There’s no question that social media’s influence has shaped modern weddings, but it’s easy to take for granted. We browse popular platforms to get inspiration, look for vendors, and share photos with our friends and family. When we step back and see how social media has brought about these changes to 21^st-century weddings, the results can be surprising. Looking at these factors can also help us plan smart and avoid common problematic pitfalls.

How Social Media Has Shifted the Landscape

All the major social media networks are less than 15 years old. Facebook launched in 2004, followed by YouTube in 2005 and Twitter in 2006. Instagram and Pinterest, arguably the two most image-driven platforms, both made their debut in 2010. Snapchat, one of the latest networks to join the party, came onto the scene in 2011.

The youngest of these platforms are about eight or nine years old, but they’ve transformed weddings on a massive scale in that short time. When freelance journalist Andrew Arnold details these effects in a July 2018 Forbes piece, he names several positive contributions:

• Hashtags, which make it easier to find content
• Greater accessibility to vendors, allowing couples to more quickly evaluate products and services
• Wider and faster content-sharing potential, allowing couples to connect with far-flung loved ones and see special moments from others’ weddings
• Easier planning with sites and apps such as Wedding Wire, The Knot, and Zola
• Advanced technology solutions for scheduling events, organizing planning details, sending invitations, tracking responses, recording expenses, and purchasing goods

Attracting Customers and Driving Up Costs

A few statistics from Rocketium Academy’s infographic show why spectacular visual displays are social media gold for vendors and marketing pros. Visual content comprises about 90% of the information that’s transmitted to our brains.  They also process images 60,000 times faster than text, and around 40% of people respond better to visual information. Chances are, you’ll remember a picture more readily than its accompanying text.

Vendors carefully choose and share their most compelling photos, especially on image-heavy platforms like Pinterest and Instagram. Yet the costs behind those stunning displays may not be readily evident. CNBC’s Michelle Castillo cites the six-figure price tags for lavish flower wall décor as one example. The 2014 wedding of Kim Kardashian and Kayne West featured an exquisite wall of tuberoses, estimated to cost around $136,000.

Amid all these extraordinary ideas, it’s easy to feel pressured to host the perfect wedding. With social media in the equation, some couples strive to make their weddings shareworthy. Americans now pay between $29,000 and $45,000 to tie the knot, thanks in part to social media contributing to the perception that such displays are normal and routine.

Don’t Fall Prey to the Comparison Trap

You may not want a $136,000 floral wall, but you could be just as easily entranced by an elaborate cake costing three to four times more than average. Thankfully, Wedding Wire contributor Jaimie Mackey offers useful advice for preventing this type of comparison trap. You don’t have to avoid Pinterest or Instagram, but you must be honest about your money and time. Also, list your top three to five wedding priorities and use these to narrow down your options. When you find an inspiring image, keep in mind that a lot of time and work went into styling that photo. Finally, try to limit the number of images you save. Too many ideas can leave you overwhelmed and vulnerable to decision fatigue.

Social media has changed weddings in both positive and negative ways. With its new array of tools and benefits comes the danger of overspending to meet lofty ideals. It’s important to put the images you see into perspective and remember for whom you’re planning your wedding: you and your future spouse.