Forever More…on the Web???

♬ Well then what’s to be the reason for becoming man and wife?
Is it love that brings you here or love that brings you life?
For if loving is the answer, then who’s the giving for?…♬

Lyrics and music by Paul (“Noel”) Stookey, recorded by Peter, Paul & Mary.

Jeffrey Brandt, the Editor of Litigation Digest in his email newsletter post of today stated:

After recently attending a wedding where the bride and groom asked guests to refrain from posting wedding photos and videos on any social media sites, Mary Abraham asks us to consider privacy and our limitations. Read more here: (and thanks Mary for giving me an excuse to view the video again) Where Do You Draw the Privacy Line?

We are venturing into unchartered territory. While no doubt a bride and groom can request that invited guests do not post pictures, video or text about their wedding on-line, do they have a right to make it a condition of attending the nuptials to keep their event a small confidential gathering? There could be many reasons why a couple may not want publicity regarding their nuptials. It could be a second marriage. It could be a gay couple. It could be that the parties are just very private people. The video above has been viewed over 66 million times…and it is indeed a beautiful and moving video..

But – what if it was a celebrity couple? (and the paparazzi have every reason to try to infiltrate the event?) Shouldn’t everyone be able to ask…if not be entitled… to keep their private events …well…private? Or since it is a public gathering, is there no real ability (in law, if not in etiquette: see Emily Post’s Wedding Advice) to keep your wedding off social media? (incidentally, Emily Post doesn’t deal with this issue on her web page…pity!).

Should you have the ability to ask Facebook and other sites to take down photos and video if you asked that this not be posted (and one of your naughty guests didn’t follow the request?)

After all, if the reason that everyone is coming together is the private love of a couple for each other, then who is the giving of the pictures and video on social media for, anyway…?

(Thanks Jeffrey and Mary for prompting this post).