The topic of wedding guests taking photos at the ceremony, has started to gain more and more interest in the last couple of years.  I was just getting started in the industry and was second shooting for another photographer  the first time I saw a wedding where the guests were NOT allowed to take photos at the ceremony. The minister announced that the bride requested that all cell phones and cameras be turned off. In this particular case, I was a bit turned off myself by the idea. I thought maybe because the delivery was a bit harsh and abrupt. I was thinking about how if I was at the wedding, I would want to be taking photos on my phone or with my camera.

As I shot more and more weddings I started to see the benefit of this, but for a little different reason than some photographers. Many photographers protest the idea of guests taking photos because they get in their way. This certainly can be quite challenging to say the least. As photographers, it is our responsibility to get the shot either way and I tend to chalk this sort of thing up as normal wedding craziness. Although, it hit me at one wedding as I was standing back watching things from the side. I was sitting there watching one guest frantically start playing with the settings on her camera while off in the distance was Grandpa trying to get his iPhone to focus.  It hit me just how much of the special moment they were missing. They were not there in the moment. They were stuck in camera settings, trying to get the shot!

Now, THAT is the problem I see with guests taking photos during a wedding ceremony. The bride and groom have hired a pro to worry about all of the camera business while you sit and enjoy the moment with the couple. I think there is a way that you can communicate that to your guests so they understand that viewpoint a bit better and won’t be put off by it. I myself, have been working on some creative ideas to better inform guests of how to get copies of the wedding photos so they know they won’t miss any moments. I’m sure as time goes on we will see more and more crafty and fun ideas on this all over the web.

In this technology age, it is easy to get lost in our cell phones. We are always, texting, tweeting, checking email, networking etc. So just realize that for some people it is a little startling to issue a “cell phone shutdown” during a big event. But, with some gentle reminding of the true reason they are all there, you can have a beautiful ceremony with the true presence of ALL of your guests.

Photos courtesy of lookweddingphotography.com