First-Ever Social and Tech Wedding Survey From TheKnot.com and Mashable.com Reveals the New Social Rules of Wedding Planning

NEW YORK, Nov. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- TheKnot.com, the number-one online wedding planning destination, and Mashable.com, the leading source for news, information and resources for the Connected Generation, today revealed the results of their first-ever co-branded social and tech wedding planning survey, #SocialWeddingSurvey. With 2 million millennials tying the knot, this exclusive survey gives insight into how brides decide to share their weddings socially and what tech elements they're utilizing as they plan for the big day.

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"Brides have been relying on the Internet to privately plan their weddings for more than a decade, but with the rise of the share button, we were interested to see that the rules of wedding etiquette are evolving," says Carley Roney, editor in chief of TheKnot.com. "The tides are changing, and the comfort level of sharing a once-private act so publicly increases every day."

"Mashable's lifestyle coverage is focused on inspiring our community to make the best use of technology for their personal lives. With the help of The Knot, this survey continues this mission by giving our community great insight into the way technology has changed how people plan, celebrate and remember weddings," says Andrea Smith, lifestyle editor at Mashable. 

Highlights From TheKnot.com & Mashable.com #SocialWeddingSurvey Include:

Brides Utilize Facebook Status Updates.

While 1 in 10 (8%) brides are updating their Facebook relationship statuses within minutes, nearly 1 in 3 (31%) did so within hours of getting engaged and the large majority (63%) have updated it by the day after. At the same time, nearly 7 in 10 (69%) newlyweds on Facebook have updated their relationship status by the day after their wedding.  

Brides are also very interested in sharing wedding planning progress with their social networks before the wedding, though many of their friends or followers are not invited. Gone is that faux pas! More than half (51%) shared planning progress status updates, and 1 in 4 (26%) shared photos of wedding elements during the planning process.

They Stay Connected on the Honeymoon.

Honeymoons, traditionally a time to disconnect from the world, are not immune either. Brides are sharing their honeymoons, from the beautiful scenery to the romantic setup of the bed itself, with friends and followers. A whopping 3 out of 4 (72%) share or plan to share photos from the honeymoon, and 1 in 4 (26%) even plan to share status updates during their time away.

Photos Integrate Socially.

The large majority of brides have no problem with guests posting photos from the wedding on Facebook. About 2 out of 3 (62%) are totally fine with it – how else will they see photos right away?! Almost 1 in 3 (31%) have mixed feelings – they love the idea of seeing instant photos but want veto power over ones they don't like. A large majority (86%) also plan to share their own photos from the wedding day with friends on Facebook.

H-app-y Couples Reign.

After getting engaged, nearly 3 out of 5 (61%) download wedding planning apps, like The Knot Wedding Ultimate Planner. Brides are downloading wedding planning apps to help with everything from checklists (52%) and wedding ideas and photo inspiration (47%) to planning and staying organized (46%) and budgeting (40%). And 1 in 3 (32%) even download apps to help them find their perfect gown. An additional 1 in 4 (23%) are using the latest technology in photos and apps and are using a photo sharing smartphone app that allows all guests to upload photos in one convenient place for all to see.

Virtual Events and Invitations Transpire.

Brides are also using Facebook to set up virtual events surrounding their weddings, including the bachelor/bachelorette party (30%), bridal shower (17%) and engagement party (11%). And 1 in 10 (12%) are even setting up virtual events for their actual weddings! In the same vein, gone is the faux pas of the electronic invite, with 2 out of 3 (64%) brides agreeing it's totally okay to send an invite through Evite or Paperless Post for wedding-related events like the rehearsal dinner or engagement party, while 1 in 10 (9%) even think it's okay to send an e-invitation for the wedding itself!

Facebook Provides Added Inspiration.

Brides are using Facebook in many different ways to assist with the logistics of their wedding planning. A large majority (79%) became fans of wedding brands, like The Knot, on Facebook for inspiration after getting engaged. In addition, one-third (33%) checked in with their social networks more often after getting engaged to get and share ideas – because sometimes, your Facebook friends just don't want to see it and you need support from other real brides!

Wedding Tech Looms on the Horizon.

While small, there are some growing technological trends on the horizon that brides will soon begin to adopt more largely. About 1 in 10 (9%) brides plan to use a hashtag in conjunction with their wedding on both Twitter and Instagram. Similarly, 4% of brides used or are using QR codes to direct guests to more information about the nuptials, and 5% created a video save-the-date. In the coming years, these developments will continue to grow among brides.

About TheKnot.com

The Knot is the nation's leading wedding resource, reaching nearly every bride in America through the #1 wedding website, TheKnot.com; The Knot national and local wedding magazines; The Knot book series; and syndicated columns in newspapers nationwide. The Knot is the flagship brand of XO Group Inc. (NYSE: XOXO; http://www.xogroupinc.com), a global media and technology leader devoted to weddings, pregnancy and everything in between, providing young women with the trusted information, products and advice they need to guide them through the most transformative events of their lives. Follow The Knot on Twitter @theknot.

About Mashable

Mashable is the largest independent source dedicated to news, information and resources for the Connected Generation. Mashable reports on the importance of digital innovation and how it empowers and inspires people around the world. Mashable's 20 million monthly unique visitors and 9 million social media followers have become one of the most engaged online news communities. Founded in 2005, Mashable is headquartered in New York City with an office in San Francisco. http://www.mashable.com

CONTACT:
Stephanie Fraiman
Public Relations Manager
The Knot
(212) 515-3595   
[email protected]

Lexie Rieglehaupt 
Public Relations Manager
Mashable   
[email protected]
(914) 391-5093

SOURCE TheKnot.com