How to Have an Unplugged Wedding Ceremony?

Are nuptials in the works? If so, you might be thinking about having a "wireless" wedding. Some modern-day couples even opt to have a completely electronic-free ceremony, with no cameras, phones, or even microphones allowed. In this article, we'll share some suggestions for creating the perfect day. A little too hectic lately to devote much time to the wedding's finer details? Avoid the hassle and look into our directory of Melbourne wedding planners to have someone else handle the details.

You wouldn't believe the number of beautiful wedding images we've seen destroyed by an auntie with an iPad or guests having their phones up to their faces.

Because of this, we couldn't be happier that an increasing number of people are coming to us with questions about having a digital-free wedding.

This trend in weddings aims to get attendees to put down their devices and participate more fully in the festivities, which for some couples may mean a no-photos-allowed ceremony, while for others it may mean making greater use of social media.

Some couples welcome any and all photography at their wedding, but what if you'd rather not have your guests act as paparazzi?

A Traditional Wedding With No Electronic Devices.

Guests at a "unplugged" wedding are asked to put away their phones, cameras, and other electronic gadgets so they can fully experience the event.

The Benefits of a Wireless Ceremony

• Additional guests will be present at your ceremony.
• Make sure your photographer can get all the images you're paying for without any obstructions.
• A little less scary because you don't have to worry about your every move being videotaped and shared with who knows who.

The Drawbacks Of An Unplugged Ceremony

Guests nearly need to be scolded into complying with your desire for an unplugged ceremony. Depending on your photographer's turnaround time and the number of sneak peaks they send you, you may have to wait a while before you see any images from your ceremony. Those who weren't able to make there cannot expect to see your nuptials online.

Is it that easy? You either welcome the spotlight, or you don't care if others ignore your ritual. Enforcing a "no phones or electronics" policy during the wedding itself is no easy feat.

Tips for a Wedding Without Electronics

But how can you politely request that your guests leave their iPads and smartphones at home?

It's unrealistic to expect guests to give up their phones, cameras, and tablets for the duration of your wedding. However, it is acceptable to request that visitors turn off their electronics during the ceremony.

We have some ideas for wanting a disconnected wedding without coming across as overly demanding, as well as some important advice for guests to follow, so that your big day goes off without a hitch, no matter how you look at it!

Specify In Your Invitations And Wedding Website That This Will be an Unplugged Event.

Notifying people ahead of time is always recommended. Send out an advance notice and kindly ask that all attendees bring their own phones, cameras, and iPads to the ceremony and reception.

You Should Have The Officiant Make a Public Statement.

Your guests will be more receptive to the requests of an authoritative person like your star than to your subtle ones, making this the most effective strategy to kerb technology use early on.

Include it in The Programme For The Wedding.

It's fine to repeat your tech choices in the ceremony booklet or programme even if you have did so on the invitations. Include a sentence telling guests to put their phones away and focus on the ceremony to ensure their satisfaction.

Displays of Messages on Signs and Blackboards

The most visually appealing way to ask guests to put away their phones and tablets is with signs or chalkboards, especially if you intend for the ban to last all day.

Also, if you'd like them to photograph the event, you might ask them to use the wedding hashtag and wait until the next day to share the images online. DIY wedding signs may be a lot of fun if you're creative, and you can find hundreds of examples on sites like Etsy or at our stationery vendors.

Provide Details

Guests will likely misinterpret your "no technology" policy if you don't define it for them. Do you want everyone to put their phones away throughout the ceremony, or do you want nothing shared on social media that day? It's much easier to enforce rules when everyone is on the same page.

Then, Show Off Your Professionally-Taken Pictures To The World.

Most of your visitors will only pull out mobile phones and cameras as a means to an end—they want to take home a memento of their visit.

By assuring them that they will be able to take a few pictures, you can greatly facilitate their putting down their devices. Be sure to discuss this with your photographer in advance and request numerous candid images of your guests.

