We have all seen the viral video of the bride texting down the aisle (well, at least now you have). Classy stuff! But it’s not all bad… really.

We are using social media and tech gadgets in all facets of our lives from guiding us on the road to planning our busy social calendars. Another way technology is helping make our lives a little bit easier: planning what might be the most important day of your life, your wedding day. We aren’t advocating having your phone in hand while walking down the aisle… but going online just makes the headache of wedding planning and coordinating a little more manageable (you can only work so many miracles!). Did you know 1 in 5 couples now use a mobile app to help plan for the big day? A lot more organized than having a Filofax stuffed with Post-its and vendor cards. Brides going viral even made our top 11 moments of 2011 list!

Let’s take a look at how social media is reinventing the wedding game as we enter 2012:

A whopping 65% of couples create a site to manage RSVPs, stream video and keep guests in the loop. That is just one of the staggering statistics about how modern brides are incorporating social media into their big day.

Including out of town guests

Probably one of the greatest things about technology is the ability to connect with loved ones who are long distance. Sometimes we have friends or relatives who are unable to attend the big day. Programs, such as Skype, are helping change that. Now you can Skype in bridesmaids to the ceremony or live stream the big day for those unable to attend. About 10,000 weddings have been broadcast live from the site — Ustreamtv.com — over the last 12 months.

Facebook Page

How many of us liked the Royal Wedding Facebook page? Guilty! You don’t have to be Kate and William to create a Facebook Page for your wedding day. In fact, it is a lot easier than setting up a website. Odds are most of your guests are already on Facebook and Americans spend nearly 11 hours a month on the site so why not be where your guests are? There are tons of widgets and apps to allow for fun interaction on the page as well. They include a wedding day countdown, a map widget that displays the event venue’s locations, an RSVP widget, and we could go on and on. It can be the hub where you update guests on the planning, such as a cake tasting or posting a teaser picture of the centerpieces. They also make those who are unable attend feel part of the big day.

Going paperless

Nearly 1 in 5 couples go paperless for invitations or save-the-dates. Remember this awesome 90s rap music video invite? Going digital allows guests to easily add it to their online calendars. (I’d be lost without my Google Calendar!) You can add QR codes, which allow your guests to scan by phone and automatically be directed to your wedding page. Or you can also conduct the entire ceremony via your iPad with the sermon or the reading of the vows.

Interactive seating charts

Creating an online seating chart allows guests the opportunity to get to know each other before the big day. You can manage RSVPs, meal choices and hopefully prevent awkward conversations. There are many free sites to browse, such as Wedding Mapper.

Let your guests be the photographer

Your wedding photographer can only cover so much ground during the ceremony and reception. Let your guests get involved and share their own pictures. uSnap.us is a mobile app that your guests can download to view a slideshow of the event. They can submit their own pictures, which are then aggregated into one presentation for all your guests to enjoy.

Social media allows for brides and grooms to add personal touches to their ceremony in a way never thought possible. Embrace the opportunities but also remember to keep the phone tucked away while you enjoy your special moment down the aisle. We don’t want to see you on YouTube! Unless you’re these guys.

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As bloggers, we sit at the computer for hours on end, scouring the internet and our very souls for the features, stories and posts you read and enjoy every day. We are a part of a community, a family, a movement and a revolution. We have our own internet language and an unspoken code of ethics. We have virtual friends and locationless parties, but one thing we don’t have is an eau de parfume… until now.

CrowdGather, a network of online forums, intends to bottle, sell and market the scent of social media. The fragrance has been named “Erox” and will include a patent pending compound called ER303 that’s similar to human pheromones but derived from sea coral. CrowdGather partnered with Human Pheromone Sciences, a company that manufactures markets and develops consumer products that contain synthetic human pheromones.

That begs the question, “If blogging is traditionally a job with limited human interaction, where/when do we wear Erox?” Is CrowdGather trying to say that we bloggers need help in the face-to-face socialization? (…and that we smell bad?)

Erox will cost between $25 and $30 per bottle and is expected to ship by Labor Day. “The purpose of the scent is to give the wearer added confidence during their social interactions,” said Sanjay Sabnani, CEO of CrowdGather. What kind of “social interactions” does Sanjay mean? Blogging? Dating? Tweeting? Does the marketing world think bloggers need an extra boost when it comes to interacting with something other than technology? You read between the lines. We’re not all anti-social techies!

Even if CrowdGather is marketing their perfume to the hopeless romantic social media guru, we’re still curious to sniff this scent. Would you want to smell like synthetic pheromones? Do you think it could make you a better blogger? A better socialite? A hotter lover?

It’s a bittersweet day here at Spa Week Daily… our fabulous blogger Candace Amos just informed us that in two weeks, she will be moving on. Over the past 14 months she’s helped curate much of the content you’ve read here, from breaking the news that men care more about hair than boobs, to how to rock the camel trend for fall and neon-bright lips for spring, to the inspiring story of the 95-year-old who set a running record. We will miss her very much and wish her every bit of success in her career!

