My sensitivity goes into overdrive and my awareness gets heightened when I shoot a wedding because it’s my job to depict the day in the most honest and beautiful way possible. I love this image. I love the flower girl’s curious expression, the warmth of the church environment and I love the composition of the shot. Most of all I appreciate that everyone in this photo appears to be fully aware that they have been invited to witness a marriage. We all were collectively adoring a moment and waiting patiently for the next. There's no sharing of selfies to the world to let it know where we are and what we're doing. No "this just happened" captions nor "that time that" a cute flower girl walked down the aisle hashtags. Visually this photo would have been less impactful had anyone pointed their camera phone in my direction to seize the moment for themselves. Ceremonies deserve reverence not self-centeredness. It's rare to find and harder to visually depict when everyone around us is trying to stay connected and relevant. I’m not suggesting that wedding guests never take a photo with their cameras. I understand the appeal and the importance of capturing moments and life as it happens. What I am recommending is a kind reminder to all guests to unplug, especially during the ceremony. There are many ways to effectively communicate this request to your guests. I find the best way is through some kind of sign (make it pretty but bold) and another reminder in the wedding program that is handed out prior to the ceremony. Trust that your ceremony will be beautifully documented by the photographer you have hired for the day. Most likely, your guests will feel the same way and respect the request to unplug for the short duration of a once in a lifetime moment.
