My brides often tell me they didn’t even think about having an unplugged ceremony until after the wedding. Like with most decisions you’ll be faced with as a bride, asking your guests to unplug for the wedding has its pros and cons!

One of the biggest benefits to having an unplugged wedding is that your friends and family will be fully present and in the moment with you. They will be watching YOU say your vows instead of listening while viewing through their screen. Once one person pulls out their cell phone, it tends to trickle through the guests and before you know it, more and more phones are up in the air.

Most guests are respectful and will try to be discrete, but you never know when an arm will be obstructing the view of your photographer for an important moment, like your first kiss! You don’t want to end up with a professional photo album of people glued to their screens.

Because it might be hard for some of your loved ones to attend in person (especially in this season of social distancing), many couples are opting to live stream their big event. One of the advantages of being plugged in is having friends from afar stay connected. If you are choosing this option, I would suggest designating one person to be in charge of the technology and to coordinate with the photographer/videographer to ensure everyone captures all of the important moments!

For the best of both worlds, consider an unplugged ceremony and a plugged-in reception. Your guests can embrace those devices once the party gets started and enjoy posting while they are celebrating the night away with you!