Photo: Megan Clouse Photography
Unplugged wedding ceremonies are taking over, and we love it. Your guests are 100% present while you exchange vows, and there are no cameras or iPad screens cluttering your gorgeous photos. We’ll call that a win! If you love that feeling of having everyone enjoying the moment with zero distractions, can that unplugged plan extend to the rest of your wedding? Our experts weigh in.
Celebrities have been having unplugged weddings forever, asking guests to check their phones (or leave them at home!) to maintain some privacy and secrecy in a world of overzealous paparazzi. But even if you aren’t Kim and Kanye, it’s definitely a wedding plan you can make your own!
The first thing to remember is that, well, you’re not a celebrity. So no matter how hard you try, there will be a few guests who don’t put their phones away for the entire night (especially those who need to make sure everything is going ok with the babysitter at home!). But once your expectations are in check, an unplugged wedding is a very real possibility.
Begin by letting your guests know early. Include it on your invitation insert, mention it a few times on your website, and add a line to the note in your welcome bags reminding guests that you’re asking them not to take photos, Instagram, Tweet, Snap, or otherwise share anything from your big day. Guests tend to have a lot of questions, so take the time to let them know why you’ve made the choice to keep everything unplugged. Since your goal is for your guests to enjoy every moment, and for you all to have a fantastic time together, they’ll probably appreciate the lengths you’re going to to enhance that experience.
See more: Can I Take Photos at My Friend’s Wedding Ceremony?
On your wedding day, put in extra effort to spend some one-on-one time with your guests and make memories together. You might choose to include them all in your ceremony, either with a ring-warming or by asking them to participate in a group vow. During dinner, try to get to each table so your guests all leave with a specific memory they’ll share with you.
After your wedding day, make photos available for guests who’d like to see them. This could be a selection of images from your photographer or the full gallery. And if you have a videographer covering the day as well, send the link out! Since your guests won’t have pictures on their phones to remember the day by, consider having your photographer print images of the two of you with each guest to slip into your thank you notes, a sweet memento they’ll be able to cherish — no hashtag necessary.