How to Keep Your Guests Off Their Phones On Your Wedding Day

While some people may be gung-ho about posting photos on all forms of social media and having a wedding hashtag, we understand that not everyone is like that. If you prefer to go low-tech, minimize social media, and avoid the glare of 100 touch screens in every photo, that's okay! While you can't expect guests to leave phones at home, you can encourage them to disconnect. We talked to the pros and rounded up their best tips to keep guests off their phones and into the celebration.

"An elegant solution is to add a note in the ceremony program," suggests Julia Lake, owner of Northern California-based Julia Lake Parties. A note on your wedding website is good advance warning, too.

Simply stating "turn off cell phones" can be uncomfortably blunt. "Remind guests that going offline means being more present," says Shira Savada, our Real Weddings editor.

"Ask your officiant to make a quick, friendly statement just before the ceremony begins," suggests Diane Gottsman, national etiquette expert and owner of the Protocol School of Texas.

Because there are many couples who actually encourage pictures, posts, and tweets, state plainly that you don't want to have your wedding shared online, Gottsman says.

"Go old-school and set out instant cameras so that you have tangible photos without the tech," suggests Savada. "Or go super-retro, with disposable cameras, and see what develops after your honeymoon!"