Help Me Shoot You. Unplug Your Weddings, Please

Imagine this. You walking down the aisle. Your fiancé is waiting for you at the altar. Your eyes meet. He’s thrilled to see his bride. You pass by family and friends on the way to meet him. They are all in awe at how beautiful and happy you look. You remember their smiles, their teary eyes. They are connected with you.

In an ideal wedding, that would be the case.

With the rise in popularity of consumer digital cameras and smart phones, it’s not unusual for wedding guests to bring out their devices to take pictures for their own memories. Which I have nothing against…though it does hurt the overall experience of a couple’s wedding. And sometimes, their wedding images. As a result, some couples have opted to have unplugged weddings.

And I think it’s a great idea, at least for the wedding ceremony.

Here are the main three reasons why:

1. Wedding guests with cameras  block the view.

Wedding photographers plan ahead how they photograph each event. We make decisions before a moment happens — where we will stand, how an image will be exposed and composed.  Like for example, when the bride walks down the aisle. We can plan as much as we want, but we won’t be able to anticipate when a guest will suddenly steps out from their seat, or whips out their iPad, in both cases ruining the shot. It’s not my place to yell at your guests so most of the time I just move and find another angle. But it’s an angle that won’t be as good as the first one. Also, having a wedding guest block the view doesn’t only just ruin the shot. Your view of your husband-to-be while you walk down the aisle might be blocked as well. And  that’s not really romantic, is it?

 2. Wedding guests with cameras become the view.

It doesn’t always happen, but sometimes, you have overzealous guests who get off their seats for the whole wedding to take pictures. We as wedding photographers can work around that, but again, it is not our place to stop them in the middle of your ceremony. I had one outdoor wedding where a guest stood on the other side of the altar. When it was time for the first kiss, he did not move so his head was in the middle of the bride and groom in all of the first kiss shots. It was like the bride and groom was kissing, no, crushing a tiny man with a camera.  When I saw those shots, my heart sank. That moment  for them was ruined.

3. You want your guests to connect with you at your wedding.

Take for example the image above. Look at the kids, how much in awe they were when the bride walked down. Wouldn’t it be nice if all your guests look like that and have that captured in camera? Instead of them looking at their screen with their foreheads scrunched up trying to figure out their settings? Or having cameras in their faces? Wouldn’t it be nice if they’re just there with you. If they’re connected with you in one of the most important moment in your life?

So there you go. For us wedding photographers to shoot your wedding the best possible way we can, we need your help too. Keep your wedding unplugged. Leave the photography to us (that’s what we’re hired for) and let your guests enjoy and experience those moments  with you.