Having an Unplugged Wedding Ceremony

In today’s age of camera phones, smaller sized cameras, more accessible DSLRs, hand held video cameras, and even the full sized iPad camera, its rare to attend a wedding where less than 50% of the guests are capturing the ceremony on a personal electronic device.  So what was intended as an experience to witness and share, has now become an event where guests work just as hard to be the first to post to social media.  #firstkiss!! #bestweddingever!  #I’mnotnwatchingtheweddingI’mrecordingonmyiphoneyayyyy!!!!  Now, this is not to say that attendees are not still experiencing the wedding and the union… however, walk with us on a  few of our most memorable plugged-in experiences:

• Mother of the groom decided to capture the entire ceremony from the front row instead of watching her daughter say her vows. Well, we think she was watching… just through the small view finder on her video camera.
• Guest of the family decided to step into the aisle before, during, and after the vows to capture photos with his 10 year old digital camera.  After a dozen attempts to politely get him to move, his wife finally yelled at him to sit down (in the middle of the ceremony).  I’m sure he’ll go down as one of the most memorable moments of the ceremony. “Bob!!!  Sit down!!!”
• Full sized iPad prominently displayed by guest in nearly all wide angle photos during ceremony
• Family member gets out of seat during vows and gradually moves to stand directly behind the officiant, bride, and groom during outside wedding.
• A family member got flash happy and a large number of our photos were compromised by the extra flash in the shots.

And so you can imagine how much we jumped for joy when an officiant at one of our weddings said, “We 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 – we encourage you all to capture how it feels with your hearts, without the distraction of technology….and your huge iPad in the air.”  Ok, I added the iPad part, but you get the point.

In addition to the distraction this new trend poses to your family and guests enjoying the day, these cameras, iPhones, and occasional monster sized iPads, prevent our team from capturing what could have been one of the best images from your wedding.  Hundreds of photos have been compromised by overzealous family and friends who think leaning out into the aisle to get the best angle is a good idea.  Double that number when trying to capture the first kiss.  We’ve had guests stand up in the middle of the aisle to get the shot of the bride, blocking our view to capture that moment for you.  And instead of capturing a beautiful image of the two of you standing at the alter with all your family and friends, all we get is the back of someone’s head.

And don’t forget family formals.  We have never minded guests taking photos but inevitably someone in the photo is not looking at the photographer’s camera. And no matter how much we sound like a broken record with the suggested “please look at our camera”, it still happens.  And then the traditional family formal photo you may want to hang in the new house, how has one or a few in the photo looking in multiple directions.

In the end, we always get the shots we need to make your wedding day photography more than amazing.  However, we hate when your photos are compromised in the least.  And we’re not opposed to others capturing images but we are adamant in wanting the ones we do capture to be the best.  Wedding photography is a significant investment.  Let us capture the amazing images we’re known for, and let your guests enjoy the day.  They can always get a copy of the images from you post-wedding.

Here are a couple samples of why you should have an unplugged wedding: