With the exception of Mean Girls 2, nothing is a greater waste of time and money than a wedding that is not highly Instagrammable. If you’re going to ask 150 people to wear bras and/or real pants in your honor, you better at least give them a decent Instagram opportunity. For some sick reason, tons of people decide to blow their wedding budget on tacky shit like monogrammed beer koozies when they should be spending it on making the most Instagram-worthy wedding of all time. Here are a few ways to make your wedding as Instagram-worthy as a Kardashian baby shower. And no, this list does not include fake Polaroid cut-outs, words made out of gold balloons, or photo booths with props. Obviously.
1. Greenery Walls
From juice bars to wellness shops (whatever the hell those are), every super Instagram-y spot has greenery walls right now, and you should totally get one for your Instagram-worthy wedding. Although greenery walls are really trendy, they have a super timeless look, so they won’t look as dated as a step and repeat with your wedding hashtag when you look back at photos in 15 years.
2. Neon Signs
Admit it. You’re like, a million times more likely to attend an event if there’s a neon sign you can take a photo of. I go to a nail salon that’s like, way out of my way just because they have a neon sign on the wall. Anyway, neon signs are now such a thing that you can easily get a custom one that says whatever you want.
https://instagram.com/p/BfN-kuIFoJt/
3. Unexpected Florals
Getting a dope florist is actually one thing I recommend investing in while you’re planning your wedding. Fresh flowers will enhance the overall feel of your wedding, and they’ll look great in pictures, too. Trusting your florist to pick arrangements that will be freshest during your wedding season is one way to avoid getting the same peonies and white roses that everyone tends to get, but if you really want to pull in a decent amount of double taps on your reception pics, go a step further and look for unexpected florals. Air plants, succulents, and other live growing shit that isn’t a traditional flower will definitely set your wedding apart.
https://instagram.com/p/BgPGLkYH4ph/
4. Hand Calligraphy
You know you’re a boring adult when you spend more time lurking hand calligraphy accounts on Instagram than drinking. Whatever. At least this shit doesn’t cause hangovers or require actually getting dressed. Anyway, calligraphers will basically turn anything you want into a beautiful custom masterpiece. Hand calligraphy—whether it’s printed on personalized leather jackets for your bridesmaids or place settings made of amethyst slice agate geodes—will take your Instagram-worthy wedding to double digit likes. (Honestly, I was going to pretend that I’m fancy enough to know what order the words “amethyst slice agate geodes” go in, but I have no fucking clue. Just throw that keyword into Pinterest and see where it takes you.)
https://instagram.com/p/BYwkX4mhEt2/
5. Acrylic Shit
Acrylic is one of the coolest trends in the wedding industry right now. Whether you’re using it for your invitations, dinner menus, or day-of signage, everything looks way cooler when it’s on acrylic. But please, for the record, let it be known that I am not giving you the green light for bad acrylic nails.
https://instagram.com/p/Beiw86VHPXX/
6. Balloon Installations
Okay, I know I said that everyone needs to cool it with bad balloons, but balloon installations are amazing. Like, obviously not in a “prom committee dropped the ball on the decorations fund so we’re going to tie a bunch of balloons to this pole” way, but in a cool, artsy way.
https://instagram.com/p/BeZSnYDnwrP/
7. Custom Dance Floors
Ugh country clubs with ugly carpets and weird dance floors are such eyesores in wedding photos. Don’t even get me started on outdoor weddings. (Have you seen that Tide commercial for the girl with a nasty wedding dress after her barn reception? I still have nightmares about it.) Custom dance floors will elevate the entire look of your wedding and will show up in every single Snapchat of your drunk cousin who thinks the Dougie is still a thing, so they’re totally worth the investment.
https://instagram.com/p/Bei9pw_DqcI/
Images: brightlyeverafter, weddingchicks, martha_weddings (2), hey.halle, tidewatertulle, viburnumdesigns / Instagram
