Live from Bedford: Jessi & Ellie Unplugged?

On the 241 South Studios Facebook page, Jeremy posted a link to an article on Offbeat Bride about having an "Unplugged Wedding."

So there you are at the altar, gazing into the eyes of your beloved, saying your vows. You turn to sneak a glance at your wedding guests, all your favorite beloved friends and family... and are greeted by a sea of down-turned faces staring at their LCD screens.

Yup, I'm as guilty as the next person of paying more attention to my camera and getting the "perfect shot." But really, is that picture, that I'm only going to look at once or twice for the rest of my life, really worth missing some of the experience? Heck, at the last wedding we went to, I was behind the camera during most of the ceremony trying to get the perfect shot--and it DIDN'T HAPPEN! What did happen was I missed some of the pastor's speech and some of the vows. Maybe that's why I've never been much of a photographer; I've always been too busy to remember to take the camera out (I've gotten better as I've gotten older, but there are no pictures from when I was in high school or college). And when I helped Jeremy with the GSEM Gold & Graduating event, we were talking about all the parents that didn't care about free professional pictures, they were all crowding around taking crappy cell phone pictures, not even paying attention to their daughters' achievements. It was also difficult for him to take pictures without a parent's head or camera in the way--if you read that article, you'll see that many photographers feel this way.

I am seriously thinking about having an unplugged ceremony (don't worry folks, your cameras would be welcome at the reception!). I might even talk to Erica about getting prints of the ceremony for us give with our thank you cards or something to people have something and won't feel quite as bad about not being able to take their own.

I don't know...I'm more just as connected as anyone, but I think this would be a really meaningful thing to do, for both us AND our guests. Hopefully Ellie feels the same way.