How to impress your tech-savvy wedding guests

Not planning an ‘unplugged’ wedding? Expecting a few tech-savvy guests? Here are a few handy ideas that are sure to impress.

SET UP A CHARGING STATION
“Ugh my phone’s about to die – does anyone have a charger?” We’ve all been there, right? Setting up a small charging station at your reception is something your guests will definitely thank you for – and you’ll be grateful for all their gorgeous pics later, too. All you need is a power source and standard iPhone/Android chargers – easy enough. Be sure to make it a styled, conversational area to stop your guests from looking anti-social, and ask your venue in advance if you’ll need to bring power boards.

CREATE A WEDDING HASHTAG
Whether it’s during the day or on the taxi ride home, your guests are probably going to be posting their happy snaps from the day to Insta. Get involved in the fun (and see what they’re posting) when you create a special hashtag for your wedding. Creatives in the know are making some seriously gorgeous signs for this purpose, but making a hashtag work can be as simple as including it in your invite. #getcreative

USE AN ONLINE OR APP-BASED REGISTRY
The old-fashioned wedding registry has had a makeover recently and – like everything – moved online. There’s a range of online and app-based options out there, allowing guests to donate towards everything from cool experiences to fuel. Some great options include enveloperegistry.com, mygiftregistry.com.au and zola.com.

HIRE A LIVE INSTAGRAM PRINTER
Great in guestbooks, your guests’ printed Insta snaps are a popular and super-cute idea but don’t make the mistake of printing them yourself. We all know that Instagram uses certain dimensions that simply don’t work for normal printers – enter live Instagram printers. These babies have really taken off and create tangible, high-quality printouts with just a tap of a screen. Or, more correctly, the inclusion of a wedding-specific hashtag. Check out Frankly Social (wearefrankly.com.au; formerly Instathat) for more inspiration.

360-DEGREE LIVE STREAMING
Let’s face it, there’s a good chance not everyone will be able to make it to your big day, but that doesn’t mean they have to miss out. While live streaming may not be the most cutting edge of wed-tech, Facebook and Youtube’s 360-degree video capabilities make it a whole new experience. Offering edited versions as well, wedding photographers and videographers have jumped on the bandwagon and are happy to stream your big day (and night) in real time. “The future is now” springs to mind.

ASK YOUR GUESTS TO LEAVE YOU A VIDEO MESSAGE
If the wedding registry has been modernised, it’s only fair the traditional guestbook is too. Many wedding photographers – and photo booths available for hire – also offer video services where guests can pop in and leave a touching/hilarious/cheeky message. This sweet little idea is sure to be popular with guests of all ages, and you’ll love watching them back after the honeymoon.

GET A CUSTOM GEOFILTER
If your guests aren’t chatting or on Instagram it’s likely they’ll be busy with the other hot social media craze, Snapchat. Make your wedding look (even more) incredible with your own Snapchat geofilter. Look no further than Etsy for affordable yet gorgeous examples that can be customised to your theme and personal details, or prettyfilters.com for gorgeous geofilters, including custom illustrations. Pretty snappy, eh?

CREATE A WEDDING PLAYLIST
The best kind of weddings are the ones where you leave with a smile on your face, a groove in your feet and a song on your lips. Capture the memories and create a playlist of all the best music from the day on Spotify or another music streaming service. It’s a sweet – and cost-effective – idea for favours, but make sure you burn some CD versions for your less tech-savvy guests. It’s time for Granny to get out her boombox!

Feeling inspired? Check out the QB wedding directory for more tips, advice and the best local experts, products and venues!

How to impress your tech-savvy wedding guests

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