More and more, wedding couples are opting for unplugged weddings. An unplugged wedding is where you ask your guests not to use cameras or phones for part or all your wedding, and possibly to not post photographs and videos to social media too.
Some couples pop a time embargo on posting, for example not before the party back home, in order to not spoil the surprise for the guests, that could not make it to the wedding in Cyprus.
There are pros and cons to an unplugged wedding. Let us run through the key points
#blubbingatthewedding
Would you prefer your guests, laughing, crying, and being emotionally involved in your wedding, or engrossed with their phones and tablets?
Guests that are shooting photos and videos, and posting on social media, they are not truly in the moment of your wedding day.
#inmyface
You hire professional videographers and photographers to shoot your wedding properly. We capture you both, the guest reactions, and the events of the day.
We only have one chance to get this done right. As such, if we have other guests shooting, it is not usually much of an issue, unless they get carried away.
Occasionally we get guests that are determined to get the shot, and the persistent ones do this all day long; standing in front of us at key moments, walking in front of the video cameras, knocking our fixed cameras, and obscuring microphones, etc.
The issue of guests wandering about with cameras is especially awkward with videography, as we are recording clips and sequences.
As an experienced professional team of photographers and videographers, we have an etiquette, a way of working, that ensures we do not spoil each other’s shots and footage.
While we take this behavior in our stride, it does mean that occasionally, it is unavoidable that we end up with Uncle Bob camera in hand, right there behind you in our shot. The great news is this hardly ever happens…
The issue is not limited to guests either. Recently we have even had a hotel wedding planner and other suppliers barging right in at key moments to get a shot for their marketing. They only need to ask us if they want an image!
#paparazzi
With a sea of cameras and phones, just where do you look? And are you both even looking at the same camera?
It is a real shame when we can’t deliver an otherwise stunning photograph, with great expression and perfect eye contact from the Bride, which was spoiled because the Groom was distracted and looking at another camera.
If we are confronted with a lively group of guests all wanting a shot, we say it’s perfectly fine, but we ask them to stop shooting for just a minute, so we can take the professional shot of you both. We then invite the guests to jump into the spot we were in to take their photographs.
#private
Rarely, couples opt for an unplugged wedding for child protection reasons, or to protect the privacy of certain guests at your wedding.
In these cases, we will work with the couple, both before and after the wedding, so we explicitly know what we can and cannot publish or distribute, etc.
#guestlistnightmares
We all know guest lists are a nightmare especially if you have had to cap the number of guests.
Often you know someone will kick off, back at home, because they were not invited.
You want to manage this in a controlled way. You do not want to be dealing with the fall out of this on your wedding day, on social media, because everyone just posted pictures and videos live.
#mefirst
There is something special about receiving your professional wedding videography and photographs, the sneaky peeks, the finished beautiful photographs and videography. This takes us a little time to curate, edit and deliver to you.
Newlyweds usually get a bottle of bubbly, and the tissues out, and spend some quality time together to remember their wedding.
Brides and Grooms tell us that it takes the edge off that moment, when guests just blast all the photographs out, often starting during the ceremony.
This also takes the surprise, and moment away when you go home to share your wedding, with others, as they already saw it on Social media.
#wearthatdressagaingirls
A few weeks after their wedding in Cyprus, newlyweds often have a wedding party back home. We often prepare a selection of photographs and sometimes a video to show at the party. This is a big moment. Also, the Bride will make a big entrance with her dress, and this is a great surprise.
For this reason, some couples embargo posting wedding photos and videos on social media until after the wedding.
#chilledoutatthewedding
You want your guests to enjoy themselves. Smiling, being in the moment. If they are constantly feeling the need to shoot photos and videos, post them on Facebook, and then answer questions about the weddings, then they are not there with you, they are back with the people on Facebook.
Also, with their heads down, or their phones up recording, we can’t see the guest’s faces, or if we can they have the “concentrating on the phone” face on.
If you want to post pictures, that’s great. The smart way around this is to designate one or two guests to post pictures into your own Facebook group, but not interact too much.
#selfieobsessed
If you are a true instant selfie type of couple, then you will love all your guests shooting and posting pictures and videos. An unplugged wedding is not for you!