Set up a Polaroid photo booth or similar photo area. To go all out and avoid technology at your event, a photo studio is a great way to ensure that your guests leave with souvenirs to remember the day by.

Keep in mind that often the finest images are the ones shot by friends on a regular basis that you get to pore over the next day on WhatsApp or Instagram, so think twice before opting for no photos at all.

Helpful Hints for Wedding Guests Who Want to Use Their Cell Phones

These suggestions are helpful for any wedding, not just those without electricity.

• If a couple requests an, you should always honour their decision even if it's not something you'd do.
• Respect the ceremony's religious or cultural norms, such as turning off your phone or putting away your camera during the sermon or the signing of the marriage certificate.
• Even if the wedding is unplugged, only the most flattering images of the wedding party should be shared online. They presumably spent a lot of time getting ready, so spare us the images of them looking groggy or with their eyes closed.
• If you want the happy couple walking down the aisle to see your faces, not the back of your phone, don't take pictures of them while you're taking them!
• You don't need to video the entire event — no one will watch it back if you just take a few photos and then put down your phone during the speeches.
• The same goes for weddings; no happy couple wants to glance around and find everyone staring at their phones. Put your phone aside and enjoy the festivities; if you absolutely must upload a picture to Instagram or share a picture of the bride to the office WhatsApp group, do it swiftly.
• Bring your camera and phone, but leave the iPad at home for the nuptials. Large tablet displays are distracting and obscure the view for onlookers.
• As a final note, keep in mind that there will likely be professional photographers around. They are there to do their job, which is to document the happy events of the wedding day. They don't need you coming in the way of their shot to steal it for yourself.

Ways to Make an Official Proclamation

Expert Photographers

• You and your loved ones are cordially invited to attend. We've enlisted the services of a professional photographer to record this event for posterity so that you can see it as your hearts do.
• In order for you to kick back, relax, and share in the excitement of this occasion with us, we've enlisted the services of a professional photographer. The stunning photographs we took will be made accessible as soon as possible following the wedding.
• We invited a professional photographer to take photos today. There is no need for you to hold onto many cameras for our ceremony.
• Please join us in this celebration of our marriage. The remainder will be handled by our professional photographer.

In the Now

• Here we are at our wire-free wedding. Please put away your phones and cameras and be totally present with us during the ceremony. What a relief!
• The future husband and wife politely desire a tech-free wedding. It would be really appreciated if everyone could put away their phones and tablets and be truly present with us.
• Please put down your phones and put away your cameras and just be here with us at this time; it's the best present you can offer us.

Waves of Happiness

• The happy couple would like to see your smiles, unobstructed by phones or other devices, at their wedding.
• Before the end of the ceremony, please silence any electronic devices. Your pretty selves and radiant grins are what we're after.
• Turn off your phones and put them aside; we want to see your beaming faces when you see us.

Connected Listening

• In order to preserve the intimacy of our vows, we kindly ask that you turn off all electronic devices. Here at our wired reception, snap away!
• We appreciate your being here very much! Put away all electronic devices, including cameras, until reception is over. We will definitely show you the stunning images we captured today.
• Prior to our marriage announcement, we ask that no photographs be taken of us together.
• Please accept my gratitude for your attendance. There is only one request we can make. We kindly ask that you not record any part of our ceremony. Even though we're having a digitally-free ceremony, our guests won't be able to tune out during the reception. After we've said our vows to each other, feel free to fire away!

When Should You Not Use Electronics?

When people aren't preoccupied with their phones or trying to get the perfect image of the bridal stepping down the aisle, the atmosphere changes and becomes more personal.

For the happy couple, this directs everyone's attention to the reason everyone is assembled for the wedding in the first place: the sacred moment of the wedding ceremony.

In addition, the newlyweds will feel more of the crowd's emotion if they are able to see their guests' faces instead of their phones' screens.

The couple can survey their happy guests and witness their grandparents wiping away tears and their parents holding hands. From a photographer's point of view, the end of cell phones and cameras would be a boon. It's great because we can get unobstructed shots.

