Weddings are a time for friends and family to rejoice in your life-long commitment to each other, but in an era where our phones run our lives, many are tuned into who’s posting what rather than the actual moment. Weddings with an unplugged ceremony are the perfect way to keep guests in the moment and ensure you’re not walking down the aisle with 20 phones pointing at you.

– First, what is an Unplugged Ceremony? –

An unplugged ceremony involves asking guests to stay off their phones during the wedding ceremony to fully immerse themselves in your big day. Rather than viewing the day through their iPhone camera, they can watch the events unfold and be truly present. Here are some reasons to consider an unplugged ceremony and how to go about it.

Protect Your Pics

You’ve spent months getting ready for this day and have planned everything to a T – you chose the perfect venue, flowers, color scheme, really nothing could go wrong, until it does.

Imagine it, the officiant announces that you two are officially married, you go in for the kiss, and one of your guests steps right into the aisle to get it on their Insta story, blocking the photographer and videographer from getting the shot.

Maybe your guests are a bit more self-aware and know not to step in front of the photographer’s way, but imagine looking through your photos and noticing Aunt Jean scrolling through her phone looking at the photos she took earlier and not paying any attention to what was going on in the moment.

Unplugged ceremonies ensure these terrible scenarios won’t happen and that you’ll get the best possible photos.

 

– Getting Guests on Board with an Unplugged Ceremony –

 

Cute signage

You’re totally set for an unplugged ceremony, but how can you make sure your guests will follow through? Creating some cute signs to reiterate your wishes can help drive the message home, but it’s not always the most effective.

Have the officiant make an announcement

I always suggest having the officiant remind guests to refrain from any electronic use until cocktail hour. And yeah, it’s not just phones. Grandmas have and will pull out whole-ass ipads to take photos. Everyone’s much more likely to listen to the officiant than the signs, and even if someone doesn’t, the other guests will glare at them until they put it away.

Give them something to do with their hands

If you’re worried your guests won’t listen to your request or if your officiant forgets to mention the “until cocktail hour” part, think about having a ceremony exit where guests can participate. Dried flowers, leaves, ribbons, and eco-friendly confetti are some options when it comes to giving guests something to do with their hands at the end of the ceremony. This way, you get awesome photos of you two coming down the aisle and there won’t be any phones in sight.

If you’d like to talk more about how to have an unplugged ceremony, reach out! I’d love to talk about your options!