
Just before the ceremony begins, you can have your officiant say something like this: This is by far the easiest way to ask your guests to put their phones away! Have your officiant announce that you’re having an unplugged wedding. So how do you have an unplugged wedding? Here are some options! 1. Note: The photos in this post were mostly captured to illustrate the importance of unplugged weddings!Īt each of these weddings, we also captured many photos that de-emphasized or hid the cellphone users!įor the most part, if one or two guests pull out a cellphone or camera, we know tricks to hide them from the sightlines of our cameras! But sometimes it’s just not possible, which is why unplugged weddings are highly encouraged.

UNPLUGGED CEREMONY IN PROGRAM FREE
Having an unplugged wedding can remind your guests that they don’t have to worry – the moment will be captured by the professionals, so they are free to just enjoy it! We know they don’t mean any harm! But it can keep us from doing our job properly and getting you the photos you’ve always dreamed of…Īnd in the worst-case scenario, we’ve even seen guests get in the way of the groom seeing his bride while she walks down the aisle – and they were so busy looking at their phones, they didn’t even realize it!
UNPLUGGED CEREMONY IN PROGRAM PROFESSIONAL
That’s why well-meaning guests sometimes accidentally get in the way of the professional photographers and videographers that the bride and groom have paid thousands of dollars to capture their day! The problem is that this not only pulls us out of the present and keeps us from fully enjoying the moment…īut it also causes us to be less aware of our surroundings. This is something that has become more and more necessary now that we live in such an online world! It’s an automatic instinct to pull out our phones and take pictures or videos when something is happening. Particularly during the most important moments, like the ceremony or the first dance!

If you haven’t heard of an “unplugged wedding,” all it means is that the bride and groom have asked their guests to set their phones down and be present on their wedding day. Not only will your photographer love you, but a beautiful thing happens: your guests will be present and enjoy the moment with you.Unplugged weddings are becoming more and more common these days, and as photographers, we’re here for it!! I believe the most effective way to implement this is to have your officiant announce it before the ceremony starts! (*not my image) First, I recommend having a sign at the entrance of the ceremony that encourages guests to put away their devices! You can also include a short and sweet line on your ceremony program that requests this. There are a few things you can do to make this happen with ease at your ceremony. I think Unplugged ceremonies are a GREAT idea, and I’ve had many of my couples do them with amazing success! Guests are typically very respectful if you ask them to not be taking photos during the ceremony. Check out this blog post with 23 photos that are ruined by cell phones/ iPads, etc. This allows your guest to be present during the ceremony, as a result enjoying the moment! This also allows your photographer to work more freely getting all of the important photos you want! As a photographer, there is nothing worse than trying to photograph the bride coming down the aisle and have someone stick their phone out in front of you (yes, it’s happened!). If you’re not familiar with unplugged ceremonies, they are when you request that your guests turn off their devices for the ceremony. One of the most common questions I get asked when I meet with couples is what are unplugged ceremonies and should we have one? (*not my image)