No need to squint to get a good shot, plus it looks better than holding up a phone, since arms in the way are unacceptable for a professional photograph of a couple.

And, let's be honest, only a few of the images from each guest's unnecessary photo shoots will make it to Facebook or Instagram; the rest will remain buried in the depths of their phones for all of eternity.

It's important to remember that you can choose to allow technology at some points during the party if you'd like to (since this is merely a trend). Everyone can go back to their regular phone habits after the ceremony, as long as they respect the photographer at the reception. We cannot assume that the content for the wedding hashtag will generate itself.

There Will Be No Interruptions To Your Professional Photography.

If the photographers have to compete for a good shot with your loved ones, nobody wins. Even with all the new tools at their disposal, most of your friends and family probably aren't going to do a great job documenting your wedding.

By mandating a device-free ceremony, you're giving our photographers the best chance of capturing the day as it happens. You've decided to invest several hundred dollars on hiring an experienced photographer to record your wedding. Many guests will have their phones out trying to take pictures of your big day unless you strictly prohibit this.

Everyone agrees that your photojournalist will have a clearer vision of what makes a great photo, and that vision does not include random people holding up their phones or tablets.

Stronger Participation From Visitors

We can all attest to the fact that cellular phones are a major source of disruption nowadays. If you want everyone's focus to be on you and your soon-to-be-husband, politely request that they put their phones aside.

Because everyone is there to celebrate your engagement with you and your fiancé, this modest request is not too much to ask. Guest participation in the event will increase if you request that they refrain from using electronic devices.

They will be more receptive during the ceremony and more likely to remember it for years to come. Taking a look around the ceremony and seeing guests' faces buried in their phones is not a good sign.

A Guide to Digital Detox

The first order of business is to inform everyone about the wedding, and then some. To avoid confusion, state your intentions clearly and restate them if needed. Just repeating it a few more times seems to have an effect.

Send out one last reminder through your wedding invitations, wedding website, and ceremony programme.

In your wedding invitations, save the date cards, and other correspondence, leave a short note (funny or serious, depending on your style) reminding guests to enjoy the moment and that you have hired a professional photographer to capture the event. It's possible that some guests will ignore the no-phones rule.

Placing signs around the arena is a quick way to get the message out, but many may ignore them now that they're so frequent. Have your wedding's officiant make a brief reference to it in his or her opening remarks for maximum effect. Because of their status, people are more likely to take their advice.

If you'd rather take a more active role in separating your visitors from their phones, you might set up a mobile phone storage station or buckets where they can put their devices out of sight. You could even add a funny sign like "Drop the Mobile!" or "Call It a Day!" to the area.

Inform Your Guests in Advance.

Including wording on your invitations stating that the ceremony will be technology-free is not a bad idea. Clearly stating your expectations in this way is a huge step in the right direction. Guests will have more time to process what this really implies because they will know in advance. To ensure that your visitors respect your wishes, it is best to voice them early on.

Put up Signs.

It's not hard to find places that make personalised signs for weddings. Order a small placard indicating your unplugged ceremony along with your stationery and name cards.

This sign can be shown at the entrance to the wedding to remind guests to leave their cameras and cell phones in their bags until after the ceremony.

Spread the News.

You should have the officiant announce that the ceremony will be plug-free before it begins. In order for everyone to be fully present, your officiant can politely request that guests put away their phones and other electronic devices.

This is the moment you've been waiting for during the months you've spent organising your wedding. Both the photographer and the videographer for your wedding are poised and ready to record the moment your officiant pronounces you husband and wife. Unless, of course, your friends and family whip out their smartphones and obstruct the photographer's work.

This is the worst case scenario for any couple, and it highlights the need of holding a technology-free ceremony. Some people find it difficult to disconnect, even for a short time, due to their reliance on their cellphones and their inability to shake their social media habits. You may be considering locking them for the duration of your ceremony, though, to prevent any unwanted photobombs as you walk down the aisle.