If you have never heard of an unplugged wedding, it is when you ask your guests to turn off their cell phones, iPads, cameras and any other similar gadgets they might have with them so they can relax and enjoy their time with you, leaving the professional wedding photographer free to do their job. This is most common for the wedding ceremony. Whether or not you want to have an unplugged wedding and how strict you want to be is completely up to you.
Here are a couple reasons why you should consider an Unplugged Wedding:
- Your guests can be fully present and cherish the beautiful ceremony with you.
- You’ll receive better photos!
- There won’t be as many distractions!
Let me be real with you as well. I totally get it. In today’s world, every one can easily document every single second and I do it quite often. I mean, who doesn’t want to capture that awesome meal you were just served or that cute puppy you just walked by. Take a look around you the next time you are at a concert, out to dinner, or on a date night. Today more than ever, people are documenting life and sharing it immediately and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Life is meant to be shared but I believe life is also meant to be cherished. Cherishing moments and living fully present is so important, especially during a wedding ceremony. Soak in the sweet heartfelt vows with the couple, listen to ever single line spoken by the officiant and remember you are a witness of a sweet, beautiful love story.
The bride & groom hired a professional photographer for a reason; to receive beautiful memories they can look back on. I’ve been photographing weddings for a few years and it amazes me of the amounts of guests who jump out into the isle as the bride and her father are walking down the isle. The unfortunate part is this hinders the photographer because of guests interfering.
There won’t be as many distractions during your ceremony because all of your guests will be fully present. The bride and groom won’t have to look out in the crowd and see Uncle Joe standing up right before the first kiss to get “the shot”. The bride and groom will look back on their images and see their guests with smiles, not phone screens.
Guests of wedding – I’m sure you’re thinking, I still would love to share a photo on social media. No worries, there is plenty of time during cocktail hour, at dinner, or while they are mingling through out the evening at their reception. There are so many opportunities that don’t involve dark churches, long narrow aisles, or once in a lifetime moments.
So, after all this, I challenge you to put down your phones, enjoy the beautiful vows, be present, excited, and happy for the next chapter of the amazing bride and groom.
Brides, you now may be wondering how do I let my guests know about an unplugged wedding? Great question!! I’ve seen it done a few ways; displaying signs, writing it on your invitations, or having it written on your programs but the one I’ve noticed that has worked the best is having the Pastor/Officiant make an announcement right before the bridal party/family walks down the isle. Hope this helps!! Happy planning! 🙂