No flashing at these unplugged weddings

12 February 2017 - 02:00 By TASCHICA PILLAY
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Please turn off your smartphones and tablets as we prepare to say "I do".

Mikael Cordonnier and Adeline Geagea live-streamed their wedding so that relatives overseas could share in the event.
Mikael Cordonnier and Adeline Geagea live-streamed their wedding so that relatives overseas could share in the event.
Image: SHIREEN LOUW PHOTOGRAPHY

That's what a number of bridal couples are asking their friends and family as "unplugged" marriage ceremonies become more popular in South Africa.

Johannesburg photographer Daniel West said that in the past two months he had shot 10 unplugged weddings.

"Previously brides and grooms did not notice their guests using their phones to take photographs. The more they become aware, the less they would want their guests to be on their phones."

He said many professional wedding photographers supported the unplugged trend.

"It makes our jobs much easier when we don't have to photoshop someone's phone out of the foreground or background," West said.

"Guests need to be in the moment with them, and not concentrate on taking a good photograph. The bride and groom have spent thousands on a photographer, let them do their job."

Melissa and Westley van Zyl of Cape Town put up a sign at their nuptials in November: "Welcome to our unplugged wedding. We request the joyful sight of your smiles without the distraction of cellphones or cameras. Our vows may be unplugged but our reception is not. Please put them away until we tie the knot."

The couple said their guests were happy to comply.

Shireen Louw, their official photographer, said unplugged weddings made her job a breeze.

"That keeps the aisle open for us to take beautiful photographs of the bride walking down instead of dodging people's heads.

"It also is very distracting when people use cameras that make sounds and flashes continuously during the ceremony," Louw said.

But when Johannesburg couple Adeline Geagea and Mikael Cordonnier got married last year, they live-streamed it so that relatives overseas could share in the event.

"We chose not to have an unplugged wedding. We wanted to share that special event and the best way is with pictures and videos," said Geagea.

She confessed to being a bit shocked when her uncle thrust a selfie stick between her and the groom.

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