Weddings are beautiful and marks the beginning of shared life together. Imagine the heads of your visitors down in their phones when activites are going on.. Are devices stealing the magic at weddings these days?
At the heart of every wedding lies a promise — a moment meant to be cherished, witnessed and remembered. Yet increasingly, that promise is competing with glowing screens. Guests scroll through feeds, snap selfies, and livestream vows, and even play games during the ceremony and reception often missing the very emotions unfolding before them. The question is no longer whether technology belongs at weddings, but whether it’s stealing the spotlight from the couple’s most important day.
I have had the experience recently with a wedding reception that totally had the spotlight stolen by guests being locked into their devices. The emcee was vibrant and charismatic, there were jokes and activites right throughout the evening and it was not a long reception! I did not see the extent of the distraction on the day as being in charge of my camera crew I was more focused on achieving our goals for the day. The magnitude of the situation dawned on me while I was editing the video footage some weeks later. Now imagine when the couple are watching back the footage.. this could be interpreted as a lack of support or that persons were just present at the wedding because of acquaintance. There is little I can do about the reality that our cameras capture but here are three (3) things you can do to encourage presence and participation at your wedding:
- Set clear expectations when sending invitations to guests.
- Place gently toned signs at the entrance to the wedding ceremony or reception area that the event is “Unplugged” or similar.
- Have your officiant or emcee announce an Unplugged Wedding. (asking guests to silence phones, put away devices and encourage participation)
When guests choose to put their devices aside, they give the couple the gift of undivided attention. This will lead to a room filled with more cheer and support for them.
If you are the guest at a wedding remember, “the best memories are created when you are laughing with loved ones, celebrating with them on their mile stone or simply just being in the moment”.
ProFocus Photography 