Unplugged Wedding Photography: Why Smartphones are the New Wedding Crashers
Picture this: your wedding ceremony is in full swing, but instead of seeing the loving faces of your guests, you’re met with a sea of smartphones competing to capture the moment. Dozens of well-meaning guests armed with phones and tablets inadvertently compromise the very memories they’re trying to preserve. In this era of constant connection, unplugged wedding photography has become a powerful way to preserve the pure emotion of the day in a way that’s timeless and authentic.
As a professional wedding photographer with years of experience navigating this modern dilemma, I’ve seen firsthand how unplugged wedding photography creates more meaningful images. When guests trade those devices for genuine smiles, professional photographers can capture unobstructed moments that capture your true love story. Let’s explore why asking guests to put away their devices might be the best gift they can give you on your special day.
The Problem With Phones at the Ceremony
Guests are almost always well-intentioned when it comes to taking their own photos during your wedding ceremony and this post is NOT intended to shame anyone. Your guests are excited, blown away by the beautiful decorations, and/or just want to capture some nice shots for you to have. While their hearts are absolutely in the right place, the behavior associated with their actions can still be problematic, but that depends on the preferences of the couple.
Maybe your first thought is that you don’t mind guests taking pictures during your wedding ceremony. Afterall, the more angles and perspectives the better, right? While this might be true for a lot of the wedding day as a whole, there are a few issues worth considering when it comes to the ceremony in particular. So, before you solidify your decision, let’s discuss some of the problems with allowing guests to use their electronic devices during your wedding ceremony.
Technical Issues
One of the reasons I recommend my clients consider unplugged wedding photography is due to the technical issues presented by the use of smartphones and tablets. One of the biggest technical issues is caused by blocked shots. Your guests are so focused on getting a good photo of you and your partner at the altar that they don’t realize they’ve just stepped in front of you photography team and caused them to miss an important shot or ruin the aesthetic of the shot.
Ceremonies taking place in darker venues are even more effected by technical issues. In these low-light spaces, your wedding photos can be affected by flash interference when a cellphone’s flash goes off. The same can be said about blue screen glow. The only lighting that should be present during these types of ceremonies is that which the couple has specifically chosen and worked with their photographer to achieve high quality photos.
Guest Behavior
We’ve discussed how blocked shots can affect your wedding photos (and your wedding video), but it can also be problematic for your wedding party as they walk down the aisle. Your guests are also spending their time focusing on getting their shots instead of truly being present for the experience. They might have some nice shots of the ceremony, but they won’t be able to remember what was said or how it felt as well.
Not to mention, couples hoping to share their professional photos first may be disappointed to find guests have already flooded social media with ceremony snapshots. With all of the devices snapping photos, it’s easy for your ceremony photos to end up on social media during or shortly after your ceremony (well before you get the chance to post about it yourselves).
Benefits of Going Unplugged
Now, you might be thinking, ‘ok, so there are some drawbacks to allowing devices during our ceremony, but is it really that beneficial to go with an unplugged ceremony?’ Well, you might be surprised how much an unplugged ceremony can add not only to your wedding photos/video, but also to the actual experience of your wedding ceremony.
Unplugged Wedding Photography Quality
Starting with the obvious, the quality of unplugged wedding photography is much more polished than the alternative. With clean ceremony shots and not having to compete with guests for the best angles, you get to enjoy your photographer’s full artistic skillset instead of having it compromised.
You’ll also see better guest engagement throughout the ceremony. Instead of faces plastered to screens or unflattering faces of concentration, you’ll see genuine emotion on the face of your loved ones when you look through your final gallery. Plus, guests don’t have to miss out on the photo ops associated with your ceremony if you choose to share your wedding gallery with them.
Staying in the Moment
The photo-related benefits of staying in the moment are significant for your final wedding gallery, but the benefit to your guests is even greater. When your guests get to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ceremony, the experience is more meaningful. Some of my favorite shots to get during a ceremony is of your friends and family members watching the ceremony with big smiles, tears, and laughter. They get to live in the experience and you get genuine reactions to bring your wedding ceremony to life well after the fact.
Better Ceremony Flow
In more extreme cases, cellphone and tablet cameras can be disruptive to your ceremony. In an unplugged ceremony, your officiant is better able to maintain their pacing without feeling the need to pause for guest photos, your wedding party doesn’t have to dodge guests standing in the aisle, and you won’t get distracted by the shutter sounds and flashes from guest cameras. These types of distractions can ruin a couple’s enjoyment of their own wedding day.
While I’ve largely experienced guests who are as minimally disruptive as possible and respectful of requests to step aside, I’ve heard plenty of horror stories of guests completely ruining a wedding ceremony. For example, transitions throughout the wedding ceremony are slowed by guests getting a bunch of snapshots of each element (readings, vows, ring exchanges, etc). In another example, a guest has completely prevented a photographer from getting the must-have shots the couple has paid them to get, even ignoring a photographer’s pleas to step aside.
How to Plan an Unplugged Wedding
At this point, you may be on board with the idea of a unplugged wedding photography. That’s great! But, you might be wondering how to actually execute such a ceremony. Fortunately, it’s easier than you might think and there are ways to make sure everyone is happy!
Communication Methods
As with most things in life, good communication is essential. You can’t be upset with your guests for using their devices if you haven’t been clear about your expectations for the ceremony. When it comes to memory retention, research shows that we need to see information between five to seven times for it to stick. Fortunately, you don’t need to be that aggressive when announcing your unplugged ceremony.
The two best techniques are 1) to post a sign leading up to the ceremony area and 2) to ask your officiant to make an announcement before the start of the ceremony. Your officiant will explain that the couple wants their guests to be fully present for their ceremony and ask that they turn off and put away their cellphones, tablets, and cameras. This direct method leaves no room for confusion.
Compromise Solutions
Maybe you want the benefits of an unplugged ceremony, but you also know that some of your guests really want to take some photos of the ceremony. One of the best compromises I’ve seen is to once again have your officiant make an announcement about the unplugged ceremony, but to also mention that there will be one designated photo op for guests to pull out their phones and snap some pictures.
The most popular time to do this is just after the couple gets to the alter and are finally standing together. This also allows you to have some control over what parts of your ceremony get shared or posted to social media.
Ready to Plan for Unplugged Wedding Photography?
Smartphones are the new wedding crashers. They have the potential to distract and disrupt an otherwise beautiful wedding ceremony. With just a few steps, it’s easy to obtain unplugged wedding photography and end up with a wedding album of beautiful, artistic, and timeless photos that you can enjoy for many years to come.
Ready to book your dream wedding and talk more about the pros and cons of an unplugged ceremony? Let’s talk!