These are becoming so popular and I absolutely love it. There’s nothing worse than capturing that first kiss as a married couple, and Uncle Bob’s giant iPad gets in the shot. I definitely recommend having an unplugged ceremony. Not only does that guarantee that somebody’s phone or iPad doesn’t show up in your wedding photos, but it also allows your guests to enjoy the ceremony. They shouldn’t be viewing it from their phones. You invited them there for a reason, and they came. They should enjoy it, live, in person.

These are a few ways to ensure your guests understand that you’re having an unplugged ceremony, and to put their phones away and enjoy the moment with you.

Signage

Make sure to have a sign set up as your guests walk up to the ceremony location. The bigger the better. If your sign gets set off to the side where nobody sees it, then you’re more likely to have people break out their phones.

That One Aunt or Uncle

Everybody has one. No matter who that person in your family is, it’s a good idea to speak to them before the wedding, and ask them to please not use their phone during the ceremony. Reassure them that you want them to be there in the moment with you, and that you’ll share the professional photos with them later.

Announce It

You’ve got the sign. You’ve spoken to the likely culprits. However, sometimes there’s still someone who missed the memo. A great idea is to have the officiant announce that it’s an unplugged ceremony before the processional starts. Just like at the theatre, kindly remind them to silence their cell phones and put them away.