wedding technology

How To Have An Unplugged Wedding

While technology is undoubtedly a wonderful thing and often a fantastic addition to your wedding day, there is also a move toward what could be described as an ‘unplugged wedding.’  Think of it as the polar opposite of the techy wedding without hashtags, social media and photo sharing.

There’s certainly pros and cons to this sort of wedding and indeed it may sound a little draconian to some, but it can give the day a much more private feel and you’ll have control over your photos, plus it will allow your guests the chance to actually enjoy the day rather than watching it from behind their phone screen as they take snaps.

Of course, you can always have a hybrid of both, where you might decide to have the ceremony as ‘unplugged,’ and the reception as a selfie friendly zone.

If you’d like to chat about this or any aspect of your wedding day planning or décor, then please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.

 

Pros of an Unplugged Wedding

  • The ethos of an unplugged wedding is twofold. Firstly, you want your guests to disconnect from their technology which rules most of our lives on a daily basis and instead just enjoy the day to the full. Essentially you want them to switch off and not see the day through a phone screen.
  • The second major driver of this type of wedding is that you have much more control over what images are shared on social media. You may have waited a very long time for your wedding day and accordingly you want to make sure you are the one who gets to share the first snap of you and your new husband or wife and not some dodgy picture from a guests smartphone.
  • Also let’s not forget, couples fork out quite a bit for professional photographers, so why not really let them capture the day instead of having your well-meaning guests get in the way of the official photographer who is trying to get those all-important shots.

 

 

Cons of an Unplugged Wedding

  • The most obvious hurdle for an unplugged wedding is letting the guests know your wishes. So be clear from the off. Mention it in your invites, your order of service or have signage at the church or ceremony entrance. Or enlist a member of the bridal party to let the guests know about your wishes.
  • While an unplugged wedding is great in theory, it can also mean you miss some spontaneous shots which only guests can capture, as no matter how good your photographer is, they cannot be everywhere at once. Also once you photographer has left, often it’s the guests pictures which capture the evening time fun, so if you are enforcing your unplugged theme for the entire wedding, you’ll miss out on these pics.
  • Some guests might feel a little peeved about not being able to take pictures for themselves at the wedding day. Let’s not forget, most have taken time out to get themselves dolled up for your big day and would like to be able to take a few shots. A good way around this is to have a photobooth at the reception so the guests can have pictures from the day

 

What About A Hybrid Strategy?   

  • As you can see, there are pros and cons to having an unplugged wedding and sometimes it’s best to employ a sort of hybrid strategy. Why not have your ceremony as a tech-free zone, which will allow your guests to actually be in the moment and enjoy this very special time, rather than watching it from behind their screens. It also means you’ve got full control over your ceremony images.
  • Then after the ceremony, you could lift the tech ban and indeed encourage your guests to get snap happy and upload their best selfies and shots from the day with a hashtag. That way you’re going to get the best of both worlds and not miss out on some potentially great guest’s pics.

 

 

 

Techy Wedding Ideas

Technology has revolutionised the way we celebrate weddings. In the past it was commonplace to leave disposable cameras on each table for guests to take photos with, whereas these days almost every guest will have their phone out taking shots of every key moment from the walk down the aisle, to the speeches, the cake and the first dance. Similarly the idea of the traditional photographer has also been updated to the use of drones to capture unbelievable images and videos of your big day. And for those who cannot attend the wedding you can even live stream the key moments.

Of course there will be couples who rail against what they might see as an overly techie wedding and opt for an ‘unplugged’ wedding instead and this certainly has its appeal too. However, if you are open to capitalising on the advances offered by new technology, then they can really enhance your big day.

From hashtags for guest’s photos, to drones, to go-pros and live streaming, we look at some of ways to take advantage of technology for some truly incredible results.

If you’d like to chat about this or any other aspect of your wedding day décor or planning then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me today.

 

Drones

If you want to add a touch of the epic to your wedding day then consider a drone to capture almost movie quality style videos and photos of your big day from above. Yes it can be a bit pricey, but it is guaranteed to give you some never before seen shots of your wedding day.

 

Go Pro

This is a really fun idea and one that will give you a truly different take on your wedding day. Why not have the bride or groom wear a small go-pro camera on their person or even in the bridal bouquet? That way you can capture the special moments such as the walk down the aisle and the speeches from a whole different vantage point! And if you’re involving your four-legged friend in the wedding, maybe as the ring-bearer, why not put a go-pro on their collar?

 

 

Live Streaming

This is a fantastic idea if you have family members and guests living abroad who can’t make the wedding. In the past they would have missed out on the day, but with new technology it’s possible for them to feel part of the wedding through a live stream which they can watch. Think about streaming crucial moments such as the ceremony, the speeches and the first dance.

 

 

Get Social

It’s inevitable that you guests will be capturing the day on their phones and with the best will in the world, you’re never going to get all your guests photos. So why not use a hashtags for Instagram, Facebook or Twitter to get all your guests photos together in the one place? Make sure you let your guests know what the hashtag is and use creative signage as part of your wedding décor too! Plus why not have fun with Instaframes and Facebook frames for your DIY photobooths and why not leave selfie sticks on each table and let the guests snap away!