Ceremony
Unplugged Ceremony
The biggest part of the day! All the nerves and excitement comes down to this moment! You should be present, and everyone in attendance should be as well. Cell phones, cameras, ipads, etc. can be very distracting and take away from this beautiful, once in a lifetime moment.
An unplugged ceremony will help keep your photos timeless, and the focus on where it should be- on the two of you!
Some ways to achieve an unplugged ceremony is to put a sign by the entrance. I also recommend having your officiant make an announcement right before the ceremony saying "The wedding couple asks you to put your electronic devices away and be present in the moment, and allow the professionals to capture the ceremony."
Sometimes people don't see the sign, or pretend they don't see it so they can continue to take phone photos. You don't want an aisle full of screens when you're walking down the aisle.
If there are any family members or friends that you're nervous about not complying with this, please consider talking to them before the wedding day to let them know. Or if you don't feel comfortable, let me know and I'll kindly explain.
Vows
If you have the option to write your own vows, you totally should! It's so personal and sweet, and definitely makes for great photos.
Hold That Kiss!
When it's time for the big first kiss, hold it if you can! First and foremost, it's your first kiss as a married couple and it should be memorable! But also, it guarantees that I can get a few good, clear photos. Especially if we have some photobombers jumping out in the aisle to try and get one on their phone.
Ceremony Send Off
Send offs from the ceremony are super cute and fun, and I always enjoy them! Bubbles, ribbon wands, and biodegradable confetti always photograph really nicely! Feel free to get creative and research some cool ways to do this!
Plan for about 15 to 20 minutes for this. It takes a little bit of time to get everyone lined up and organized.
If you plan to do a receiving line after your ceremony, plan for about 30 minutes. It's not as simple as saying hello. People are going to want to take your photos, ask about your dress, etc. If you want to greet everyone, it's your day and you totally should! But just know it can be a little time consuming. There are opportunities during the reception to see everyone (we'll get to that soon).
