Snapchat geofilters. They’re 2016’s trendy wedding idea, and people are going CRAZY for them. I recently read that one of the first things a couple does after they get engaged is come up with their wedding hashtag and start searching for geofilter ideas. The average couple does this within 24 hours of getting engaged. Wow!

While I’m sure there are plenty of other important things to do during that time (like celebrate the fact that you’re getting married!), Snapchat geofilters are probably something you’ll consider using on your wedding day. For only a little bit of effort and money, you can really add to your guests’ experience.

I was married in June and created two Snapchat geofilters for my wedding day, and people are STILL talking about how fun they were, so I want to help do the same for you! Here are a few helpful tips and tricks to creating a Snapchat geofilter for your wedding day.

Create a Design Your Guests Will Love to Use

The sounds obvious, but take some time to think about what type of filters your guests will actually use. When scrolling through Snapchat, what filters make you stop and use them? What snaps have you received from your friends that actually made you laugh out loud?

Don’t Make it Overly Girly

Do you imagine more girls or guys using your Snapchat filter? If you know there will be 10 girls and 30 guys at your wedding who use Snapchat, you definitely don’t want to create something that the guys would feel weird about taking a selfie on (yes, guys take selfies too). This doesn’t mean you can’t use your pink and purple wedding colors, but be considerate to what the majority of your guests will like.

I knew there would be a ton of Snapchat-using guys at my wedding, so I decided to create two filters instead of one. The first is a general wedding day filter, and the second is totally a joke. My husband is known for his beard and big glasses, so I thought it would be funny to create a filter that allowed our guests to “be” him.

Our guests (both girls and guys) LOVED this filter and it was so funny to see how people used it.

Match the style of your wedding

Just like your wedding decorations, your Snapchat geofilter is another way to extend the “theme” of your wedding day and create a more immersive experience for your guests. If your invitations are blue and gold, try to match those colors in your filter. If the font on your reception dinner menus is elegant and scripty, use a similar font in your filters.

Consider the When and Where

Be strategic when considering when and where your filter will be used the most. Will your bridesmaids use it while getting ready? Will your family use it the next morning at brunch? If you’re having an “unplugged” wedding ceremony, you may want to start the filter at the reception and not tell your guests about it until then.

When submitting your filter, you will zoom in to a map to precisely draw out the area where you want your filter to display. Think about where your guests will spend their time and include those areas (plus a little extra space) in your selection. If you expect your guests to venture outside your reception space to other rooms or an outdoor space, be sure to include those areas as well.

Watch Out for These Submission Guidelines

To be Accepted by Snapchat, Your Filter Must Be:

• A transparent .png file
• 1080px wide (I usually make them 1200px tall)
• Under 300KB

Snapchat Will Deny Your Filter if it Includes:

• Hashtags
• Full names (first and last)
• Photographs (illustrations are OK)
• Official logos
• A design that takes up too much of the screen
• Unoriginal content

The Steps to Submitting Your Filter

1. Go to Snapchat’s On Demand Page and login
2. Follow the steps on the site. As you adjust the time and location, be sure to watch the price estimation. That number will go up quickly, so watch out!
3. Submit your filter
4. Wait for Snapchat to email you about your submission. They usually respond pretty quickly. If your filter is rejected, make a few adjustment and resubmit it. Don’t give up!

Tell Your Guests About it

After your filter is created, submitted to Snapchat, and approved, don’t forget to tell your guests to go find it! I set out a display in our reception room that showed us using the filters.

Be sure to remind them to send YOU their snaps! It was so fun for us after the wedding to see what people had sent us. Also – don’t forget to check your Stories within a day of your wedding to see what has been posted there.

So here’s the good news for LGP Couples!

Designing your own Snapchat filter sounds great until you realize you don’t own Photoshop and have no experience with graphic design! This can be a serious roadblock that may prevent some couples from moving forward with the idea.

This is where I come in! In my other life, I’m a graphic designer. I’m asked to create filters for friends’ birthday parties and weddings all the time, so I thought, why not offer that to my couples too! So starting…now!… all of my wedding clients will receive a custom Snapchat geofilter! Just shoot me a few examples of filters you like, and I will create a custom filter just for you!

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