Unplugged Wedding – Have you heard of it?

Have you ever heard of an unplugged wedding!? Do you know what it is or maybe are you on the fence about it? As a wedding photographer I see a lot more of these unplugged weddings, and to be honest I love them. 

What is an unplugged wedding?

Let’s start with what exactly is an unplugged wedding? An unplugged wedding ceremony is when the couple asks their guests to put away their electronic devices such as cell phones and cameras so that they can enjoy themselves and be present in the moment. 

Why have an unplugged wedding?

Personally I feel like this is the best thing for your wedding ceremony. I have a few reasons why and my first one is so that the guests can be more present. I am a huge advocate for stopping and being present so that we can take in moments. It is so easy to get caught up on our phones that taking a break from it is always nice. Especially to enjoy such a meaningful moment is truly the best way to honor the ceremony. Making sure your guests are more present definitely creates more involvement and enhances the emotional experience that the ceremony truly is!

Another reason I love it is because by them being more present, they can fully experience the wedding as you intended to when you planned it. You spend so long planning your wedding day and thinking about creating an amazing experience for your guests. Putting their electronics away allows them to be there for you guys truly and to experience the day fully.

As a photographer I do have my reasons:

Last but not least, you are hiring a professional photographer for exactly that. You are investing in a photographer so that we can take these beautiful photos of the ceremony and guests and the special moments during the day. So your guests don’t need to worry about making sure they got a photo of it. When that happens phones end up being in the way of the photographer. Also, even if it doesn’t end up blocking the photographer’s shot completely, the phones all end up being pulled out into the aisle. When that happens, all your photos from the photographer will end up having phones on both sides of the aisles instead of having the clean shot of you and your spouse walking down the aisles as husband and wife. 

Sometimes as a photographer, we also see an uncle who also has a “nice” camera trying to get all the shots. While that may not seem like a problem, I have encountered instances where it becomes one. Because they are not used to photographing weddings, they are not aware to look out for the professional photographer that you hired so that they are not in the way. They end up standing in the way of some crucial shots of the day. In my experience, I have seen that happen multiple times. Sometimes it is during the bride walking down the aisle or during the groom’s first reaction to the bride walking down the aisle. I have even seen them so unaware of what is going on that they have jumped in the middle of the aisle during the first kiss. 

How to let guests know

When planning an unplugged wedding there are many ways to kindly let your guests know. Some couples like to start letting everyone know right when they send out the invitation by writing it on there. I have seen some couples simply place a sign right as guests are walking into the ceremony. That way guests can be made aware as they’re walking in. It is also a good idea to ask the officiant to announce it before the ceremony starts. If you need some help with the wording it or would like some ideas communicating this, I have found this website to be helpful. 

Want to read more about unplugged weddings? I have found this article on Brides to have a lot of information. 

* All photos from this blog post has been taken from other sources, they were not taken by me.

Camila Margotta is a San Diego based wedding photographer who also specializes in engagements and couples! To reach out about your photography needs please fill out this contact form.

Check out these other blogs by me:
Why You Need A Wedding Coordinator
Should You Do A First Look At Wedding Day?
Planning Your Morning: Why Wedding Details Matter