How to Have an Unplugged Wedding Ceremony

Written by Curator Lisa Kathan Photography

When couples are planning their photography with me, I strongly encourage them to consider having an unplugged ceremony. This simply means that guests are encouraged to refrain from using their phones and cameras during the ceremony.

There are a two big reasons why asking your guests to participate in an unplugged ceremony is important:

Helps your guests be present for your ceremony

There’s nothing more discouraging than looking out toward those you love most, and instead of seeing a sea of beaming faces, you’ve got phones lifted in the air. Having an unplugged ceremony allows your guests to be fully in the moment and participate in this important moment of your lives.

Allows your photographer to do their job 

When guests are taking photos during the ceremony, they may unintentionally interfere with your photographer’s ability to take photographs of your ceremony. 

I didn’t communicate the importance of an unplugged ceremony during my earliest weddings, and during on, there was a guest in the 2d row, with a phone on a stick. It was protruding into the aisle during the entire ceremony, and in fact blocked several of my photos of the groom watching his bride walk down the aisle. Of course, I ended up with tons of great photos from the ceremony, but a few key moments were blocked by one of the guests trying to take his own pictures. 

How to make it happen

Make an announcement

The best suggestion to communicate this is to ask your ceremony officiant to make an announcement at the very start of the ceremony. Communicating before the ceremony starts encourages your guests to put their phones away then and there.

It’s helpful for the officiant to also announce that you‘ve hired a professional photographer who will be sure to capture all the important moments. 

One note about this…if you have a friend or family member doing your ceremony BE SURE you strongly communicate this announcement during your ceremony planning. Oftentimes a non-professional gets nervous and may forget to announce. 

Put it in writing

You can also include it in your program, or even a sign at the entrance of the ceremony space. The downside to writing is that not everyone will see it, and you may end up with some who still pull out their phones. 

Have someone collect phones

If you have people that will simply not follow the rules, have a friend collect phones in a box before the ceremony (I’ve seen it done!). This obviously works best for very small ceremonies so phones are lost/confused. But if you know it’s going to be difficult to get your point across to a certain person in the family (ahem!), gathering up all the phones is an option. 

What about video?

If you want someone to video or live stream your ceremony on a phone (a common request), make sure to discuss this with your photographer before your wedding day to find out what will work best for them.

If you want to do it on your own, having a tech-friendly friend manage a phone on a camera stand at the level of your seated guests is the best way to keep it out of photos. 

However, I have a few disclaimers: I always warn my couples that I can’t guarantee it will be out of photos, and I can’t guarantee I won’t block the camera unintentionally while photographing the ceremony. It can also be hard to hear speaking when recorded on a phone from a distance. The best bet is to hire a professional if the video is truly important to you.