Wedding Gifts in a SNAP

Coming up with creative wedding gifts is not an easy task.

Being a part of one of my best friend's weddings a few weeks back, I came to realize this firsthand. First, there's the wedding shower, then the bachelorette party, then the actual wedding–Jeez! There's a lot of opportunities to give a gift to bless the marriage, that's for sure.

One thing I wanted to do was avoid giving a mundane gift. Not only am I good friends with the couple, but I was in the wedding. That means you've gotta give more than a cheese plate or a blender. In the world of Pinterest, you can almost completely forget about something being completely creative or unseen–simply, if it's been done, it's documented and repinned thousands of times.

Seeing as we are all in our twenties, the bride and groom both have many younger cousins and family members, I came up with the perfect idea–a Snapchat filter.

Guests could use this Snapchat filter to inform friends they were at a wedding while sending their well wishes to the newlyweds.

Nowadays, you can't keep people away from social media. Just as people feel the need to Instagram every meal they make or post a Facebook check-in at every place they visit, they also feel they must Snapchat everything they do. I took this as an opportunity to let guests send their congratulations to the happy couple. Since it's related to the event they're attending, the guests will use it to show their friends where they're at.

The process was super simple: I followed the guidelines provided by Snapchat, and uploaded my created file. I then selected the date I wanted the filter to work, and the mapped out the boundaries of where the filter could work. Having these options allowed me to not only ensure the best fit for the event, but keep track of how much the filter would cost me, since private event filters require payment (Snapchat only charges if the filter is approved). Then, the filter was submitted to Snapchat for approval. I received approval within 24 hours–probably within 12 (it was overnight).

I also enjoyed being able to incorporate aspects of the wedding into the filter. I used wedding colors, font styles, and even flower types to create a customized filter that surprised and delighted the couple.

The filter was a huge success. The guests enjoyed using it to capture special moments and quirky dance moves. In the future, I would definitely use the process again to add a special additional touch to a couple's most joyous day.