Another wedding, another person weighing in about what not to do on YOUR day.
Wedding photographer Thomas Stewart has posted a massive Facebook rant about why couples should demand phone-free weddings.
Right, I’ve had enough. I want to talk to you all about guests using mobile phones / cameras at weddings. I want to…
Posted by Thomas Stewart Photography on Thursday, 5 November 2015
Phones, he said, get in the way of capturing ‘the moment’. They get in the way of the ACTUAL paid-for-professional photographer doing his job. They stop us from connecting human to human. Sometimes brides can’t even see down the frickin AISLE to look at their GROOM because there is a sea of iphones looking back at them.
It’s interesting for a couple of reasons. Because while we’re all for unplugging and being in the moment, if a bride and groom asked you to put your phone in a basket before the ceremony, would there be a tiny part of you that thought ‘diva’?
As Mia Freedman says in this week’s podcast calm down: you’re not Kim Kardashian.
Also, is a wedding even without phones truly ‘unplugged’ and ‘in the moment’? Wedding photographers and videographers lurk in the periphery anyway.
Or are photographers just annoyed that there are other enthusiastic amateurs stepping on their very important photographic turf?
When Jamila Rizvi got married, she went the complete other way, setting up a wedding hashtag. And she says despite a room of 200 guests, she didn’t notice a single iphone. All she noticed as she walked down the aisle was the look in her grooms eyes.
That the entire day passed in such a rush and whirl, that one of the best parts of her wedding was the next day, as she and her new husband sat together and trawled the wedding hashtag.
In that moment, they both saw their wedding through the eyes of the 200 guests.
She saw all the things she didn’t notice on the night. Guests playing croquet. Her face as she hugged her mother in law. Her guests playing with the giant picture frames. Her sister rocking a hula hoop in a floor length gown.
Hula hoop in a formal gown? Do it. #jezamwedding
A photo posted by @mimrizvi on Dec 21, 2014 at 3:53am PST
And as the days passed, the wedding memories started to fade, and the professional photos yet to come, those photos, the raw guests’ perspective, remained.
This is my favourite group of photos from the big day. Xxx #jezamwedding A photo posted by @mimrizvi on Dec 21, 2014 at 3:59am PST
Sure, you can have your polished, perfect, posed wedding shots from your professional photographer. But in an age where everything is so perfect and glossy, the iphone album has its place, too.
The full episode is here:
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Would you have an unplugged wedding?
Top Comments
We explicitly said no photos at the reception or while we were having our fanily photos, no uploading to social media but feel free to take photos at the reception. What sticks in my mind is that during our first dance and dancing with our parents everyone was standing around the dancefloor taking photos and filming with their phones, my cousin even got down on the ground to get an upshot. Everytime I watch our video thats all I see. Our ceremony however is enjoyable to watch because there is not a single phone in sight. I've also been a guest at weddings where you miss the special moments because someone is standing in the aisle trying to take photos while the bride comes in or the knob in front of you has the phone up trying to film the whole ceremony.
Recently eloped in NYC & I advised those attending that they could take as many photos as they wanted. I created a wedding album on FB & they all uploaded to this album. I don't remember people taking photos so in no way did they ruin the ceremony. I do have so many funny, emotional & loving candid photos that are just so beautiful. I was able to share with family & friends within hours after the ceremony.