Singaporebrides | Weddings 101

July 2025

Wedding Hashtags are on the way out—here’s how to curate your memories instead

By Elizabeth Chee

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Wedding hashtags are so last decade. Step away from the cliché with these alternative ways to capture candid memories at a wedding, from disposable film cameras to the latest photo booth trends.

Before becoming a social media staple, # was used as an abbreviation for “number”, appearing on keypads that have now ceased to exist. Then the 2010s gave the symbol a second wind, turning it into a tool to categorise content, commonly known as the hashtag. To say that its benefits have been widespread for many is an understatement, whether for brands seeking to enhance discoverability, activists raising awareness, or on a more personal level—married couples who want easy access to all the memories of their special day posted on social media. Who would have thought that brainstorming wedding hashtags—from combining initials to force-fitting quirky puns—would become an integral step in the already arduous wedding planning journey?

But as the next wave of couples approaching marrying age fall within the Gen Z category, it’s clear that the wedding trend realm is due for a revamp, where such traditions are either elevated with a modern update, or declared outdated and obsolete. Recent reports show that wedding hashtags have experienced the greatest decline in popularity, which comes as no surprise given that most guests tend to post Instagram Stories of the special event, which aren’t searchable under hashtags—thus defeating their main purpose, if even used at all. Personal preferences also play a part—some couples choose to move away from the usage of wedding hashtags in prioritisation of privacy, or perhaps for the reasonable perception of the trend as cliché or cringey.

Nonetheless, that’s not to say that modern couples are out of options when it comes to curating visual memories of their wedding day to look back on. Here, a brief run-down of alternative and intentional ways to preserve all the raw, unfiltered and in-between moments at one’s upcoming wedding.

QR CODES TO SHARED, CLOUD-BASED PHOTO ALBUMS

Get tech-savvy and keep up with the times. A QR code directing users to a shared Google Photos album, Dropbox link or event photo-sharing galleries such as GuestCam or Kululu are more than easily displayed on signages or on tables at a wedding, and undoubtedly intuitive for guests to use. Should you prefer organising the photos according to the different parts of your wedding, GuestCam allows for multiple folders, so photos from the ceremony, reception or after-party can be separated. A digital audio guestbook is included at no extra cost, a fun and interactive feature for guests to leave voicemails for the couple to listen back to. Similar functions are available on Kululu, which lets guests add decorated text and captions alongside their photos and videos, and combines the media into a live slideshow that can be screened at the event. Best of all, no app downloads or sign-ins are required for guests to use these photo-sharing galleries.

DISPOSABLE, INSTANT OR ACTION CAMERAS

If it hasn’t been made obvious enough, vintage is the new vogue amongst the Gen Z crowd, and classic disposable cameras from Kodak and Fujifilm are making grand appearances at birthday parties and wedding events. Leave them around on tables for guests to snap photos with, and enjoy the novelty and charm of discovering what was captured only upon development of the film. But there’s a catch: an outdoor wedding with more light would yield better results, and there’s always risk of getting unusable or insignificant shots if children are behind the shutter. Polaroids are another nostalgic option, where the prints are ready instantly and can be collected in a guestbook or box for the couple. At high-spirited, alcohol-friendly weddings, festivities can be taken up a notch—mounting action cameras like a GoPro to a bottle of liquor that’s passed around for guests to take a chug from, ending with the bride and groom themselves, is an entertaining way to capture everyone on video.

PHOTO BOOTHS WITH CLOUD UPLOADS

A classic that can’t go wrong? Photo booths, where copies of print-outs can be taken home by the guests as a wedding favour while the digital version can be stored online for the couple. There’s a variety of different themes, lenses and frame designs one could choose to have at their wedding instead of just a basic background with props—think styles like the TikTok-viral Booth by Bryant trend, best known for its grainy, black-and-white portraits or Korean-inspired concepts and angles provided by photo booth rentals from studios like Solace Studios.

POST-EVENT ZINES OR DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKS

While not exactly a method of collecting visual moments during the wedding itself, this is a post-event activity creative couples might enjoy indulging in after receiving all the photos from guests and the official photographers—creating a wedding zine to flip through in years to come. With an abundance of design tools accessible online, this idea isn’t out of bounds for those who aren’t naturally crafty either. Once done, don’t forget to return the love by sending a digital copy to close friends and family who attended the wedding as well.

Featured image from Coral and Mint Retro Garden Wedding in Alkaff Mansion by Bryan Jean Photography.

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