The Unplugged Wedding Ceremony: A Wedding Take-Back Trend

An unplugged wedding ceremony trend is making an appearance in weddings, as well as galas and other gatherings. And we think there’s something to it.

Wedding trends have always managed to be a black and white topic. They are either deemed a roaring success and pinned to every Pinterest board or considered overdone, untoward, or even tacky. However, a new trend is on the rise for weddings, and I think this one might be a winner. It’s called an unplugged wedding ceremony.

What Is An Unplugged Wedding Ceremony?

There is a growing trend for phones and cameras are to be safely tucked away in bags and suit pockets for the duration of the wedding. It’s a call for guests to engage with the ceremony and not just document it.

A no-phone policy is an idea usually reserved for movie theatres and business meetings. Still, once unpacking the concept in greater depth, I couldn’t help but think this simple request is vividly empowering.

Why Choose An Unplugged Wedding Ceremony?

Weddings are a profoundly intimate affair to be shared by the couple and their closest friends and family. The bride walking down the aisle to her husband is beautiful, pure, and incredibly traditional. This moment is starkly interrupted by the anachronism of an iPhone camera jutting out into the aisle to capture the moment, not for yourself but for your Instagram followers to witness.

Weddings are personal. The day is intricately planned to be captured by professional photographers who know the best shots to take. Photographers know how to catch the couple’s most memorable moments, so why don’t we let them?

The couple set the scene for their day to be enjoyed by those present. Why disrupt it for those outside of their guest list? The couple is at their most vulnerable with each other and their families, a moment to be witnessed, not broadcast.

Break Away From Social Media Driven Memories

Simply put, this day is theirs to share, and how they want the world to perceive this ceremony should be wholly left their discretion. This window into their future as a couple is something that should be held in greater esteem. By removing the culture of social media, the idea of the wedding remains idealized and reserved.

This unplugged wedding ceremony trend, however, does not appeal only to the wedding industry. The concept manages to compliment both larger events and more intimate ones too. In the likes of bigger, more grand affairs, the “no phones, no photographs” idea communicates a sense of exclusivity, making an invitation seem that much more of a social achievement. When it comes to smaller events, fewer photographs being shared with the world only add to the charm of privacy amongst friends.

Embracing the unplugged wedding ceremony may bring a change of pace to events and weddings. And maybe that’s what we need. Maybe, instead of taking it upon ourselves to capture the first toast to the bride and groom, we start hearing the wishes we have for them and genuinely engaging as a guest. Not as a photographer, not as a socialite, and not as an amateur wedding critic, but as a guest. Being an observer to the couple’s union, celebrating it, is a role that is not to be underestimated.

If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that life is to be celebrated in the moment – a moment which is to be admired and relished with a newfound appreciation.

The Wedding Take-Back

So I say that this unplugged trend is to be deeply considered the next time you plan or attend a wedding or event. Take back your day as a couple and allow your wedding to be perceived how you want it to be if you choose to.

Photographs are important and treasured. Making sure you get the best lighting and angles where everyone is looking good can be quite a process. So why not leave it to the professionals?

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