This is a highly personalized response that is based on your specific experiences and approach, obviously making it totally valid Jono.
HI Marc
I hope I made it clear that it was personal!
However, on the subject of wedding photography one cannot go from the personally specific and imply a generality to support one's preferences … an overwhelmingly massive majority of wedding shooters, including the most famous and successful, use 35mm DSLRs that are just as noisy as this A7/A7R, and are more intrusive in size and presence.
I wasn't implying a generality - I was implying a personal specific - in a big room with lots of people it really isn't an issue - in a small room with a bride having her hair done I think it IS an issue - but I still realise it's my feeling.
"No good for taking pictures indoors" is just such a generality which is disproved by all the wonderful, intimate, fly-on-the wall indoor images taken with the big, loud DSLRs that dominate wedding photography.
Of course - but I wasn't trying to imply a generality from a specific - there are lots of approaches, but the fact that people have taken great pictures with noisy cameras doesn't (IMVHO) make noisy shutters a good thing! (or even that it doesn't matter).
People do not "absolutely notice" except perhaps for the first few self-conscience shots in a small room (which has more to do with getting their picture taken than size or sound of the camera), then they get on with what they are doing and forget about you.
I actually disagree with you here about small rooms - sure if there's music in the background or loud talking - otherwise they notice the sound - specifically and actually . . of course it could be different over your side of the pond (shrug).
It has far more to do with how you blend in and how you approach the subjects than what is in your hand. A very common response I hear from clients is "Oh, my God! I didn't even know you were there." … when in fact I was standing 4 feet from them using a big bad, mirror slapping Pro DSLR and honking' 24-70 zoom.
It
also has a lot to do with how you blend in and approach your subjects, but to say that it can be done with a camera with a noisy shutter doesn't mean that shutter noise doesn't matter.
There are lots of factors which make for taking good photos in social environments - I'm not saying that a quiet shutter is the only factor - any more than camera size, high ISO ability and a hundred other factors (many of which the A7/r has got just right), but by saying that it isn't the only factor doesn't make it insignificant.
I think that for me, this is the biggest disappointment in what is a fabulous camera in so many respects - I don't understand why it was necessary to have such a noisy shutter - Leica can make a quiet one in the M240 (less in the MM and M9 I agree) - Pentax can manage it in their SLRs, Olympus can manage it - why couldn't Sony? By the way - the A7 is only 'better' than the A7r, I still don't thick it's 'okay'.