Orlando Wedding Photographer | Unplugged Weddings

The topic of unplugged weddings and guests with cell phones ruining important moments comes up almost daily among photographers across the world who take to social media to share their frustrations. It seems to be a never ending struggle and there are lots of different viewpoints on the subject.

As a girl who never has her cell phone more than 2 feet away at all times and practically lives for Instagram– I totally get it! It’s the age that we currently live in and part of me feels that as a professional wedding photographer we have to be able to adapt and just deal with it… after all we are professionals right?

But the other part of me, the part that strives to savor fleeting moments, truly feels like just being present in the moment and putting the phone down is so much more important. To me it is less about guests ruining my image as the photographer and more about them being reminded that it’s more important to soak in the moment with all of their senses instead of trying to grab a crappy cell phone pic.

I think that’s why the viral image below shared recently by Thomas Stewart Photography on his Facebook page made me so sad. The groom has been forced to peek out past guests who have stepped into the aisle with cell phones just to see his bride. Here is this incredible moment that will never happen again in either of their lives and they are being forced to contend with clueless wedding guests who just wanted a photo to hashtag on their Instagram. Sigh.

Sure a good photographer could zoom in or crop out these guests who got in the way during editing or even ask them to sit down (which unfortunately we actually have to do sometimes!) but no matter how good we are, we can’t give this groom his moment back. So please consider having an unplugged ceremony– not just because it will yield better photos and make your photographers job, which you are paying a lot for, a little easier– but to preserve moments like this.

Suggestions to have an unplugged ceremony:

• Ask the officiant to make an announcement (the easiest & most effective option!)
• Mention it on your wedding website
• Add a line to your ceremony programs
• Ask a wedding party member or your wedding coordinator to help enforce it by politely asking guests to put phones & cameras away
• Post a sign at the entrance of your ceremony venue

And don’t worry, I will be sure to post some sneak peeks to my Facebook page right away and I also post fun behind the scenes from all of my weddings on my SnapChat [follow me: CapturedbyElle] to satisfy those social media urges. ;-)

 

Author: Elle Baez, Orlando wedding photographer and cheesy joke collector