I’ve Had Enough with Wedding Guests Taking Pictures with Phones

Wedding snapper Thomas Stewart is so frustrated with guests clamouring to get a shot on their mobiles and tablets he has posted the image on his Facebook page.

Mr Stewart, who says he has “had enough”, also posted a photograph he took of a groom having to lean sideways to see his bride coming down the aisle because he was being blocked by wedding guests taking photographs with the camera phones. “Most people haven’t been married before, so they have no idea about these things”.

The fuming photographer urged engaged and soon to be Wednesday couples to ban smartphone technology during their wedding ceremonies. “They have paid me their hard-earned money to make sure I document their wedding and when an overzealous guest gets in the way, it makes me sad”.

In an impassioned Facebook plea that has since gone viral, Stewart argues brides and grooms should always hold an unplugged wedding, and ask their guests to turn off their phones during the ceremony.

He said not only does having guests block the aisle trying to take photos make his job hard, it means the bride and groom can’t see each other and are looking at a wall of technology rather than the misty eyes of their guests. Despite the fact not everything went to plan, he realised it was still an incredible day and it inspired him to be part of other people’s big days. Things are happening, but you’re not experiencing them in the moment. “I highly doubt this is the way you want to remember your wedding ceremony”, he said. “You will miss seeing your partner’s face in the aisle”, he said.

His post was shared over 42,000 times and received over 20,000 comments. “You can’t take great photos with your camera phone by leaning into the aisle of a dark church to photograph a moving subject”.

To rebuke errant wedding guests, Stewart suggests saying they were invited to celebrate a couple’s love.

He said guests were there to witness a marriage and should watch “with your eyes, not your phones”.