No phone rule

You really can’t ban or confiscate phones because one person out of 100 chooses to be an idiot. Short of not inviting those particular folks... People don’t read signs but they will pay attention to an officiant making a polite announcement.

You can't prevent every single person from taking photos because some people just don't care. The best you can do is to let your guests know about your no phone rule in as many ways as possible. In addition to your sign, mention it on your wedding website and have your officiant make an announcement at the start of the ceremony.

Have the officiant make an announcement before everyone walks down the aisle

In addition to the sign, you can have your officiant mention it prior to the ceremony beginning. They can say something simple and lighthearted like “the couple desires to see your faces and not your phones. So please be fully present for the ceremony by putting your phones away while we celebrate their union. They’ve hired a photographer and promise to share the professional photos.”


We’re not having a sign and instead having cards placed on each chair under a fan. One side of the card will have our “unplugged wedding” message and the other will have trivia questions/“did you know” facts about FH and I for guests to read while they’re seated. We’ll also have our officiant give a quick reminder.

Have your DJ or Officiant make an announcement right before the ceremony starts. Ours said, Unless you gave birth to one of the couple, please put your phones away 😀

View Quoted Comment Haha, I like that. I was kinda wanting parents and maybe grandparents to be able to take pictures if they wanted.

I understand where you're coming from but the most you can do is have the officiant or wedding planner make an announcement before the ceremony starts.
At unplugged weddings I've been to people honored the couple's request.

View Quoted Comment Is it wrong tho to give my parents and his parents, and his grandparents (my grandparents don't really have anything to do with me) permission to take pictures if they want?

View Quoted Comment Guests don’t take well to things being acceptable for certain guests but the rest of the group is forbidden

View Quoted Comment I think it'd be harder to get other people to not take pictures if your parents and grand parents were taking pictures.

View Quoted Comment

I'd feel like if they see the parents and his grandparents pulling out their phones that people will be more likely to pull out their phones and ignore your request. You're not going to completely keep someone from pulling out but if the family follows the example, people are less likely to do this.

Is there a reason why the parents and his grandparents would be pulling out their phones in the first place? Is there going to be no photographer present? If there is, I think its best to let the professionals take over for this. Do you really want your parents fumbling over their cell phones during your ceremony? Is it really necessary for them to do that? Just a thought Hope your day is a special as you want it to be!