great for not necessarily your final hashtag(s) but for sparking ideas that lead to outstanding wedding hashtags!
Seeing your own hashtag online after your wedding
On another note, you might have used a unique wedding hashtag only to see it months or years later online. Don't fret! It’s impossible for every couple to come up with a completely one-of-a-kind hashtag. Thus, nobody should be offended if their hashtag is later used by someone else. In fact, I would view it as a compliment to how great my hashtag idea was in the first place. Some of the best hashtags are reused since they are so creative. Let’s not let these punny, inventive hashtags go to waste! Plus if you were first, there's always proof of that based on the timing of the photos!
Other ways to be Unique
If you happen to have the same wedding hashtag as someone else, you can take joy in other aspects of wedding uniqueness! There are so many other ways to make your wedding day stand out and be original. How about an Ice Cream truck rolling through before the ceremony? Although wedding hashtags are a great way to add a personal touch to your special day, you can add personal flare with your individual style. Show your personality with unique decorations, colors, flowers, and the many other details of your wedding.
Don’t Fret
No matter what hashtag you choose to use, your wedding guests are going to be excited they get the opportunity to be interactive with your wedding day. Whether you have a completely unique, never seen before hashtag, or a totally awesome hashtag that has been used before, your wedding is going to rock!
It’s easy to get stressed and overwhelmed with planning a wedding. There are so many details to figure out and it’s common to get wrapped up in all of it. But try to remember that hashtags are meant to be fun, and a quick way to view other photos from the wedding - and we should keep it that way! Thus, it's perfectly fine to not have a completely unique hashtag!
There are so many other ways to make your wedding day stand out and be original. How about an ice cream truck rolling through before the ceremony?
A few key points to remember
- Over 4 million people in the U.S. alone get married each year. Just based on that volume, it is going to become commonplace where hashtags are shared
- You can use a common hashtag and find PLENTY of other ways to make your wedding unique
- Nobody will mistake your wedding photos for another wedding or vice versa because photos on social media will be sequential and grouped by date
- If someone else uses your hashtag AFTER your wedding, consider it a compliment, and know that you were first!
