Commentary

I'm Getting Married -- And Social Media Is Helping

by Joe Marchese , September 15, 2009

So Saturday I say "I do." It has been an incredible whirlwind trying to keep pace with work and wedding preparations, although I have to say, @ChristieM (www.twitter.com/christiem) did all the real work for the wedding. The other thing I have found interesting is how much social media has impacted the planning of the wedding. It makes me wonder how people did it before.

First the obvious, I was able to find almost every friend and family member I needed to reach on Facebook. No calling old numbers or mailing invites to old addresses. And Facebook gave me a permanent connection by which to bug people for RSVP responses.

I never would have imagined how hard it is to pick wedding music, but with a combination of iTunes Genius feature and Pandora's magical ability to suggest other music based in part on the wisdom of the crowd, we have one kick-ass play list. Christie and I could even turn to Twitter and Facebook to ask our networks which song ("The Blower's Daughter" or "First Day of My Life") Christie should walk down the aisle to, when we had differing opinions. Everyone agreed with Christie's choice ("First Day of My Life") by the way, something I am sure I will be getting used to in married life.

The honeymoon was my responsibility, and again I turned to Twitter and Facebook to get suggestions on where to stay in the cities we will be visiting in the coming weeks. The responses were amazing. Thanks to all the feedback, I am feeling very confident about the hotels we are staying in, even though I have never been to any of the cities before. For example, in Dubai we are staying at Mina A'Salam at the Madinat Jumeirah (http://www.jumeirah.com/en/Hotels-an d-Resorts/Destinations/Dubai/Madinat-Jumeirah/Mina-ASalam-Hotel/). Dubai was particularly difficult, because sites like Travelocity and Expedia seem to rate every hotel five stars. But people in my Facebook network actually introduced me to friends they have living in Dubai, and I was able to get some local insight on a city I knew very little about.

I plan on trying out iPhone apps and crowd sourced programs to find great places to go while traveling. (Does Paris or Rome have Foursquare?). The whole time, I'll be keeping my Twitter network apprised of how the trip is going and asking for more suggestions @joemarchese (www.twitter.com/joemarchese). So if you want to keep up, or have any great tips, come say hi on Twitter or Facebook. I will try not to tweet during the ceremony.

How did people do all of this before social media?

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6 comments about "I'm Getting Married -- And Social Media Is Helping ".

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Jeff Loechner from MediaPost Communications, September 15, 2009 at 1:35 p.m.
Congrats ... and Joe ... now might be a good time to learn how your next important decisions might be made with social media - http://mashable.com/2009/09/14/facebook-batman/
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Linda Lopez from Independent, September 15, 2009 at 2:13 p.m.

Congratulations to you and your bride-to-be! Here's to a wonderful life together.

Paula Lynn from Who Else Unlimited, September 15, 2009 at 5:38 p.m.

REAL suggestion for your honeymoon: Put the phone away and pay a lot of attention to your bride. You will find more value in that advise than you will in the twits. You'll never have another chance for the first time. Have fun ! PS: From a friend working in Dubai - be careful and see if someone can take you to see the wild camels.

Lela Cocoros from Brunswick Street Advisory, September 15, 2009 at 5:57 p.m.

Congratulations! Saturday is my 22nd wedding anniversary, so I think it's a pretty decent date to get married and wish you and your bride all the best. Of course back in the ancient times of 1987, we had none of these technologies, so planning wasn't nearly as easy, and I envy your new tools and options. Still, we endured - and had great experiences with both the wedding and the honeymoon. Which leads me to suggest that when the festivities actually occur, aside from taking (digital) pictures and perhaps videos, simply enjoy yourselves the old fashioned way and be in the moment.

Michelle Cubas from Positive Potentials LLC, September 16, 2009 at 3:22 a.m.

You're going to love the ride! Best wishes for a long, healthy life together.

Word to the Wise: Turn off the technology to get some intimate people time ;-).

Jennifer Osbon from MegaPlayer, September 16, 2009 at 8:51 a.m.

Congratulations! Love the article -- lighthearted and fun -- but take Paula Lynn's advice seriously. Technology should be used to augment relationships and it's great for doing that -- but you don't need (social) technology to augment a relationship when you are physically with the person. Invest your time, effort, and energy into @ChristyM and all she means to you -- your friends/followers will respect your choice and still want to hear all about it when you return from your honeymoon. As for crowdsourcing your entertainment -- great idea.