Mobile phones and all devices should be banned at weddings.
There’s even a term for device free weddings – an unplugged wedding, meaning no-one is online, so no photos are being taken by guests, there are no live Facebook posts, just real unplugged connection with the moment and with the people who are actually there with you.
A wedding is one of the most special days in anyone’s life. The photos are important. Very important.
Couples pay thousands for professional photographers to capture every moment of the day and night.
Southern Highlands wedding photographer Thomas Stewart wrote a Facebook post about it that went viral. He called for no devices at weddings and referenced a groom having to lean out past the guests waving phones in the air to see his bride.
It’s just not ok.
There are so many things wrong with photobombing someone’s day with your own need to take your own photos.
The facts are people on iPhones, iPads, or with selfie sticks destroy the look of the professional photos, but thats only part of the problem.
Reverand Doctor Michael Jensen, Rector of St Mark’s Darling Point agrees;”we ask couples to put it in the invitation or ask the ushers on the day to ask guests not to use any devices during weddings. If they forget, a forest of hands goes up.
“We somehow don’t trust our memories to remember, or something. Maybe it is a sense of taking a little piece of the moment home with you, like a souvenir. It’s almost like scratching your initials on the pyramids.”
The worst of all worlds is when photos are circulated on social media without the bride & groom’s permission. Worse still if they’re not good photos – and often they’re not, particularly when compared with the professional photos. Dark churches don’t make for great unprofessional photos.
“Some couples make their (professional) photos available to everyone on social media – so they share”, Dr Jensen adds.”I think there’s a sense of ‘here’s a moment of joy I can share and show that I am having joy and am included as a wedding guest’ .. which social media invites us to do. Our social media accounts are about saying we are happy and successful and included.”
If guests are on devices at a wedding, the couple’s professional (super expensive) photos are then full of people in the background on their phones taking pictures – it’s just not a good look.
Plus if everyone is on a device, it takes them away from the moments. Moments couples have paid huge amounts of money to enjoy with the people closest to them.
Looking up to a sea of faces buried behind their phones at your own wedding cannot feel good.
So if you’re getting married, don’t be shy to ask guests not to take photos, not to be on their devices and to enjoy the moments with you in the real world. And create a shared social media account with your professional photos if you wish.
No Comments