What is an unplugged ceremony and should you be having one?
There are so many beautiful, special, once-in-a-lifetime moments in a wedding ceremony: the walk down the aisle, the couple’s faces as they see each other for the first time, the exchange of rings, the kiss. So, the question is, do you allow your guests to document these moments on their own phones and cameras or do you have an ‘unplugged’ ceremony and leave it up to the professional you have hired to capture them just for you?
An unplugged ceremony is one without any technology: no phones, cameras, video cameras (does anyone use them these days?) or tablets to take photos or videos of the ceremony.
The truth is, there is no right or wrong answer here; it’s completely up to you and your preferences. I’ve been involved with weddings where the couple were totally fine with, and encouraged, their guests taking lots of photos; but I’ve also led ceremonies where the couple wanted no technology at all - just their hired photographer.
Allowing your guests to take and share photos does mean that you will have a vast array of images from your special day to enjoy afterwards. Alternatively, you could keep the ceremony device free and then allow the phones to come back out at the reception. The choice is yours.
So, should you have an unplugged ceremony? Here are some of the top reasons to consider a tech-free, unplugged wedding.
Limit distractions
You know what it’s like in the cinema, in a meeting or during a silent moment in a theatre: there’s always that one person with a loud, ridiculous ringtone who gets a call or text right at a critical moment, therefore stealing the spotlight, ruining the experience for everyone else and having to ashamedly apologise whilst fumbling around trying to find the offending device. Asking your guests to switch off and put away their devices avoids all that. You can’t stop the babies crying or the chatty auntie, but phones you can ban.
2. All Eyes On You
Having an unplugged ceremony means that everyone’s focus is right where it should be: on the couple getting married! Without the distractions of trying to get the perfect photo or video from afar, your guests are fully with you and present in the celebration that you invited them to come and experience with you. This is especially important if you’re including personal stories and meaningful readings or rituals. They should be enjoying the live show as it happens, with you as the stars.
3. Enjoy those happy faces
Your wedding is one of the happiest days of your life and, hopefully, a once in a lifetime celebration. You’ve invited your family, friends and loved ones to share your happiness so, when you look out at your crowd, what would you rather see? A sea of smiles or the back of everyone’s phones? Of course, you want to see that joy beaming back at you - what a great reason to put those devices away.
4. Keep your professional pics screen-free
Your wedding photos are going to be a wonderful reminder of your special day for years to come. You’ll be able to look back at the excited nerves and anticipation just before the ceremony, the overjoyed smiles, the moment you said your vows, the moment you were pronounced as married and, of course, that first kiss as a married couple. Having an unplugged ceremony means that those keepsakes won’t be littered with the images of your guests’ phone screens or Uncle Charlie standing up in the crowd to get that shot just as you touch lips. Sit down Charlie, this is not your day!
5. Your day, YOUR photographs
You may be the type of people who like to share a lot of your lives on social media, or you may be quite private when it comes to your personal life events. Either way, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to say when, if ever, photos of your wedding day are shared with the world? Unplugged ceremonies mean the couple get to be the first to share those special, personal moments with their guests, people who couldn’t make the ceremony and their Instagram, Tik-Tok or Facebook followers. You have paid a professional photographer for a reason - there is no need for your guests to document your day on their own devices at all really. I mean, who else is really going to be looking back over those pics but the two of you? And maybe your mum.
If you do decide to keep your ceremony unplugged, don’t worry about informing your guests about your wishes. There are a number of polite ways to tell your guests to pocket the tech for a little while. You could add a polite note on your invites, put up a kindly worded sign outside the ceremony space or have your celebrant or registrar write a ‘phones away’ request into the beginning of your ceremony script. It’s a simple request and only the most awkward of guests would ever complain. But, you know what? It’s your day so who cares? Do it your way.
