Unplugged weddings join the movement!
The day has come you are finally marrying the love of your life, you found the perfect wedding photographer to document your special day. It’s time to walk down the aisle to get married. Your music is playing and you start your important walk. As you walk down the aisle you notice your friends and family are here supporting you but their really not there. All you see are cell phones & camera out all pointed at you snapping away pictures of you walking down the aisle…. Now flash forward to a few months later a very exciting day your wedding photos are done. You love them, until you get to your ceremony photos. The that all important shot of you walking down the aisle smiling, nervous but your eye gets pulled away to the cell phones & cameras your guest were holding instead of being present, being respectful…. Personally as a bride or groom I would not want that for my ceremony and so I am writing this very passionate blog post.
I bring this subject up with every one of my couples I meet with and explain why they should really push for an unplugged wedding and mainly being unplugged during the ceremony. With any job including ones you love there is always one or two things you don’t like about the job. Mine is cell phones, cameras and selfie sticks out during the ceremony. In this day and age everyone has a smart phone and we are all taking pictures daily to document lives and sharing on social media, myself included. BUT the one place I feel smartphones and cameras (besides my own) shouldn’t be used is a wedding ceremony. Most couples haven’t gone through wedding planning before and informing about this issue is my job, if I don’t at least warn them or give them examples then I am failing them as their wedding photographer. It is becoming a bigger issue every year with “guest” photographers ruining ceremonies trying to get pictures of the bride or cute children in the ceremony wedding.
This photo taken by Thomas Stewart Photography went viral after the photographer shared & ranted that the groom had to move to the side so he could see his bride coming down the aisle around the “guest” photographers. I mean this is bad like really bad and mostly I feel couples. Not only are these guest ruining this moment for the groom but their also ruining the photos that the couple hired a pro photographer to take. Wedding photographers are investment hiring them in capturing your wedding day and all those precious moments. I personally wouldn’t want to spend thousands on a wedding photographer only to have guest ruin these important photos during the ceremony, only so that I could be tagged in a cell phone quality photo on social media.
Focus should be on the kids and now it’s on the guest trying to get photos with his cell phone in the aisle!
This photo above is a perfect example of WHY this is a good idea! Not only did this guest get in my shot but my second shooter who is in the red pants in camera left was in his way too. The focus should be on the cute ring bearer getting excited about walking down the aisle but instead it’s on the guest trying to get a photo of him in the aisle!
Again Selfie sticks are another I wouldn’t welcome to a wedding ceremony!
Again this moment was ruined by a selfie stick where the focus should have been on the bride hugging her father as he is giving her away. Seriously I have a few choice words about those things that I won’t say here… Now that I have gotten your attention here are a few ways to let your guest know politely and respectfully that cell phone and cameras besides our wedding photographers need to be put away and remain away till the ceremony is done:
Add it to your wedding website information in the part about ceremony info.
Put it on your invitations.
Have a sign at your entrance of ceremony site or guest book.
Ask your officiant or wedding coordinator to make an announcement before the ceremony starts.
Spread the word, tell your friends, tell your relatives or anyone who is going to be at your ceremony to spread the word that cell phones are cameras need to be put away during the ceremony out of respect for the couples wishes.
In the end I promise asking your guest to turn off their cell phones and cameras to be present for your ceremony will not disappoint. I know most guest aren’t intentionally trying to ruin your photos or get in my way, they are just as excited about your wedding too but I think a friendly reminder doesn’t hurt anyone. It’s your wedding day you want it perfect and I do to and why shouldn’t you!
(Writers Note: I do have to say in preparing to write this blog post I had a very hard time finding examples of my own weddings to show. I am very happy that I can either move so that I can get the shot or I have amazing couples who listen to my warnings and had unplugged ceremonies. In 2015 alone I had at least 5 couples who made it very clear to their guest that they wanted an unplugged ceremony.)
wow. Having an unplugged wedding makes so much sense. I never really thought about how much technology has grown and have become distractions in our lives and now we let technology disturb memorable events. I mean isn’t that what the hired photographer is for anyway? Why would any guest want to disrespect the bride and groom anyway by not following their wishes to have an unplugged wedding?
I love the idea of unplugged weddings and can’t agree more! I always wonder why guests think it’s so important that they get that blurry cell phone photo – enjoy the ceremony and leave it to the professional!
being fully present is an awesome reason to turn off the cell phones and would not hurt any feelings. i love this idea and i am totally with you. some moments need to be fully embraced, eye contact made, and let tears flow and emotions well up. i call that an amazing day.
OH MY GOSH! The selfie stick! I love unplugged weddings and you, as a wedding photographer showed great example of why everyone should have one! Those are adorable signs as well. Always love the big iPad in my images 😉
Words cannot describe how much I love this wedding movement! As a photographer myself, I know it can be hard to turn it off but being able to be present in the moment and truly enjoy the wedding it is a must! The couple has hired a professional wedding photographer to capture these precious moments and I assure you, the couple wants to look back at their portraits and see smiling faces, not cell phones and selfie sticks!
Very well written! Unplug!
Having an unplugged wedding is the way to go. One time I had a guy get in the aisle and use his iPad! Its so distracting, and the guest is so focused on “getting the shot” sometimes they are oblivious to whats around them. In a few months when I get married I’m having the officiant make an announcement about the ceremony ing unplugged. I really want my wedding guest to be in the moment.
Yes, way to spread the word on unplugged weddings! I remember the walk down the aisle being a bit nerve-wracking… I can’t imagine how it would’ve felt if the supportive faces of my friends and family were all hidden behind their phones and point-and-shoot cameras!! Great message for so many reasons.
SUCH an important topic! It’s hard when grandmothers jump in front with their ipads and you miss a moment! I hope it becomes more and more popular these types of weddings and so good you are educating your couples
I’m so glad you wrote a blog post about having an unplugged wedding! I think it’s sad that we feel the need to constantly have our cell phones out instead of just living in a moment. I hope your post inspired people to just attend and enjoy a wedding (and other events) and allow a professional photographer to do their job of capturing it.
What a great resource for your brides! Cell phones and even worse… Ipads out and taking photos or videos during ceremonies are SO disrespectful and can totally ruin a good photograph. As a photographer I totally love my couples that have unplugged ceremonies.
This post should be a must-read for every bride! I really tried to be patient with guests and their phones or iPads, and then I had an aunt–with a flip phone!!–stand directly in front of the couple to capture their first kiss. All I got was the aunt blocking the way. So they paid me to capture her back. I am obviously a big proponent of documenting life, but if someone has paid someone else to do that job, I will put my camera away and let that person do it. All wedding guests should be so considerate!
Omg the selfie stick!! That kills me! Lol! I love the idea of an unplugged wedding. I got married before Facebook and Social Media, and before camera phones were so mainstream. I distinctly remember my ceremony being phone free! (of course you’d still get the occasional point and shoot!)
What a brilliant idea! I love the idea of “unplugged” weddings. This way the couple can be sure their carefully selected guests are not posting their vows on social media before the wedding is even over. I know for sure I wouldn’t want anybody posting anything from my special day on social media without me knowing.