To phone or not to phone…

…that is the question. In other words: Should modern technology be in the picture at your wedding ceremony and self-appointed paparazzis take over? Or should everyone unplug for an hour and fully enjoy the experience? As for me, I am not saying that you should enforce a no phone policy for the entire celebration but I always point out a few factors that should be considered.

Here I list 5 pieces of advice from a wedding photographer`s point of view:

1.

In terms of photography, the wedding ceremony is a crucial part of the celebration. Everything happens quite quickly. The photographer has to be spot on to document every moment. A phone-free ceremony provides clear shots and the photographer won’t have to struggle finding a new angle because somebody just held up their phone to take a photo.

2.

The couple can actually see all the beautiful faces instead of phones and share the feelings with their wedding guests. No one is busy posting the 100th poorly filtered shot on social media. Instead, everyone can be fully present and celebrate love, soaking up those special wedding moments, not just watching the vows through a screen.

3.

Eliminating phones and cameras is more visually appealing too. Guests are not blocking their own faces and no extended arms and screens are obstructing the professional photos.

4.

You should also go for a technology free wedding if you don’t want your hashtag obsessed friends to post on social media without your consent before the professional shots are ready to share. Some couples are very private about their life and some are eager to share their new relationship status. And isn’t it more eye-catching when your big official post is accompanied by a beautiful professional photo? And although it takes weeks to process a full series of wedding photos, you can always ask your photographer for a few sneak peek shots for you to share.

5.

However, you should consider restricting the use of cell phones and cameras only for the ceremony, and not for the entire celebration. Everyone is there to enjoy themselves, sharing the joy of meeting old friends and family members. No one wants them to feel weird about taking a selfie or recording a few cool dance moves. But guests should remain respectful and mindful of the professional photographers who are trying to do their job.

If you’ve decided to keep gadgets away on your wedding day, simply ask the attendees beforehand in writing, or in person to leave photo documenting to the professional you’ve hired and put their apparatus away until after the ceremony. If you want to lower the risk of them forgetting your request, put out a sign to spread the word and ask your celebrant or officiant to kindly mention it before the ceremony starts. Creative wording always helps in actually receiving the message and respecting your wishes to be more engaged in your wedding day.