Unplug your wedding guests! It’s the new trend for weddings and something I stand behind 100%. There are so many instances when guests have stepped in my way while I’m going for a fantastic shot. This results in them being in the shot and ultimately ruining the composition I’m going for. The other aspect of this is they are not present in the moment. Look at Chelsea Clinton’s wedding photo here: You can see all the guests enjoying the moment of watching her walk down the aisle. No elbows, no guests standing in the middle of the aisle killing the moment. Just absolute pure beauty and guests taking part of it. I wish for weddings like this. An entire wedding paying attention to and being a part of the moment makes for a beautiful photo, especially when they aren’t documenting it. That’s what you paid me for!
Below is a link to a great site on how to get your guests to unplug from the day:
http://offbeatbride.com/2011/06/unplugged-wedding
Here are a number of templates you can use to put in programs, hand out with invitations, or signs to put up on the big day:
http://offbeatbride.com/2011/06/unplugged-wedding-templates
Below are my examples of why I encourage all my brides to unplug their guests. These are real weddings from the last few years. This is only a small sample of the photos that had such potential to be big beautiful moments only to be deflated by a guest running for the shot. I have also had brides get very frustrated during the formals. I’ll take the requested photo in under 10 seconds, only to have the poor couple stand there for 5 minutes more so their guests can get the same photo. I’ve had brides actually yell at their families to stop while reminding them they paid me to do the formals. Remind your guests you invested a few thousand dollars to make sure they have fun.
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This photo I really wanted a WIDE shot of all the guests and the bride coming down the aisle. The shot didn’t work though and so I went for a zoomed in shot. What I ideally wanted was the shoot of everyone watching. A shot of all the guests arms and elbows isn’t very pretty 😛
I hope they got a good shot …. 🙁
This next photo well, I was ON the ground behind guests as to not block anyone’s view. I wanted everyone to be able to share in the toast. This shot breaks my heart because the groom had tears in his eyes. 🙁 I’m hoping her photo is in focus and well exposed. (by the way, she had two cameras. A dSLR and the point and shoot dangling from her wrist..)
This shot was hard because I wanted to go for a shot of everyone watching, but Uncle Bob was in every shot, so I had to stay close. I make sure to document situations like this, so that the bride and groom can’t be upset that I didn’t get an angle they may have wanted. When guests stand 4 feet from the subject I can’t shoot wide and get the ambiance and shots of guests watching. It truly inhibits the way I shoot and the style you hired me for.
This one cracks me up because I don’t think the bride will ever see this photo Grammie took. It was on one of those disposable cameras. Do they even develop film anymore 🙂
All and all I do want guests to get a few photos, but I sometimes wonder what they will ultimately DO with that photo. Facebook? I don’t know. I actually encourage guests to take photos of the formals once I’ve taken my shot. I won’t go into the photos of guests shooting over my shoulder.
Hopefully this post shows you how a guests who thinks they are getting a great shot, can really ruin a wedding photo that you paid me to take.
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