Social media services like Facebook & Twitter can simplify wedding planning in today's era of technology, apps and networking.
If you haven't hopped on board the social media train by now, you're probably never going to. With countless new resources available to brides & grooms, it's no surprise that their wedding planning questions, dilemmas and ideas are now the thing of public record: so get "in the know" and try it out!
Here are 6 of The Man Registry's favorite ways that social media can aid in the wedding planning process:
Connecting with Vendors
Wedding Vendors have gone social. Literally, there are millions of them. Have a question or need a basic consultation? These wedding vendors are not giving their services away for free but you can start the process of locating and finding your favorite vendors online. You can even create a Twitter list to compile names of vendors you want to follow up with.
Try a basic Twitter search for the topic you're researching. For example: "Save the Dates." Doing this will show you everyone who is tweeting about this topic RIGHT NOW. Browse tweets and hash-tags, to see the latest buzz and trending topics. Lots of vendors run Twitter of Facebook specific promotions like Whiteflash's "Green Love" Diamond Jewelry Giveaway! There's no telling what kind of deals you might find.
Ask Past Grooms & Brides For Help
OK, preferably ask the ones who are still married. Chances are you have many Facebook or Twitter friends that are married or engaged. If you've got a wedding question bogging you down or you need a vendor recommendation; post it on a status update. You'll be surprised how many responses you get Brides (and grooms sometimes) love to share their wedding planning experiences. A great place to do this is the "Ask the Expert" section on TheManRegistry.com where you can ask experts in their industry anything you want to know! The good ones and the not-so-good ones, but it is best to learn from others mistakes.
Here's an answer to another common dilemma. If you're planning your wedding from afar and you won't be able to go dress/tux shopping with friends and family, we've got a solution. Create a Facebook album full of your possibilities and ask for suggestions. There's nothing more beautiful than connecting from thousands of miles.
Pre-Wedding Fun For The Wedding Party
You want your wedding party to get along and have fun during the wedding festivities. The best way to guarantee this happens is for them to get together before the wedding. OK, but what does a blog about social media have to do with a get together? Our good friends at OneWed.com recently launched Wedding Pre-Party. This savvy wedding planning app allows your wedding party and other guests to get to know each other, plan, share photos and more using their Facebook profiles. Check it out!
Share Those Registries
Many consider including your wedding registry info along with the invitation or save the date is tacky. Through the power of social media, you can be even tackier and post direct links to your registry on your Facebook profile page. Hell, you can even highlight specific gifts that you really want. Want to be less subtle? Share your registry info on your wedding web page, this method also works well.
Win Stuff
Like free stuff? Wedding bloggers love to give prizes away. Make a note to do a daily scan of your favorite wedding tweeters. I'd bet my lucky $2 bill that you can find at least one contest per day. Sometimes all you have to do is post a tweet to be entered. Here's one from Whiteflash.com. This holiday season Whiteflash is beginning an initiative to educate consumers about conflict diamonds and how to purchase socially conscious gifts for your loved ones this holiday. Whiteflash.com introduces Green Love this holiday season. As an online e-tailor we know that it is all about your peace of mind and your wallet. Right now if you order any Whiteflash conflict free diamond or enter on our sweepstakes page (no purchase necessary) during the period of November 29th to January 25th you will be automatically entered to win your choice of Mini Dreams of Africa pendant or Dreams of Africa earrings made with Whiteflash A Cut Above melee diamonds in your choice of white or yellow g old. Two lucky winners will be selected.
All you need to do is enter and get the chance to win a Dreams of Africa diamond pendant or diamond earrings just in time for the holidays.
Share Your Wedding
Planning a destination wedding? Have a lot of guests who can't make the long trip for the wedding? No worries. Through the miracle of Ustream, you can live stream your wedding to the masses. Our friend @mbernier did just this and actually beat out an episode of a Celebrity, "Get Me Out of Here" in the Nielsen Rankings.
The Experts Chime In...
We asked some of our favorite wedding tweeters to share their #1 piece of advice to grooms and brides who want to use social media to help plan their wedding:
@WFDiamondDebi - Whiteflash.com is an online diamond jewelry retailer. The owners of this company believe that buying a diamond is an interactive experience. That's why they focused on social marketing techniques to engage potential customers. With live chatting on their website and numerous relationships with top bloggers, the company has increased their revenue by 15 percent, and most recently, they were featured in Entrepreneur magazine for their social marketing success. Education is also very important to WhiteFlash.com. The company offers a comprehensive diamond library with commentary from gemologists, appraisers, former diamond graders and professional educators. Visitors can educate themselves about diamonds in the site's "About Diamonds" section. Unique videos and actual diamond images help visitors understand and clearly see the diamonds.
"Our most informed customer is our best customer,"says Debi Wexler, CEO. "Our clients gain the confidence to buy when they can leisurely view diamonds and our video tutorials. With confidence comes trust and repeat business." Wexler says the company spends about 5 percent of its $10 million in sales on educational materials for customers.
iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software
