Solid Advice for Wedding Guests: Put the Smartphone Away and Sit Down!

You’ve probably seen it, we’ve written about it, and wedding photographers in particular loathe it, but for some reason people can’t stop doing it: getting in the way at weddings to get the perfect smartphone shot of the happy couple.

And although many of us photographic types have taken the time to explain to our friends why they should sit down, enjoy the wedding and not get in the photographer’s way, the video above just maybe gets the point across better.

The video was shot for a segment on Sacramento’s Fox 40 called “Don’t Be That Guy,” and it hits the proverbial nail on the proverbial head with a proverbial hammer… proverbially.

Producer Sabrina Rodriguez explains in no uncertain terms why it’s best for guests to stay out of the way, and shows myriad examples of what happens when they don’t.

And when we say no uncertain terms, we mean it. “Thanks to cell phones, just about everyone and their mother thinks they’re a professional photographer,” narrates Rodriguez. “You’re not!… Stay in your seat and watch, not like this woman who’s circling the couple like a hungry shark trying to get a good angle.”

Needless to say, she pulls no punches, and we see no reason why every wedding photographer shouldn’t share this with their friends and clients. Who knows, maybe they’ll pass it on to their guests-to-be and save you a headache down the road.