Say ‘I do” to

BY JOLENE ZELENSKI

The wedding planning basics are well known: date, venue, officiant, invitations, photographer, food and cake. The list is getting longer as technology intertwines into the celebration. Now planning lists may also include a wedding website, drone videographer, Snapchat Geofilter, and more. Here’s your quick guide to wedding tech trends.

To get started on planning, Samantha Ward, of Arlington, Minnesota, turned to Facebook Groups shortly after getting engaged. Ward searched for “Minnesota wedding groups” on Facebook to find resources.

“I was able to find some pretty cool ideas by looking at other brides’ pictures and recommendations in these groups,” said Ward.

After getting recommendations on both styles and vendors from other brides, Ward would research the short list of vendors with her now husband Donavan Ward.

Facebook Groups are also used after the wedding to post a summary of the vendors used with reviews. Many brides will include a quick line or two about pros and cons of each vendor as well as an informal 1 to 10 rating. In browsing the wedding groups, it’s clear many vendors are active as well.

Additionally, after the wedding is complete, some couples will post decorations they no longer need for sale within the groups.

Couples are creating their wedding websites shortly after setting the date. Websites typically include day of details, travel accommodations, how the couple met, and a little info about each member of the wedding party. A popular option is TheKnot.com for its free template.

Paired with the wedding website is a digital RSVP. This helps keep RSVPs organized, saves on a stamp and keeps guests from handwriting in +7.

Taking the wedding website to the next level is providing a digital program the day of the wedding that links back to the website.

“There’s no use in wasting all of that paper when everyone just throws it away afterwards!” said Ward.

Ward’s wedding in December 2022 in Crosslake, Minnesota, also included QR codes posted around the venue to allow guests easy access to the digital wedding program.

The next phase in capturing a wedding on film is drone video coverage. Commercial drones can be programmed to follow the bride and groom down the aisle and complete a full circle around them. Chad Lenk from Microlenk Technologies in Brainerd assures these special “Hollywood effects” won’t impede the ceremony with any distracting noise.

“You’re going to get some breathtaking video,” said Lenk. “It’s an inexpensive option for wedding photography.”

Commercial drones, which require special certification to fly, can work in sunshine, clouds, rain, and snow. The limitations are if there are wind gusts of 30 mph or higher.

Some couples are hiring photographers who can use drones for engagement photos.

“Our photographer used a drone to capture some of our coolest engagement photos,” said Ward.

Livestreaming, which first became popular in 2020, is still being used at and before the wedding. Couples can choose to livestream the ceremony for guests unable to attend. Additionally, brides can livestream their wedding dress shopping to get opinions from friends and family around the country.

Gone are the days of finding a generic cake topper where the only resemblance is the hair color of the bride and groom. Couples can now 3D print a custom cake topper to create miniature versions of themselves. When researching this option, couples are encouraged to coordinate their 3D printing plans with their wedding cake baker.

“3D print would be a wonderful way to go if you’re thinking of the traditional wedding toppers,” said Chris Skarp of Brainerd Lakes Cakes.

The 3D printed options typically weigh less than the old fashioned resin toppers so don’t require support columns to be included within the cake. 3D toppers also offer more flexibility such as including lighting within the topper.

“As a cake designer I’m always looking for something different,” said Skarp. “I’m always looking for new options to make the wedding cake unique and stand out.”

At the reception

There are a variety of ways to ramp up the fun at a reception using technology. Interactive photos booths, DJs with large screens to show music videos during the dance and creating a custom Snapchat Geofilter. The custom filter allows your guests to get in on the festivities and then creates a unique way to capture special moments.

Photo booths can do more than print out pictures on the spot. They can email photos right away as well as save a digital copy of each picture from the night for the wedding party to enjoy looking at another day. Some photo booths can also create short videos and GIFs from the night that can be shared via text, email or social media.

What next?

Thinking of teching-up your wedding but not sure where to start? Ward offers this advice: “My suggestion, if you want to incorporate tech in your wedding, there are so many tutorials to make it easy to do! I’d never created a Snapchat Geofilter before, but a quick Google search showed me the ropes and it took minutes to complete.”