Jill Christine Design & Photography » Blog

In last week’s tip, I referenced an article I’d written for Southern Maryland Weddings about unplugging your wedding and received a couple of questions about how to implement this idea and tell your guests not to use their phones, cameras, etc. on your wedding day. In addition to re-posting the original article below, I’ve included a link to a Pinterest board that may give you some ideas for how to put this idea into practice and to politely word your request.

Consider Unplugging Your Wedding

Living in a high-tech society has its benefits. We’re able to connect with people and be a part of their daily lives even when we are miles apart. And, we’re able to record and preserve moments to one day show our children and grandchildren. Most of the time, it can be pretty amazing.

But after recently photographing a wedding where the bride was seen in her wedding dress on Facebook before walking down the aisle, I have to wonder if in certain situations we should take a step back from technology.

What does that mean for a wedding? What does “unplugging your wedding” mean, and should you consider it?

Having an unplugged wedding means asking your guests to turn off their phones and put away their cameras. And it means asking them to sit back and relax. In doing so, you allow them to be fully present in the moments unfolding before them.

I believe that you and your guests will enjoy the day more if you follow this simple plan. I also believe that this will ultimately produce better wedding photos for the reasons below.

1. Guests will not distract you from important, once in a lifetime moments.Consider a guest who leans into the aisle with his/her iPad to photograph you walking toward your groom, thus obstructing your view of him and his reaction. Their intentions are good. They’re excited and want to preserve this moment, but often guests do not realize what is going on around them. Professional photographers have lots of experience with photographing moments like these discreetly so as not to become a part of the moment themselves.

2. Guests will not interfere in the photographs your wedding photographer is capturing. For example, you kiss your new husband for the first time and a guest stands up to photograph the moment, either blocking or becoming part of the professional photographer’s photograph. And it’s very likely that it would be a handful of guests all after the same photo. Again, their intentions are good, but they’re not always aware of how they’re affecting the larger scene.

3. This is the one I feel is most important. The candid photographs captured by your professional photographer will show more genuine emotion. It’s hard to show emotion in a photograph when the subject is busy texting or posting images to Facebook. They’re not making eye contact with anyone; they’re not laughing; they’re not crying. Photographers are looking for authentic interactions between wedding guests that simply don’t exist when they are buried in their phones and cameras. Whenever I photograph a first dance, I will also turn to photograph the guests watching the couple, but if they too are busy taking photographs, I can’t see the tears and smiles that this sweet moment would otherwise produce.

If you have hired a professional photographer, one who has not only talent, but a hard work ethic and experience with weddings, then you are in good hands. Trust that person to do their job and give them the most ideal circumstances to make it happen.

If you do this, your memory of your day won’t include a sea of cameras and phones snapping away at you like the paparazzi, but rather lots of laughter, tears, hugs and all of the wonderful emotions that occur when people simply let themselves be present in the moment.

As a photographer, I can appreciate the many reasons why couples choose to have a first look. However, on my wedding day, I chose not to see my husband until I walked down the aisle. So, I can understand both sides of this decision. There’s been a lot of information written online about why first looks are beneficial, but what if you choose the more traditional approach? What does that mean for your wedding day timeline?

Here are a few suggestions I would make to ensure you still get all of the photographs you desire:

1. Set aside 30 minutes before the ceremony to have bridal portraits taken. During this time be sure to include your bridesmaids and immediate family members. Set aside another 30 minutes to do the same for the groom.

2. Ask your guests not to step into the aisle to take your photograph or the groom’s photograph as you walk down the aisle. Since this is the first time you will see one another, it’s very important that the photographer have a clear line of sight to capture both of your reactions as you approach the altar. (Read more about why unplugging your wedding is a great idea in an article I wrote for Southern Maryland Weddings.)

3. After the ceremony, allot 30 to 40 minutes to photograph all family members with both the bride and groom, as well as the wedding party as a whole. You will then need another 15 to 20 minutes for just the bride and groom. This will allow you to take pictures in a couple different locations, ensuring variety in your portraits.

4. Since you’ll be taking a lot of formal photos after the ceremony, you’ll need to have a cocktail hour for your guests to keep them occupied during this time. It’s best to have this at a location separate from the dining area. You’ll want to keep the dining area closed off from your guests and allow your photographer to take some wide shots of the entire room, detail shots of the place settings, centerpieces, cake, etc. before any guests enter and disturb all of your beautiful, hard work. Since your photographer will be working with you immediately after the ceremony, this will need to happen as soon as all of the formals are complete.

5. Consider leaving your reception for about 10 minutes during sunset for additional bride and groom portraits. (I would recommend this even if you have a first look!)

It’s possible to still capture everything you want without a first look, but you’ll need to make sure you give your photographer time to do it in your schedule. If anyone has any other tips, I’d love to hear them!