But that being said, out with the old and in with the new… Spa Week Daily is now hiring a brand new part time blogger/social media assistant. Please pass this along to anyone you think would be a great addition to the Spa Week team—someone whose stories you’d love to read here on Spa Week Daily.

The position is paid, hourly. The Spa Week headquarters are in Union Square, New York City. You MUST be able to work at least 24 hours per week, IN office. This is a position that will be part-time to start, with the potential to turn into a full time, salaried position. We are a very small department in a relatively small company, both of which are expanding rapidly, so we are really looking for someone who is excited at the opportunity to help us grow, and ultimately grow with us.

Qualifications:

You are a college graduate.
You are highly organized and detail-oriented.
You are a fast and witty writer with experience in blogging and social media.
You tweet because it’s fun, you might have your own blog, and you are familiar with how to work various social sites that generate web traffic.
You love reading blogs and being the first to share news.
You have an interest in, and general knowledge of, spa, beauty, health, travel, bridal, fashion and fitness topics.
You have a minor crush on Excel spreadsheets.
You are a multi-tasker and thrive in an environment where you are juggling many projects at once.
You are creative, and you are the type of person who’s always coming up with new ideas and wants them heard.
You would enjoy covering local events and you would feel comfortable interviewing estheticians and celebrities alike.
You are able to take direction and execute projects from beginning to end.
Video editing and design skills a plus.
You have good follow-up and follow-through.
You are both a self-starter and a team player.
You happen to love a good massage.

Job Description/Responsibilities:

Daily blogging – multiple posts per day, both assigned and creative, under all the various Spa Week Daily topics.
Research, fact-checking, interviewing and note-taking.
Online PR – connecting with bloggers and editors to build brand buzz.
Managing communities on various social networks, ranging from Twitter to StumbleUpon.
Managing and updating press lists.
Keeping schedules and booking appointments.
Assisting in all aspects of the social media department, from Twitter parties to real parties.

If this description sounds like you or someone you know, please email your resume, a brief email cover letter, 3 relevant writing samples (can be links), and links to your Twitter, blog, or any other social communities you manage to me at michelle at spaweekmedia dot com.

It’s no secret that Spa Week is right around the bend, but do you know how to milk it to the max (and win $50 Spa Week Gift Cards while you’re at it)? Relax!

You may have noticed… we had to go on a little (well, big) hiatus with our weekly Twitter parties #SpaWeekGossip, but we’re bringing it back for one raging Twitter party in anticipation for Spa Week Spring 2011 and the amazing #50dollartreatments in your very near future. We’re teaming up with our old co-host and home-spa savant Candy Silvasy, who now hosts her own #HomeSpaChat Tuesday nights at 8.

Next Thursday afternoon, April 7th from 2-4 pm EST, tweet with @SPAWEEK and all the top #SPA experts on Twitter… we’re going to Tw-each you all the tips, tricks and secrets of the trade to get the most out of  Spa Week’s spring event.

In addition, we are going to be giving away BEAUTY PRODUCTS and 3 $50 SPA WEEK GIFT CARDS for the best tweets for each question, so get ready to Tweet up a spa storm! Prizes from @DrPerricone @VdaraLV @CLARISEA @ybcosmetics @Redken5thAve @TheraPearl @BikiniGlamour and of course @SPAWEEK.

When: Thursday, April 7, 2 – 4 PM Eastern

Where: Twitter or tweetchat with hashtag #SpaWeekGossip

Who: All the spa lovers, cravers, schemers and dreamers – hosted by @SPAWEEK, @ArtOfTheSpa and @RedDoorSpas @MySkinConcierge

So don your robes and slippers, grab your #Spatinis and get comfy – we are going to whisper, (well OK scream) and spy and pry on:

- Insider tips on getting the best massage ever
- Pro spa secrets – chat with spas on Twitter
- Spill your Spa Week plans… what #50dollartreatments are you (and everyone else) getting?
- Secret spa fantasies – quenching our Ultimate Dream Spa Week – Where would you go what would you do?
- The Skinny on Get-Skinny Spa Treatments like slimming wraps and Velashape
- Secret celebrity spa retreats and spottings
- Sneaky spa stories – share the craziest/sneakiest things you’ve ever done to get to the spa— have you played hookie? Lied to your hubby?
- One secret spa ingredient? Oxygen… seaweed… why?
- What spas make you swoon?
- Beauty and relaxation secrets that you can steal from the spa

Tweet you later!

Guest contributor: Shelby Jones, ISPA Public Relations Manager
You’ve probably heard the term search engine optimization (SEO), but do you really understand how it works? Don’t send out an SOS if you don’t get it; just follow the advice below and people will be finding you in no time.

The following info can help you better understand SEO, and in turn, boost your Web site traffic.

• SEO: What it is and why it isn’t dead.
• 5 essentials for SEO.
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Like what you’re clicking? If you’re in the spa industry, we encourage you to become a member of our partner ISPA, the International Spa Association; weekly e-mails with pointers like these are just one small part of the package to help you succeed!