And then Grandma whipped out the iPad.
These days, practically everyone has a smartphone which can be both a really good thing and a really bad thing depending on the situation. On your wedding day, friends and family want to preserve your day in their memory just as much as you do, but popping out into the aisle to snap the bride can be disruptive for so many reasons.
They block the groom’s view of his bride walking down the aisle.
They block the bride’s view of her groom as she approaches him.
They get in the way of the professional photographer or videographer who was hired to shoot the event.
Most importantly, it ruins their personal experience of the moment!
As a wedding officiant, I really believe in the importance of all being truly present during the ceremony. Check out this excellent article for fun signage you can use to encourage guests to unplug and be in the moment.
And as your minister, I’d be happy to enforce this with with a gentle announcement before the ceremony begins.
When it’s party time, invite them to snap their hearts out and ad your custom hashtag to all their photos when posting to social media.