An Unplugged Wedding. Do we dare ask?
Before we get started, let’s begin with what an ‘unplugged wedding’ is.
An unplugged wedding is a wedding without mobile phones.
Don’t worry, your guests can have them on their person, but they aren’t allowed to take photos during the ceremony. This may seem harsh if the concept is foreign to you, but here’s why more and more people are asking for an unplugged wedding:
They want their guests to be present and in the moment.
Your photographers will be able to get beautiful shots at every angle, and not have to crop out phones being held up - or God forbid, a tablet (we see you, Grandma) ;)
Every photographer has a horror story of the kiss or the bridal procession photo begin blocked or ruined by a guest leaning in the way last minute to get the shot.
The energy and the mood of the ceremony will be a million times better.
All of your loved ones will be looking up and smiling at you, rather than looking through their screens.
The next question is, how do we ask our guests to put their phones away without offending them? Having a little sign with a quirky phrase is great, but a lot of the time it is missed by a few people. Let your celebrant know that the wedding is unplugged, and they can say something along the lines of:
‘I invite you to be truly present at this special time. Please, turn off your cell phones and put down your cameras. The photographer will capture how this moment looks — I encourage you all to capture how it feels with your hearts, without the distraction of technology.’
Or, for the comedic approach: '
‘Ladies and gentlemen, prior to wedding take-off, all seat backs and tray tables must be in their upright and locked positions, all bags properly stowed, and all portable electronic devices turned off and stowed. This includes cell phones and cameras.’
Reassure your guests that they WILL see the photos (make sure you keep your promise), and encourage them to take loads of photos and videos after the ceremony is over. It’s fun to look at all of the shots taken by your guests when the day is over to see it all from their perspective.
‘THE COUPLE POSTS FIRST’ SOCIAL MEDIA RULE
This is a little ‘sub-rule’ that we think is equally as rewarding as the unplugged rule. Asks your guests to refrain from posting on social media until you do! We remember from our day flicking through social media at the end of the day and seeing all of the photos posted and thinking ‘oh gosh, that’s going to be someone’s first impression of what our day looked like’ and also ‘someone took our chance to announce it away from us’! We’ve come to believe it’s a courtesy thing to allow the couple to make their announcement before anyone posts. We could not recommend this enough! You also may be able to ask your photographer to give you a photo to announce with quickly after the day is done! (We do!)
