#Instaban
According to urbandictionary.com Instaban –as a verb is a compound word from “instant” and “ban”; to be banned instantly, as from an online game or web forum. As an adjective – a behavior for which there is zero tolerance, which will likely result in an instant ban.
So what does it have to do with weddings?
When’s the last time a wedding was just a single day? Increasingly, nuptials more closely resemble a three-day circus, complete with elephants and fountains of golden chocolate, with the bride and groom making their grand entrance via zip line. And, of course, there are as many photographers as there are guests, all using a hashtag for the world to follow along. When everything from your daily workout to giving birth—yes, really—is considered a shareable moment, is there still such thing as a private event?
Enter the Instaban. A polite note asking guests to refrain from posting on social media, the Instaban has become a refreshingly popular alternative. “It wasn’t so much about secrecy,” says Brock Collection codesigner Laura Vassar about the Instaban at her Newport Beach wedding. “I wanted to see laughing and chatting and dancing—not the screens of people’s iPhones!”
Now, I’ll admit that my first reaction to any sign that says please do not post pictures to social media is to do exactly that and post it on the ’gram, but so far I’ve resisted that urge. And it turns out that when we refrain from posting about how much fun we’re having, we usually end up having a lot more fun ourselves – according to Vogue magazin.
First seen on Vogue
So you see, effecting a social media ban — or Instaban — at important life events is fast becoming a trend, and for very good reason. A polite Instaban can be added to your wedding invites to prepare guests for a social media shut-down, but be careful and don’t enforce it all night – people will start to riot.
