How to have an Unplugged Wedding
The wedding day is here and it’s time to unplug.
There was a time where I wouldn’t comment on the idea of an unplugged wedding unless a couple asked my opinion.
After years of weddings + an increase in phone use for all of us (even grandma!), it now feels like my responsibility to recommend holding an unplugged ceremony on your wedding day.
What does unplugged mean, exactly?
It means that you ask your guests to put away their iPads, cell phones and anything similar during your ceremony.
Here’s the hard truth - I’ve found that people lose track of what’s most important when they have their phone in hand. It’s nothing personal, they’re simply distracted and it’s become habitual.
Before you know it, your loved ones will be crowding the aisle with their hands stuck out to grab a snapshot. They’ll hold their phone up in front of their face to capture a video of the event without ever lowering it. They’ll try to capture the whole thing on their phone instead of enjoying the ceremony in real time.
And the photos of your guests during your ceremony will be blocked by phones – I can’t capture faces if a phone is in front of it. I can’t capture that quick tear from your dad, when your vows made your best friend laugh or when your sister smiled as you walked down the aisle. All of that emotion will be lost behind the devices.
How to go unplugged:
Include a note in your invitations. Giving advanced notification will help you to avoid day-of drama and allow concerns to be addressed ahead of time. A good-natured insert in your mailed invitations should be effective.
Put a reminder in your program or set up a sign. The invites went out a while ago, your original request could be easy to forget! Let your guests know that you'll share the gallery link with them or when during the wedding day is appropriate to start "documenting".
Have the Officiant make an announcement. My personal preference for making your wedding unplugged. Ask your officiant to offer a friendly reminder at the start of your ceremony, once everyone is seated. Bonus points if they make a joke out of it to lighten the mood! "We know you're all AMAZING iPhone photographers and we know you've got good intentions, however let me ask a favor of the happy couple..."
Collaborate! If your brother wants to video your entire ceremony as a favor to you, I would never stand in the way of that! The best approach is to connect the photographer with the well-meaning family member in order to come up with a plan that works. I recommend setting up a phone or laptop on a stand out of the way for recording.
And the most important argument I’ll make is that “no phones” allow everyone to be truly present.
You’ve hired me to photograph the event, let’s allow everyone else to enjoy, listen and experience the ceremony without distraction.
Need help with your verbiage? Check these out for inspo!
Happy planning!