Where do we stand on…

…unplugged weddings?

Your big day is finally here. And after months of planning, you have eliminated all threats to your perfect romantic moment: awkward ex-lovers have been struck from the guest list, crying babies are seated near the exit, and Great Uncle Jeffrey has been duly parted from his sherry. But as you walk down the aisle, expecting to see tearful friends and family, you are instead greeted with a sea of inanimate mobile phones straining for prime photo-taking position.

No more. Couples are now turning to “unplugged weddings”, and banning phones altogether. Sometimes, well-wishers are also asked not to share any pictures on social media until the bride and groom have done so first.

Professional photographers have long complained that camera phones get in their way, and this week a wedding snapper in Texas went viral after she admonished a camera-happy guest. “To the girl with the iphone,” wrote Hannah Stanley on Facebook, “not only did you ruin my shot, but you took this moment away from the groom, father of the bride, and the bride. What exactly do you plan on doing with that photo? Honestly? Are you going to print it out? Save it? Look at it everyday? No.”

At first glance, an unplugged wedding seems like a brilliant idea. But can it work? Britons check their smartphone every 12 minutes, according to Ofcom, making the bride and groom more likely to spend their marriage gazing at their screens than each other’s eyes. You might as well ask your guests to leave their right arm at the church door.

It’s far better to accept the onward march of technology and let guests have their photographic fun on our big day. At least you might pick up a few extra followers on Instagram.