Social Media on the Rise for Brides From the Moment They Accept the Ring Through the Honeymoon, According to The Knot Social Media Survey 2016

"Our study confirms that social media isn't just a distraction from wedding planning—it's actually influencing wedding decisions in new and different ways," said Kellie Gould, editor in chief of The Knot. "It's fascinating to learn that nearly 8 out of 10 couples report implementing an idea they found on social media that they had not previously considered on their own."

Top Findings from The Knot Social Media Survey 2016

First Comes the Ring…Then Comes the Social Post
Three out of five (60%) brides surveyed reported announcing their engagement on social media within the first 24 hours of saying "yes," and a total of 86% shared their news within the first week. Once they've said "yes," 62% report increasing their social media usage, with 7 out of 10 admitting to using social media for wedding planning more than anything else. The top three social media channels used during wedding planning are: Pinterest (89%), Instagram (38%) and Facebook (38%).

Wedding Hashtags Are the Ultimate Stamp of Personalization. Once the word is out, couples focus on creating a personalized wedding hashtag to share photos leading up to and throughout the wedding day. Sixty six percent of couples, up 11% from 2014, plan on using or have used a personalized hashtag in conjunction with their wedding. Four out of five couples prefer to create a hashtag by either thinking of it themselves or having a close friend or family member suggest one to them (80%), rather than using an automated hashtag generator (10%).

Couples are excited to use their personal wedding hashtags throughout the entire wedding planning journey, with 82% creating their unique hashtag within the first six months of their engagement; 5% admit to creating their wedding hashtag before getting engaged. Hashtags are such an important mark of personalization that 64% of couples search social media to make sure their hashtag is uniquely theirs, and if not, 74% create a second, alternate one.

Couples spread the word about their wedding hashtag by including it on their personal wedding website (46%), and printing it on reception tent cards (25%), wedding programs (22%), save-the-date cards (18%) and formal invitations (10%). In addition to encouraging friends and family to use their wedding hashtag, 26% of brides report asking vendors to also use their hashtag when posting photos related to their wedding.

Custom Geofilters on Snapchat are the Best Kept Secret…for Now. Only 30% of brides report being aware they could create and purchase a custom Snapchat geofilter for their wedding day and wedding-related events, but of those, 44% actually created one and used it. An additional 30% are considering it for their upcoming nuptials.

Couples Are Finding and Hiring Wedding Professionals on Social Media. A picture is worth a thousand words, and possibly thousands of dollars, as couples discover wedding professionals on social media. Of those who used Instagram for both wedding planning as well as inspiration (46%), one in four (26%) report hiring wedding vendor they discovered on Instagram. Nearly 8 out of 10 brides (78%) reported implementing an idea at their wedding that they found on social media but hadn't seen anywhere else.

Couples Take a Break on the Wedding Day and Leave the Photo Sharing to Guests. Couples are leaving the posting to guests on the wedding day, with three out of four couples (74%) saying they want to be disconnected from social media on their wedding day. Nine out of 10 (90%) wedding guests ages 18-24 and 61% of guests ages 35-50 posted about their friend or family member's wedding on social media.

Although most couples aren't using social on their wedding day, 27% admit to posting at some point during the day, and 30% request a few professional photos from their photographer to share the day of. Brides are also asking for photo approvals—before giving photographers the green light to share engagement and wedding photos on their own social media pages, 30% of brides asked to approve the images prior to them going public.

The Honeymoon Is Filled With Social Media Love. Within the first 24 hours of getting hitched, 70% of brides admit to sharing about their nuptials on social media, and once they're on their honeymoon, 70% post throughout their getaway.    

*The Knot Real Weddings Study 2015

About The Knot 
The Knot is the nation's leading wedding resource and marketplace that seamlessly engages, matches and connects couples with the right products, services and local wedding professionals they need to plan and pull off their wedding. The trusted brand reaches a majority of engaged couples in the US through the #1 wedding website TheKnot.com, its mobile apps, The Knot national and local wedding magazines, and The Knot book series. The Knot has inspired approximately 25 million couples to plan a wedding that's uniquely them. The Knot is the flagship brand of XO Group Inc. (NYSE: XOXO), which helps people navigate and enjoy life's biggest moments—from getting married to moving in together and having a baby. Please visit The Knot online at TheKnot.com and follow on social media: Facebook.com/TheKnot and @TheKnot on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

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