Saying no to the phone. Should you have an unplugged ceremony?

Everyone has been to those weddings. The Bridesmaids and Groomsmen make their way down the aisle, the next comes the Bride’s entrance. You look over to see the Bride and all you see is a sea of phones, iPad and cameras, not those of the photographer or their staff, but of the guests themselves. This is why unplugged ceremonies have become more and more prevalent.      

An unplugged wedding is a wedding where guests are asked in a wedding program or on a sign to please refrain from using their electronic devices during the ceremony. They put away their devices to take that time to focus on the Bride and Groom. So is this a good idea?

There are a few positives to this style of wedding ceremony. It allows photographers to capture all the shots they desire without having to work around guests in the aisle. Also by having an unplugged ceremony, the photographers benefit because the photos don’t have different electronic devices in them, taking away from the image of the Bride and Groom. Asking guests to turn off their phones also bring all their attention to the moment. Each guests focus is on the wedding in front of them and not something else going on somewhere else.

Also allowing guests to take their own photos while the ceremony is going can take away from the Bride’s moment. The Bride might not want everyone to see her dress. Say a guest couldn’t make the ceremony and will be arriving at the venue. The Bride might want to refrain from anyone seeing her dress so guests can see her at the reception. She might also want to be the first person to post a picture so it could take away from the Bride’s day. 

In this day and age it can be very difficult to put away our phones since we’re so connected to them. There are positives to a ceremony that allows phones or tablets too. Sometimes a guest attending your wedding can get a shot that your photographer didn’t get. Maybe it was a special moment that would have been missed if you blinked for a moment. Having them capture their own images can add to your collection of images captured that day. It also is a photo you’ll see immediately after being posted on social media. You’ll have immediate access to it way before your photographer sends you the final shots. Also, wedding receptions are getting more and more tech savvy. The Bride and Groom might opt for photos that are taken and posted on social media with their wedding hashtag, to be featured on a screen at the wedding. Taking photos at the ceremony would be nice to look at during the reception.

It’s up to the Bride and Groom to decide, which scenario fits their wedding best. If you had the option what would you choose?