iPads, cell phones and handycams - Good for weddings or a rude nuisance that ruins wedding pictures?

I'm beginning to find the toting of technology to weddings by guests a bit more than annoying.  It seems these guests are totally oblivious to just how much space they take up. If you can hide a motorcycle behind a pencil, you sure can hide a bride a groom behind an iPad!

In addition to planning, I sometimes do the photography for my weddings.

Just as I'm in the aisle ready to snap the kiss, up jumps some guest with their latest tech piece, or they're moving around into the background into positions that are impossible to frame them out of.  I specialize in beach weddings, and recently had one blocking the beautiful sunset and ocean. Each time I got up and moved to get the shot of what was going on, she'd move in right behind me with her iPad. She then stayed BEHIND the officiant and bride and groom for the last part of the ceremony,virtually ruining their kiss picture. Of course I take other kiss pictures, but the ONE they really want - there she is in the background with her iPad along with another guest with a handycam. There have been weddings where multiple people are running around with these things!

 

I have had one client tell me she hates pictures of people taking pictures, and I'm wondering if anyone else has had brides/couples tell them this. If so, what did the bride do beforehand to request people leave these things home? Or, did she count on the coordinator or photographer to do it for  her?  What's a tactful way to say get out of the way you're ruining her pictures? The guest above persisted in her iPad quest even after I mentioned (prior to the ceremony) that the bride would be receiving a disc of all her pictures, which she could share.

 

Mind you, I'm mostly talking about the ceremony and bride/groom pictures at the reception. If guests take pictures of other guests at the reception, those may be pictures the couple wouldn't otherwise get while the photographer(s) focus on the bride and groom.

 

What do you think?

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I can understand your frustration.  The photographers with whom I typically work have learned to deal with it.  They usually have an assistant to handle overzealous guests.  Many of my clients are in the tech industry.  So it just has to be worked around. 

The only time it's truly a problem is when guests are not allowed to take pictures do to my clients contractual agreement with a publication about their photos.  When that's the case, we simply don't allow any of those devices to enter the venue.  Good luck and I hope it gets better for you.

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