#HAPPY HASHTAGS
Professional social media planners can curate and catalog your entire wedding online
“It’s incredibly useful for social influencers, as well as anyone who wants to share their wedding.” —StacyStahl,TheKnot
W EDDING cake, check. Bridal gown, check. Social media liaison... huh?
If you’re unsure about what these experts have to do with taking the plunge, it’s time to get plugged in.
Beyond hot bridal fashion and destination wedding locations, trendsetting brides and grooms are seeking out social media professionals to capture their marital journey in real-time — from proposal to honeymoon.
Television shows like “The Bachelorette” have also inspired some couples to have their weddings play out on social media like a fairytale, says Heather Hall, part-time New Yorker and co-founder of Maid of Social (MOS), a social media and promotion service.
“These shows have shaped the way the wedding industry is evolving. Brides go in one of two directions: over-the-top and lavish, or small and intimate. It’s about coming out as a couple,” says Hall. The company not only serves the betrothed, but is also used by wedding industry vendors such as photographers, and dress and veil designers who may not be social-savvy or who need assistance collaborating with other vendors to create an impactful social strategy.
“I think it’s incredibly useful for social influencers, as well as anyone who wants to share their wedding and wedding planning journey in real time. Being able to be part of such a magical time allows followers to connect with them on an even deeper level,” says Stacy Stahl, founder and director of HowHeAsked.com by The Knot. The site provides a platform for couples to share their engagement stories and has amassed over half a million Instagram followers.
When Stahl herself was set to tie the knot last year in Sarasota, Fl. she tapped MOS for help.
“They have so many great relationships in the wedding world; they were able to help me find vendors that I loved and that were interested in being part of our engagement and wedding. In the weeks prior to our wedding weekend, MOS did a lot of coordinating with our vendors and took over my social media on the days before and of our wedding,” says Stahl.
Beyond both the couple’s and vendors’ online social media circles, working with Hall is akin to having a wedding PR specialist who may be able to secure coverage of your big day in popular bridal magazines or heavily trafficked blogs and other digital media platforms. “It’s a tricky balance,” says Hall. “‘Martha Stewart Weddings’ won’t publish a wedding in print if it’s all over social media already.” However, Hall has successfully gotten some of her clients featured on HowHeAsked.com and other proposal websites. “I’ve contacted couples’ ring designers and shared photos for websites and blogs. A lot of brides don’t know how to go about doing it.”
While for some couples social media is a way to showcase a once-in-a-lifetime- event for friends and family, particularly those who cannot attend the festivities, for wedding pros, “It’s a marketing opportunity to showcase their talents. A videographer we worked with turned around 10- to 15-second clips throughout a wedding day that outshined the photos. The reach on them was upward of 100,000 views. By the end of the reception, he had six leads in his inbox. He thanked us profusely,” says Hall.
Now averaging between two and four on-site wedding events annually, Hall says, “There’s a lot of lead time required. We want to coordinate with vendors from two to six months out.”
A phone conversation kicks off the relationship with Hall and client couples.
“We navigate through who the wedding planner and photographer are, and I can make recommendations for my smaller packages ($500 to $3,000) or a larger, five-carat one — which starts at $5,000 [could include airfare],” says Hall.
Such efforts include recommendations for socially influential vendors, coordinating with the PR or social media manager of associated brands to establish the number and types of photos to be taken leading up to and on the wedding day, and sharing images and video on Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook and Periscope.
Hall will also work to secure features in print and digital media.