In the day of modern technology, documenting every event in your life has become a social trend. With the creation of social media, simply ‘logging on’ can make keeping up with friends and family extremely easy. It seems that with so many advances in modern technology, there is truly an app for everything. One app that has become just a popular as Facebook in a short amount of time is Instagram.

This app has taken the Apple iPhone and iPad users by storm. Instagram is a “fast, beautiful, and fun way to share your photos with friends and family,” allowing users to “snap a picture, choose a filter to transform its look and feel, and then post the image.” Within seconds friends and family can stay connected and view fun and up-to-date images for each of life’s fun and important moments. The trend of using social media to document weddings and other special events is now the hip new thing.

But lets face it, trying to keep up with everyone’s pictures from multiple sights (such as Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter) can be a little tricky. With the new Instagram app and the use of a hashtag, organizing photos from many different phones into one place has never been so easy!  All you have to do is hashtag (#) the bride and groom’s last name or something pertaining to their wedding. For example, if the bride and groom’s new last name is Wood, attach #WoodWedding to each photo.  That way all of the photos are filed under the appropriate ‘wedding album.’

Check out these ideas from intimateweddings.com to get your guests involved:

Once you have set up your hashtag, you and your guests can start taking fun, quirky pictures that are seen from everyone’s individual perspective. It’s like having one hundred of your closet friends as amateur photographers. No special moment from the big day goes undocumented. Of course, we don’t recommend that this replace a professional photographer by any means.

Eventstagr.am is a sight that takes the fun of hashtags and Instagram to a whole new level. This company specializes in the use of hashtags for events. On your big day, they set up TV’s or projection monitors that will link each mobile device to the screen. Once an image is posted under your hashtag, it is projected onto the TV or projector and can be seen by wedding guests in real time. When the wedding is finished you have the option of ordering a video with all of the unique images captured by family and friends from your ceremony.

This use of such a trendy and popular app is a fresh new way to really include your guests in all of the fun nuptial festivities.  This is also a great option for people who may not be able to come to your wedding, as it allows them to keep up with your wedding through a live stream. Guests are able to use filters and choose unique captions, making for truly original and fresh images. So, whether it’s bridesmaids taking photos while getting ready for the ceremony or guests taking candid photos of your first dance, every joyous moment is captured!

~Aaron Shirley