‘Come on!’: Bride slams guests for their ‘selfish’ act during wedding ceremony
“They've got paid professionals. They want you to be in the moment. Obviously, that got ignored…”
Family Life
Don't miss out on the headlines from Family Life. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Is it rude to expect guests to keep their phones away during the wedding ceremony?
Anna recently got married to her husband Jordan in Samford, southwest Queensland, opting for a gorgeous garden ceremony to tie the knot.
Surrounding them were their closest friends and family, who watched with pride as the lovebirds made their lifelong commitment together.
Then someone brought out their phone.
Are you following us on TikTok? Head to Kidspot Official to watch our latest videos.
“Put your phones away!”
Anna made her way down the aisle, wearing a gorgeous white dress and linking arms with her father through the Queensland garden.
Smiling as she was looking at everyone, the Brisbane bride smiled as she proudly looked at the guests.
RELATED: Bride slammed for expecting guests to drop thousands for destination wedding
“Put your phones away!” she laughed, looking out at the attendees, who couldn’t help but chuckle in return.
“Come on!” she added, smiling awkwardly as she continued walking down the aisle.
“The bride should NOT have to say this during her big moment,” the video caption read.
Introducing our new podcast: Mum Club! Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode.
Speaking to Today, Anna’s wedding photographer said the Brisbane woman was a “chill” bride who wanted the wedding to have a “relaxed feel”.
“They just wanted a really relaxed, fun day,” she said. “Nothing too over the top and stressful.”
The wedding wasn’t overly large, with roughly 100 of the couple’s closest friends and family watching as they tied the knot, but among the faces were about 10 people holding up their phones, trying to capture a shot of the blushing bride.
Phone-free weddings, also known as “unplugged weddings”, have become increasingly popular in recent years, with couples requesting their guests steer clear from snapping a pic of the couple until they give permission.
Some opt for a sign at the front of the ceremony, and others will ask their officiant to give a heads-up before the ceremony begins.
As it turns out, this wasn’t the first time the guests were told to keep their phones at bay at Anna and Jordan’s nuptials.
“The celebrant actually did ask all the guests at the couple's request ... to keep their phones away,” the photographer explained. “They've got paid professionals. They want you to be in the moment.
“Obviously, that got ignored.”
RELATED: The mother-of-the-bride dumped an entire glass of wine on my daughter’s dress
“What are they gonna do, call the wedding cops?”
The clip, which was shared by the couple’s wedding photographer, quickly went viral, sparking a debate about the proper etiquette at weddings.
Online, many people supported the bride’s request, noting how visibly irritated she was in the moment despite her happy face.
“She’s smiling, but I know she’s really upset,” someone said. “I’d feel so disrespected, honestly.”
“It’s insane to me that you would be at a wedding for someone you love and disrespect them like that,” another agreed.
One woman slammed the guests as “selfish” for not listening to the bride’s requests.
“If the bride has asked not to have them out during the ceremony, it’s her day, not yours, and I’m sure you’ll see videos and pictures when they are read,” she wrote.
The Kidspot team were split in their opinions over the entire idea, with some thinking it was a “great idea” and others (OK, just one) rejecting the concept entirely.
“I'm torn about the concept,” said social media editor Carly. “Would totally be fine with dumping my phone in a basket at any wedding if that's what the bride and groom wanted, but at my own wedding, I feel I'd actually want to see all the candid/funny pics and videos my friends take throughout the night!”
Jordana believes that “if the bride and groom have made a request to be in the moment”, guests should follow their instructions.
“But then, there needs to be allowances for when people can use them,” she added. “Because otherwise, people have spent a fortune getting ready only to have photos of themselves two or three drinks in!”
Resident lifestyle guru, Eleanor, was fully on board. “I love this idea! It’s your big day, you should be able to decide the rules (within reason), and if that's all you ask, I think it's a small ask.”
Then she brought up a very good point: “As if you want to spend thousands or tens of thousands of dollars on a day just for people to be on their phones.”
Emily also “gets why” couples choose to go phone-free at weddings. “You want to see people's faces, not a bunch of cameras,” she said.
As for Nama? Honestly, the idea completely horrifies her.
“It's bad enough I can't wear trackies and Uggs, and now I can't touch my phone? What are they gonna do, call the wedding cops??”
More Coverage
Originally published as ‘Come on!’: Bride slams guests for their ‘selfish’ act during wedding ceremony
‘My boyfriend won’t give any of his inheritance to my son’
"I’ve lived here for 10 years which has prevented me from having an asset of my own, and I’ve contributed to upkeep and repairs. I think at the very least it should be 25/75."
‘My daughter’s stepmum is now my BFF’
“We’ll have a wine and watch The Bachelor together,” the Melbourne mum reveals of her surprise friendship. “I co-parent with her mostly and not my ex and it works so much better.”