This blog post is one that I’ve been pushing off writing for a long time —
Not because I don’t feel like an unplugged ceremony is important for brides to consider, but mostly because I’ve seen other photographers take on the task of writing about the issues of smartphones and cameras at weddings only to have it turn into a bit of a rant while being disrespectul of the fact that weddings are a celebration of the people in attendance just as much as it is of the couple.
All of this being said, I have to start off this article by telling all of you wedding guests out there that I love seeing images from your perspective throughout the day. Checking out the hashtags from all of my client’s and friend’s weddings immediately after the wedding is over is one of my favourite things in the world to do, and I will forever support the freedom to whip that phone out and post to social media at any time other than the ceremony of a wedding — including during the morning of the wedding when your latte art is on point, #sorrynotsorry.
What is an unplugged ceremony?
For those of you who aren’t sure exactly what this term means, an unplugged ceremony is simply when you inform your guests that they will not be allowed to take photographs during the ceremony portion of your wedding.
Why should I consider an unplugged ceremony?
Firstly, when I take photographs of your guests during this part of the day, it will actually be of their faces. I can’t tell you how many weddings I have attended when I’ve turned to the mother of the bride to catch her tears during the vow exchange and instead I find her squinting to see what is in focus on the screen of her iPhone. I immediately think to what it must feel like to be the bride and groom, looking out to the faces of their guests and only seeing raised arms with cell phones in them.
Even worse than the lack of emotion from your guests, is the inevitable fight for “the shot.” There have been guests in the past who have completely jumped in front of the view of the groom as his bride is walking down the aisle, and who have blocked the grooms grandmother as the grandfather was reciting a bible verse. Social media should never come in the way of really being able to witness moments as they are happening, and when guests are in close quarters during the ceremony, it is completely impossible to stop guests from blocking the view of other guests, or you.
These well-meaning guests also compromise your photography coverage. As much as I know my way around Photoshop, it simply isn’t doable to fix the photo of a first kiss after a guest hops directly in front of me, or fires off their flash directly on to your faces at the same time as mine. Having your guests be respectful of your photography team at this time of your day is not only allowing for yourself and them to really be present in the moment you become man in wife, but it is also protecting the investment you’ve made in your wedding photography.
** I intentionally haven’t included any mishaps in this post just to spare my couples, but if you’d like to see examples, this post from Huffington Post is full of them: Why You Might Want to Consider an Unplugged Wedding
How can I implement this?
Most of my brides chose to let their guests know that their ceremony is unplugged by putting the information on their wedding programs, as well as placing signage at the entrance of their ceremony site. The most effective way to put this in effect, though, is just simply by having your officiant announce to guests to put their cell phones and cameras away at the very beginning of the ceremony. This makes sure that even unobservant guests who may have missed your signs still get the memo, and also means that if you aren’t a DIY fan, you don’t have to make any decor changes to accommodate this whatsoever.
