Is anyone else tired of seeing guests lined up along the wall at wedding receptions, glued to their phones, instead of living the moment? Or, blocking the main aisle at the ceremony, trying to get "the shot"?
You spend months planning this wedding, so that your guests can have a great time all day, and there they are - blocking your expensive photographer at the ceremony or ignoring your first dance because they're so busy instagraming.
I knew this was an issue when we started offering completely free wedding video and some brides still turned us down! Bridal blogger Anastasia from AnastasiaKristina blog said "I just don't want anyone in my wedding having to focus/worry about capturing the moment when I'd much rather them be enjoying the ceremony and being completely there. My fiance and I are considering having a "cell phone" check so that people can be totally in the moment and not focus on capturing the wedding when we already have a hired photographer!"
Many brides' natural reaction is to demand an unplugged wedding. As in, give up your smartphone at the door. NO PAPARAZZI PUHLEEZ!
The problem with that approach is that you can come off as quite the bridezilla - telling people when they can and can't use their phones.
Bridal blogger Kristina from Medicine and Manicures mentioned that she wants her guests to be "present and in the moment during the wedding". Understandable. She opted to go with both a pro photographer and videographer and hopes her guests will keep the phones in their pockets.
Before taking a hard line approach, here a few things to consider:
- We live in an online world. People are used to posting photos of their life to social media.
- Your guests really are trying to help you, and most likely don't realize they're getting in the photographer's way.
- There are graceful ways to handle the situation without asking people to forfeit their phones altogether.
Here's the uber cool way that Sylvia and Ryan's officiant made the unplugged announcement at their Chicago wedding:
Love the way they handled it! While you do want your guests focused both on you and on having a great time, why not let them get a few photo opps in first, as long as they don't block the pros?
- Have your officiant make an announcement before the ceremony that there will be a time to take photos later (and let them know when that will be). For now, enjoy the show!
- Ask your photographer and videographer where guests can stand during some key moments that would be out of their way. Just in case some guests get insistent.
- Review the portrait schedule with your photographer and videographer. Ask your snaphappy friends to take candid photos and interviews of the other guests while the pro's are following you. Those are moments you would have missed and will appreciate in the years to come!
Sylvia and Ryan's photographers at JohnnyMichelle Photography took amazing shots like this:
While her friends were able to stay in the background and get fun videos like this:
What fun moments do you think your friends can capture while your photographers are following you?