Incorporating Tech Into Your Wedding Day

The most recent wedding I attended was a real showcase of how much technology has integrated into the celebration. There were the usual props for selfies and cardboard cut-out Instagram frames. Yes, there were the hashtags. There were the drones that capture epic bird’s eye views of the occasion. By the way, the wedding videographer and photographers are now often referred to as “Photo journalists” who create content to tell your story.
 
Technology has made its way into the wedding day in a variety of ways and the spending in the wedding category continues to soar. According to Brides magazine’s American Wedding study conducted in 2018, the average cost of weddings is at an all time high with an average of $44K plunged into the day.
 
Millennial’s are driving the sector with trends that are driven by social media and technology. The study showed that technology played an important role from the start. 94% of couples have also reported having incorporated technology into their wedding in some way with 80% creating a wedding website for their guests. 70% of the brides surveyed reported using social media to find and follow vendors with 48% of brides using social media to purchase items for their wedding. And the hashtags? Definitely! A whopping 70% of the brides and grooms reported creating a custom hashtag for guests to use on their wedding day. Here are some of what’s trending:

 

1. beGlammed: this app offers access to top hairstylists and make up artists in various cities on demand and in the comforts of your own home, hotel, venue, and even office. The app also offers options based on budget and provides pricing right on the app to avoid those awkward guesses and questions.

 

2. Daniel Christian Tang: 3D printed rings or gifts for the wedding party by Toronto-based jewellery design label uses digital fabrication technology and 3D printing to customize and manufacture high quality jewellery from the wedding bands to gifts for the wedding party.




 
3. Postalgia Thank You Cards are as close to handwriting as you can get. Robots “write” your cards with actual ink pens at an affordable price so you won’t have any excuses. According to Emily Post, we don’t actually have a year to write them. Sorry, email thank you’s won’t cut it with Aunt Susan. By the way, thank you notes aren’t just for the gifts you’ve received, they should also be sent to those who helped in anyway – friends and family who sat at the reception table sorting out where all the guests sit, neighbours who took in courier parcels while you were at work, those who threw or attended bridal showers, the people who picked up guests from the airport or drove double duty. Trust me, you don’t want that glare from your mother-in-law for not having your cards done within reasonable time.




 
4. Apple Clips to create a challenge game: Fun for the guests at your reception. Everyone loves a game and surely someone at each table would have an iPhone. Challenge each table to create a quick video capturing footage and guests from the day’s event. The free app offers a variety of artistic filters and background music to pull everything together quickly and intuitively. The mini movies can be shared over the course of the reception or later with friends and family.

 

5. Photo booths: are seeing a wave of very fun trends including boomerang GIFs, glam filters, spot colours, animated overlays, and even better lighting. Selfie game strong. Check out Abbey Road Entertainment.

 

6. Charging stations are becoming more popular at events so guests won’t get FOMO if their batteries run out at the wedding. Various rental companies rent the units out. Check out Toronto Event Rentals.

 

7. Fun apps for your wedding:
    
   KiraKira+ ($1.39) add something to your photos beyond filters.

   A Colour Story app includes filter packs to add effects like confetti.

   Meditation apps like Calm and Headspace help the bride, groom, and anyone else in the wedding party focus within mere minutes and can be done anywhere, anytime.

   Augmented Reality Games add fun and don’t require much more than a mobile device. Kings of Pool created by Uken Studios, Inc. can offer up fun in local multiplayer mode to play against friends. The pool table sets up virtually anywhere.

   Custom geotargeted Snapchat filters ($) – create your own geofilter by following Snapchat’s guidelines. Give them 24 hours to approve your submission. They also have existing wedding templates. According to the survey, 35% of wedding parties have created a custom geofilter for their wedding vs 17% in 2017.