Your wedding is one of the biggest milestone moments of your life, and understandably, you want it to be absolutely perfect. Having an “unplugged wedding”—asking guests to turn their devices off—is one critical way to ensure that your day is as special as can be. There are a number of reasons why limiting guests’ use of their devices during your wedding can help make it the best it can be. Here are three reasons you need to have an unplugged wedding.

An audience holding cameras, phones, and tablets ruins your photos

You have hired a wedding photographer you trust; leave the photography to the professionals. Your guests holding cameras, phones, and tablets in each picture detracts from the intimacy of the moment. Likewise, it only takes one guest leaving their ringer on to destroy an emotional moment, like your vows or your first kiss. Ask guests to be courteous and refrain from using their devices. Additionally, ask guests to refrain from posting on social media. It is your wedding, and you should be the first to see (and approve!) any photos you want to share of your day.

An unplugged wedding allows the attention to be on you

Technology is distracting, period. When devices are off and pocketed, your family and friends can invest their energy and attention into you and yours. By keeping your guests engaged, the energy of your wedding will be higher and there will be a much stronger sense of unity and togetherness. It is your day, after all, and the attention should be lavished on the both of you, your vows, and your wedded bliss!

An unplugged wedding means your guests can stay in the moment

It’s easy to miss details when our noses are buried in our phones. Especially when guests are snapping pictures with their phones, adding filters, and posting to social media, the chances of missing the sweetest moments are high. As a courtesy to you and the integrity of your wedding, and also to maximize the fun your guests are having, unplugging will help both you and your guests stay in the moment.

Tips for a successful unplugged wedding

Though it can be a delicate subject, if you are committed to the concept of an unplugged wedding, you’ll need to find a way to enforce it. Here are a few suggestions:

Ask your wedding officiant to make a brief announcement at the head of the ceremony
Appoint a trusted member of the family or wedding party to enforce the rule
Make a custom, printable sign to (gently) remind guests to ditch their devices

And, don’t forget to remind guests, either via your custom sign or your wedding website, that the unplugged wedding is to their benefit, too—they’ll have more fun!