Unplugged

And no, I'm not referring to the MTV series.
I'm referring to weddings.

Have you ever considered having an unplugged wedding? Do you even know what an unplugged wedding is?

Before I explain, let's consider a scenario.

You are at a wedding and it's breathtaking, and you decide that you need to pull out your iPhone, iPad, or your DSLR. And then you step directly into the middle of the isle. Then the bride and groom kiss. You get a decent photo on your iPhone or iPad, but what about the photographer that was paid to document the day, as well as the kiss, and all they got was a shot of your rear.

Kind of depressing, right?
Can you imagine being the bride and groom? Or the photographer that missed the shot because Uncle Ray's butt was in the way?

What exactly is an unplugged wedding?
It's a wedding in which the guests are actually present; mind and body, minus the distraction of technology.

Various wedding trends are all over the Internet and Pinterest, and I really hope this one becomes popular as well.

Reasons for having an unplugged wedding:

1.  Your guests will be present without the distraction of technology. We all know the saying, "You can't see the forest for the trees," right?

2.  Photographers are always on a time crunch. We have to capture moments that only last a second and make them last a lifetime. Pressure, what? Think of that moment when a groom sees his bride for the first time or how about the look on the bride's face as the groom slides the wedding band on. There are just a few seconds to capture those intimate moments. You know what ruins moments like that? When you aisle guest pulls out his/her cell phone or iPad and tries to capture the moment themselves. That means that you dropped a whole lot of money to a photographer who just got a photo of your guest taking a photo of your intimate moment.

3.  The flash. I hardly use a flash unless the occasion calls for it. But it seems that amateur photographers and Uncle Ray's all over the world are in love with their pop-up flash or the blinding flash from their iPhone. My flash is controlled. I control it. I have taken classes and learned my equipment. Your flash is always set to extra super strength power and blows everything out. So do us all a favor, and set the cell phone down. I got this!

4. The majority of brides spend months or even years planning every details of their wedding day. Couple that with thousands and thousands of dollars and you realize the significance of the day. So, you understand why we think it is so important to guard viewer's first impressions.  The images your guests capture and quickly blast out on the web during your wedding might actually surprise and frighten you. The biggest offender? The double chinned bride or groom. This image followed by the cut cake or  the reception room after hours of enjoying the night. Release the images on your time frame and show the professional shots of your incredible wedding day! With all the beautiful details. 

Now to back up the above statements. 

As a photographer, it all comes down to what the bride and groom want. Obviously. Maybe it means only asking guests to “unplug” during the ceremony. You have to take it on a case by case basis. Some events are meant to be photographed and shared up the wazoo, and others, like one of the most intimate days of your life, may not be. It’s hard to play bad cop in the digital age when everything has a camera on it, but with enough pre-communication, perhaps there can be a happy medium.