Social media is inevitable at social events and gatherings, especially a wedding! We have come up with some great ideas on how to use it to your advantage.

• Create a unique hashtag

I recently attended a wedding abroad where the bride and groom had come up with an excellent hashtag for their special day. They had it printed on postcards and used it on all of the wedding stationery, encouraging guests to post their thoughts and pictures using their hashtag.

Replacing the old idea of purchasing a large amount of disposable cameras, the hashtag allowed the happy couple to go back and relive their day through the eyes of their loved ones, across the main social media platforms. It also allowed the rest of us to find the pictures from the day! The only trick is encouraging the grandparents to join in…

• Wedding invites & communication

Written communication is no longer in the hands of the postal carrier. Social media can provide a variety of ways for you to keep your guests informed and communicate with those who have a more direct role in your special day.

You can use Facebook to set up an event with invites, keeping costs down and allowing for a constant stream of communication. It can also be used for a number of things running up to the event, such as the hen and stag dos. Don’t forget to Instagram the embarrassing pictures!

• Using TripAdvisor for venue ideas

Choosing wedding/event venues can be a tedious task! We all want the best value for money, but with so many event spaces out there it can be difficult to narrow down what will best suit your needs!

Enter TripAdvisor!

For the uninitiated, TripAdvisor allows you to check user reviews for a venue/location as well as a general price range. With a range of major chains and independent options, it can help you wade through the sea of choices to find somewhere that can cater to your individual needs.

A great venue can really make an event (and honeymoon). TripAdvisor allows for detailed comments to really give you an insight into what makes the venue stand out.

• Pinterest wedding inspiration board

Keeping cutouts from magazines in an organised fashion is perhaps an art form of it’s own. Pinterest allows you to create online inspiration boards to pin your ideas to, making the sky the limit. Anything you can find, you can pin.

It even allows you to have separate boards, meaning that the dress, catering and theme ideas can be neatly divided up. Keeping the organisation under control and the stress levels to a minimum!

• Using music streaming apps like Spotify to create your wedding playlist

Spotify allows users to create a playlist and share it on social media, making the devising of the wedding playlist much simpler! If you need a bit more than ‘Bruno Mars greatest hits’ then you can take suggestions from family and friends on what they want to listen to.

You can also share the playlist after the event, allowing you to keep your memories for years to come and others to relive their experience of your special day again and again.