If there is one thing your mother didn’t have to deal with when she was a bride, it would surely be the latest electronic wedding etiquette. These days, though, it is important for any engaged couple (and their guests) to know all about the social rules for social media. Check out the latest Facebook wedding etiquette…

The initial question that couples face is when to change their Facebook status to engaged. While it is very exciting to make the change, you should absolutely say nothing of your engagement online before you have told your family and friends personally. At least contact your parents, siblings, and closest friends before making the public announcement. Think about how hurt you would be if you learned of your sister’s engagement on Facebook at the same time as the rest of the world. The last thing anyone wants is for their engagement to be the cause of hurt feelings or a rift in the family.

It is very common for brides-to-be to change their social networking avatar to a picture of their engagement ring upon becoming engaged. Whether or not to show off your bridal jewelry online is a personal choice – some of your friends who live far away will probably be happy for a chance to see your ring. On the other hand, some people find the ring pictures to be a bit tacky, and if you are lucky enough to have a big diamond, you might also be labeled a show off. You definitely open yourself up to critiques of the ring – too big, too small, and so forth – if you post the pictures of your bridal jewelry on Facebook, so think it over carefully before doing it.

When you are planning a wedding, it is natural that it will be the main focus of your life during the engagement period. That does not mean that it is a good idea to post tons of things about your wedding on your Facebook page. This is particularly true if you will not be inviting all of your Facebook “friends” to the wedding. It can feel like a slight to hear about a wedding over and over again when you are not invited to the event. Besides, you don’t want to give away too much about your plans; it is more fun when you can surprise people at the wedding. And whatever you do, never ever issue your wedding invitations via Facebook. It is just in terrible taste, and people are not likely to R.s.v.p. to such an impersonal style of invitation.

The wedding guests also need to learn about Facebook etiquette. It is really not a good idea to post pictures of someone else’s wedding on your own Facebook page, particularly before the newlyweds have had the chance to do it themselves. After all, if you are a guest at a wedding, it is not your event, it is the bride and groom’s day. Some engaged couples have gone so far as to specifically request that no one post pictures of their wedding on Facebook. Even if the bride and groom have not issued an official ban on posting pictures, it would be polite to ask their permission before uploading their wedding pictures to your Facebook page.

Social media can be a great way to connect with people, but at the same time it is not a substitute for personal interaction with your loved ones. If you keep that in mind, you will be able to use Facebook appropriately while planning your wedding.

Bridget Mora is interested in wedding etiquette, both traditional and contemporary. Visit us at Silverland Jewelry today to find out how we can help you design the perfect custom bridal jewelry for your wedding.

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