If You're Planning Your Wedding

Call your parents before pressing “post" or “tweet" to announce your engagement.

Your close friends and family will want to hear it straight from you first. A Facebook status or tweet might be the most efficient way to get the news out, but it's not the most personal. You know which friends and family members would appreciate to hear the news directly from you. Plus, it's likely that older family members (like your grandparents) don't have Facebook or Snapchat accounts and could miss the message altogether.

Change your relationship status in minutes or months—it's up to you. There's no wrong or right time—some couples even do it at the altar! Once you tie the knot, it's up to you and your new spouse to decide when to change your relationship status or last name on your social media sites. For some couples, this can be a very important moment; for others, it's no big deal. So if and when you're ready to make the change, go for it.

Post pics of your engagement ring. (Everyone can't wait to see!) But keep the nitty-gritty details like cost and carat to yourself. After you post your "engaged" status, your friends and family will be dying to find out what the ring looks like, so indulge them with a photo (you may want to prep with a manicure first). It's not bragging to share a pic with the exciting news. Leave out the other details, because how much it cost isn't anyone else's business—the point is that it symbolizes the commitment you're making. The perfect picture to showcase your wedding ring is important. We have seen brides take photos with sparklers lit in the background to accent the jewel they have on their finger. Everyone's going to be checking out your hand for the first few months anyway, so make it easy for friends and family to admire from afar.

Designate a "tweeter of honor." Enjoy your day and stay off your phone while still keeping everyone updated. Your wedding day will fly by, and if you're on your phone the whole time, you'll miss out on what's important. Focus on the guests who have come to celebrate with you, instead of everyone in your social media circles. You can always designate a "tweeter of honor"—it could be another bridesmaid who isn't your maid of honor (she'll have plenty of responsibilities already)— to keep your social networks updated throughout the day so you won't have to. Another option is to schedule tweets beforehand, so they're ready to go without the hassle. Taking photos before hand and setting them on that schedule will keep your friends and family connected to the events leading up to your special day. Photo shoots incorporating the heart sparklers and 36inch sparklers are the perfect way to express how excited you are about that up and coming wedding day.

Send out traditional paper invites for the main event. But email invites are totally okay for pre- and post wedding parties. Paper invites are the way to go for the actual wedding day. In today's technology-based world, where your guests receive hundreds of emails a day, a physical invite has become so much more special. That doesn't mean you have to go over-the-top with an invite that sings and shoots confetti. Simple card stock and laser printing will do the trick. A paperless invite for the rehearsal dinner or morning-after brunch is a great option (especially if you want to cut down on stationery costs). Just because the invites are electronic doesn't mean they won't have style or be personal to you. We have stated before that adding a Premium Sparkler into the invitation allows your guests to get a heart warming favor they can embrace with their own family. There are plenty of sites that let you customize e-invites so they look beautiful and unique.

Keep your public posts positive. Confront issues directly and privately via phone or in person. We know wedding planning can be stressful at times. But before you post that status venting about all the guests who RSVP'd for too many people or complain about your future mother-in-law-zilla, pause for a second and think. Posting something negative about your wedding (even if you don't call out a person specifically) will only lead to hurt feelings. Instead, politely address each situation directly as it comes your way. That means picking up the phone and explaining to your guest that you don't have enough room for all the extras, and asking your fiance to have a conversation with his mom. Trust us, the other route will only create animosity around your wedding. You want to keep your time leading up to the event seamless and stress less, the same way you would by using the wedding sparkler buckets to hold your sparklers and dispose of them after use.

Spread the word about your hashtag. Tie it into your invitations and wedding website in a creative way. We've gotten to the point where almost everyone (except maybe some older relatives) are familiar with hashtags and know how to use it, so you shouldn't feel weird about putting it out there. Think of ways you can tie it into your paper elements in a pretty or witty way, like asking guests to share photos of themselves wearing custom temporary tattoos you send along with the save-the-dates. Letting your guests know ahead of time is crucial to having a successful feed of photos.