An Unplugged Wedding

            It seems that everyone who attends a wedding these days has a cell phone in their hand, pocket or purse. Decide before your wedding day if you would like to address the issue of everyone taking his or her own pictures of your wedding day. For some, it is quite all right to do so, and for others it is a thorn in their side. After all, a bride usually pays hard earned money for a professional photographer to capture all the special moments, without cousin Ethyl standing up with her cell phone in the middle of a tearful “I do”. 

             For me, the best solution is to totally let the professionals handle the ceremony and guests soak up all the emotional vows, as they are encouraged to put down their phones. They can then laugh, clap, and dab a tear as they become emotionally involved in the most important part of the day. This can be accomplished several ways. You might have your officiate speak to the fact at the beginning of the ceremony that the couple respectfully requests that all cell phones and cameras be turned off. (The paid professional photographer will love that for they won’t have to dodge interference.) When the officiate makes the announcement, people seem to take serious note.

            You might also put a note in the program as you encourage guests to  “unplug, turn off, and tune in to the moment” of your wedding ceremony. Although many churches do not have camera policies, more and more couples are drifting toward an unplugged wedding and ask guests to turn off their devices. A professional photographer once told me, “One thing there is absolutely nothing I can do to combat is a flash from a guest photographer’s camera.” A program note might include something to the fact,

“The bride and groom have asked that you share in their wedding ceremony fully and not through the lens of a camera or cell phone.”

            At the reception perhaps is a different story….a chalkboard sign with “Share your photos on Intagram with  #masonandnicole” will let guests know you are encouraging the sharing of photos. Graciousness and hospitality are what the south is all about, so add a bit of tech etiquette, as there are mannerly ways of letting guests know your thoughts on an Unplugged Wedding.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.

                                                                                         Ecclesiastes 3:1