An unplugged ceremony is a ceremony whereby the bride and groom and /or the celebrant/priest kindly ask all guests not to use their cameras or camera phones during the course of the ceremony until the bride and groom have left the ceremony room.
As a photographer my instant reaction to an unplugged wedding is YAY!
This reaction is ‘selfish’ because:
- There will be nobody holding a phone in front of their faces trying to capture the bride and groom so I can grab shots of genuine emotions of happiness.
- There will not be an array of iPhones, androids and any other media camera devices hovering in the the crowd as a background to the bride and groom.
- Finally, when I’m walking down the aisle I won’t have at someone stepping out right in front of me as I’m trying the shoot the bride and groom. Yes, I am able to capture the shots I need but sometimes, the shot I really want, that perfect moment has been taken away by someone standing right in front of me taking their photograph. (heartbreaking).
This reaction is ‘unselfish’ because:
- Your guests will become completely immersed in what is actually happening right in front of them and feel the real emotion of love in the room.
- You won’t have the risk of your perfect day being uploaded to social media before you even have the chance to walk out of the ceremony room.
- You will not have an array of cameras and camera phones pointed at you throughout the process.
I feel that if an unplugged ceremony has not been opted for then I don’t really mind an image of camera phones on either side of a shot. In fact, sometimes I purposefully include it as a mark of the times we live in. There are advantages to your guests taking pictures of the ceremony – you have more photographs that they can share with you and sometimes guest’s perspectives can be quite interesting.
I feel the need to defend my clients investment here too. It is an investment to hire a photographer for your wedding. An investment both in monetary value as well as sentimental value. This person is here specifically to capture as much of your day in the most beautiful way that they can. If a guest stands in front of a photographer whilst they are working then they risk stopping them from capturing these precious memories. Having said that, most guests are very aware of not being in the way of the photographer.
If you are thinking about having an unplugged ceremony there are many ways to handle the situation that will help the process go smoothly. I have found that the most productive process is asking your celebrant or priest to kindly address your guests about the process before the ceremony begins.
I hope this was helpful ladies and gents. Feel free to go back on recent posts on my website under Useful Tips For Your Wedding Day.
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