The band or DJ will stop playing, the cake and food will be eaten, the flowers will sadly die. How will you make your memories of this day last? Turn to your photos and videos. This area is home to many fantastic photographers to fit any budget — from students to celebrity photographers who have retired to the Lowcountry.

Create more excitement and buzz around your wedding with photos, videos and other digital tools.

But it’s not just still photos you’ll want to consider. In today’s social media world, you’ll want to think about how you’ll deal with the instant sharing of photos and videos snapped by your friends and family.

Ready, Aim, Shoot!

Although there will be no shortage of wedding photos to sort through online and on your smartphone once you can relax, you’re hiring professionals because you want professional images. Keep in mind that you likely will spend 10 percent to 15 percent of your total wedding budget on photography/videography.

Be sure to check personal references for your professionals and arrange a sit-down interview to go over any images or angles you know you want the photographer to capture.

Social Standards

Social media is perfect for milestones like your wedding day. But before you announce your engagement by changing your relationship status on Facebook or Instagramming the perfect shot of your ring, make sure you let your closest friends and family in on your big news. And then be ready to watch your social media channels light up with “likes.”

For your big day, think about creating a personalized hashtag for your guests to use to tag their photos. If you don’t want pictures of your dress to get out immediately after the ceremony, ask guests not to post photos or restrict friends from publicly tagging you in photos by changing your privacy settings to “private.” This way, you can view all photos you’re tagged in and select the ones you want to share.

You can also set up a Facebook page dedicated to your wedding or an album just for your wedding photos. Just be sure not to overwhelm your friends with posts about the stress of wedding planning or other bridal-related complaints.

Some couples are encouraging their guests to unplug for a tech-free wedding. This helps ensure all attention is on you and your celebration, not your guests’ electronic devices. If it’s important to you that your day is smartphone-free, consider posting signs asking guests put away their phones.

Tech Savvy or Not

Digital tools and applications can help keep you organized and on track — and maybe reduce some stress. They’re called “smartphones” for a reason. Here are five apps that can lend you a hand:

Evernote. This app allows you to share all your notes and images with others and keep everyone in the loop with updates — including your soon-to-be spouse. It also can help reduce paper clutterwhile keeping you organized with to-do notes.

Cozi. This shared calendar app with alert options keeps everyone informed about the myriadappointments for fittings, hair appointments, etc.

Appy Couple. This app, which has a one-time fee, consolidates everything into one tidy package, making it easy to create a customized wedding app site, establish timelines, set up gift registries and sort through images.

Zola Registry. This digital-friendly device can scan barcodes on gifts and help organize your registry.



Mint. Most everyone needs a budget adviser, and this app fills the need. It alerts you when you’re close to your budgeted reception costs and lets you know with one swipe about everything else in your budget.