No Cell Phone/Camera Wedding??

Continued...our photographer is AMAZING and will be giving us all the photos for the day as well as 5 copies of each so we can give our guests photos of the wedding...so their own cameras really isn't necessary, as they will be getting photos regardless :-) I just don't know if this has worked in the past or how effective it was? Thanks ladies!

I would add that perhaps you can have signs at the wedding, but also have the officiant or a DOC mention it to guests. I put a note on our website, on our programs and had signs at our wedding and I still walked out to have about 7 cameras pointed at me. Just don't count on the website and welcome basket note to be enough, ya know?

There are been many blogs lately about unplugged ceremonies. Not sure about the reception part, you may have a harder time enforcing that.

http://offbeatbride.com/2011/06/unplugged-wedding

http://www.rebekahhoyt.com/blog/2012/9/11/wedding-inspiration-unplugged.html

I don't know how I would feel being told to leave my phone and camera in my car. On private property or not, but i guess you would have to gauge how your guests would take it.

I would not be comfortable leaving my cell phone behind (particularly if I didn't bring my children - and generally for weddings, I choose to leave them behind). In an emergency someone needs to be able to get ahold of me.

I can appreciate having it on mute and not taking pictures. I wouldn't have a problem with that request, but leaving it behind. I would not.

Just Reenski that sounds like a good idea for the ceremony! I mean we get that we cannot strip search the guests, and if they choose to disregard the request for no cameras or cell phones, then that's up to them, but it would be our preference to not have them going off during the ceremony or reception (of course those who have kids at home with a babysitter are exempt as they need to be able to be reached in case of emergency). I think having the Officiant make a quick little speech saying "no cell phones please.." would be helpful.

The ceremony is about 50 yards from the reception (both are taking place at my parent's estate), so hopefully people wouldn't go back to their cars or hotel in that one hour period to get their phones, but if they do, that's up to them I guess. We aren't going to search each guest haha.

I just got this idea of our officiant - a biker preacher - smiling out to the crowd and sayin "A'ight, y'all turn off yer cellphones, now..."

I actually kinda like that LOL!!

I agree with Carrie, I only attempted to have an unplugged ceremony. I'm perfectly fine leaving my camera behind (I'm not one that feels the need to document every event I attend), but I know there are many people who would feel like Ashleigh -- the ceremony most people are okay with, the reception is another thing altogether.

@We'llAlwaysHaveParis - of course those who have kids home with babysitters (we are having an adult only wedding) would be allowed to have their phones because they would need them just in case. We would just ask that they be on silent and/or vibrate so that they aren't disruptive. The issue really is that this private family estate in MD is something that my parents don't want all over the internet or Social Media Sites, and they truly fear that guests will post pictures all over Facebook and such of their private property.

@Ashleigh W. - I think most of the guests would be more than okay with respecting the request, it's more the teenagers and early 20 year olds that my parents are worried about. The adults, even those with children, understand that having a phone go off isn't wanted LOL. I mean it is a private house (where my parents actually live each day), so I don't think they are going overboard in asking that no pictures be put on the internet or Social Media Sites you know?

@Amy V. - what did you do before cell phones? LOL. I mean it's not like people will die if they don't have their phones. I mean you are there to support the marriage of a couple, you aren't there to socialize with people on Facebook or take personal calls beyond emergencies/families. Just saying. I'm not trying to sound snide or anything, but I mean cell phones shouldn't rule our lives as they seem to do lately. I think using it to text or something during the reception isn't the problem...it's making phone calls or having it ring around other guests (rather than stepping away for a while to take/make a call), and then taking photos...Idk :-/

I think it's fine to have an announcement during the ceremony to have people not use cell phones and camera. I just think you are going to run into issues during the reception. It's kind of hard to monitor phone use but so much.

Some people like to take pictures and post them on facebook. I guess you could spread by word of mouth but you seem a little overly concerned with privacy issues, maybe I am just not understanding... People are going to take pictures of you, of dancing, and maybe your cake - not the details of your parents house.

@Carrie - That's the problem - My parent's don't necessarily have an issue with pictures being taken per say, it's that they do not want pictures of their HOME being posted on Facebook or the Internet or other Social Media Sites, and I don't think it's inappropriate to request that since the wedding and reception are taking place at their HOME. I mean if it's just pictures that's one thing, but posting them for the eternal public to view that's quite another and could jeopardize privacy in some respect. I mean I personally understand people want to have their phones on them, and I don't want to take away people's life lines...but I do want to respect my parents and try and find a way to not have photos posted to Facebook or the Internet

I wouldn't leave my cell behind. If there's an emergency I cannot be gotten ahold of merely because someone doesn't want pics of their house online.

I'd be offended I couldn't take pics either, I feel as a guest I have the right to take pictures, if I cannot get pictures of people I care about at a wedding why attend? I usually take a lot of pictures, I don't dance so it's like asking me to sit and stare at a wall

Hey I hear everyone. I wouldn't want to be separated from my cell either, but it's also impossible to argue with my parents on things, so I'm trying to find a happy compromise you know? Where my parents feel safe and secure and people don't get offended by not having their cells.

Is there maybe a way to just ask people not to have them at the ceremony but reception is fine as long as photos aren't posted to the Internet? Idk I'm kinda lost on how to do this without upsetting my parents or the guests. Really all my parents worry about with this is photos all over the Internet of their home

If the online posting is the issue, I'd say just politely ask that all photos taken be kept off of Social Media sites.

I don't know - it's hard to fight culture (it's not even technology anymore). Cell phone use is now part of our culture. If they're that worried about it, maybe having a reception at home isn't the best idea.

Well it's family tradition to have family weddings on family property and its always been my dream to be married at home. I guess I just need to find a medium u know? U guys are really helping thank you:-)

I think Miss Miranda for Now has the best and more respectful idea. It's not that I want to keep people away from their phones or forbid them from having them, but I do want to respect my parent's wish about Social Media...so that does sound like the best and more respectful way is to just ask that photos not be uploaded to social media...that way it's a simple request that is respectful of all parties :-) Thanks girl!

Are they worried about people taking pictures of the outside of the home? Or the inside? If you can avoid having people go inside at all, do that. Or if you can rent a tent so people are in there rather than hanging out on the porch, that's another option.

An unplugged ceremony is usually easy to pull off, but I wasn't able to, so no matter what you try to do, you may still have some folks that take pictures and upload them to FB. I mean, you can ask them not to, but some people still will, ya know?