You’ve probably seen it. You stumble upon a photo, and there’s just something about it – it stops you in your tracks, softens your gaze, and floods you with emotions.
It’s usually soft – a glowing image with just the right grain. It doesn’t look edited or altered, it just looks different. It looks like a memory feels. The second you see it – the light, the color – something inside your soul exhales slowly.
That’s the magic of film wedding photography.
We live in a world of instant photos and infinite filters, and while there’s a time and place for digital photography, film offers us something different.
It’s slower. More honest, somehow. And whether you’re having a microwedding, small wedding, or a luxury elopement, it can tell your story in a more well-rounded, emotional way.
And for couples craving photos that aren’t just technically beautiful but emotionally rich, film can be the medium that your wedding day (and your wedding photo gallery) truly needs.
Let’s talk about why.
In this article:
- The Beauty & Magic of Film Wedding Photography
- Film Wedding Photography vs. Digital Wedding Photography – Which is Best?
- A Blend of Both: Why Hire a Film Wedding Photographer Who Offers It All?
Pictured: A microwedding at Chateau de Michellia in Oregon. Florals by Wildflower Portland and rentals by Great Jones.
The Beauty & Magic of Film Wedding Photography
I could talk for hours about the wonder of film, but the long and short of it is this: There’s no filter, editing preset, or shortcut that could ever do perfectly what film does naturally.
You can mimic the look of a film, but you can’t fake the feeling of it.
And that’s because film isn’t about perfection. It’s about presence, depth, richness. It’s all evident in the little bits of grain, the depth of shadow, and the glow of natural light.
These characteristics that make up and embody how film feels aren’t accidents.
They’re the result of a slower, more intentional process by a skilled wedding film photographer who knows when to use film and how that medium can change the way you experience your wedding photos.
Film Photography Looks the Way a Moment Feels
If you’ve ever seen film photography, you know instantly that it feels different than a digital photo. There’s something poetic about film photography and the way a film camera renders light and captures color.
Film embraces the imperfections of a moment that make it unforgettable; the depth of a shadow, the pop of a highlight, the true-to-life color. It’s raw and unfiltered – truly representative of a moment that’s being captured.
With film, you see and feel how a moment happened – something that connects our brains and hearts to the moment itself. Film has an honest lens that preserves emotion in a way that tugs on our human hearts and asks us to step back into how it felt when it happened.
Film stands firmly in what’s real and right in front of your eyes, and that’s reflected in both the way film is captured and experienced after it’s been developed.
Pictured: Bride dressed in a strapless silk Eleanors Bridal gown with jewelry by A.B.Ellie and White Diamonds on her wedding day in Amangiri in the southern Utah desert. Planned by Kailoha Co Events.
Film Slows Everything Down in the Best Way
Film doesn’t beg for perfection, it asks for presence.
And that presence invites both the photographer and the couple to breathe, connect, and soak in what’s happening. With film, everyone enters a different headspace. Everyone slows down a bit; things become more thoughtful and intentional.
Film requires skill, patience, and experience. Your photographer needs to have a holistic understanding of lighting, timing, and movement. Knowing when to be in the right place at the right time (with the right settings) requires forethought, but it also requires slower moments.
With digital photography, nothing holds you back from firing off as many frames as you need to capture a moment. And while there’s nothing wrong with it (in fact, in lots of circumstances, digital photography is a better way to capture certain moments), film gives you the gift of entering a different headspace.
Less stress means more time to embrace the moments happening and unfolding around you. You can slow down, soak in, just be, and your photographer can become more observant, insightful, and intentional with the moments they capture.
There’s Technical Magic in Wedding Film Photography
In a lot of ways, you can’t top the technical range of an OG film camera.
That’s my opinion, but it’s also in the technical details. Film renders light in a way that digital still can’t quite replicate. Film’s dynamic range – the ability to keep detail in both highlights and shadows – is unmatched, even in our era of modern (and frankly incredible!) digital cameras.
The color. The grain. The softness. There’s a look and feeling to film – and that’s part nostalgia, part technical setup.
Unlike digital, where you can tweak and fix after the fact, film demands mastery upfront. For wedding photography, film isn’t really beginner-friendly. Though there are still plenty of beginners shooting film at weddings–often with point-n-shoots and often with muddy, shadowy, and very grainy results.
It takes years of experience to know which stock to use, how to meter the light, correctly expose your film, and how to trust the process (without being able to see it immediately in the back of the camera).
All of that magic? It doesn’t happen by accident. It happens with skill, planning, and the kind of creative intuition that only time and experience can teach. In other words, wedding film photography can tell you a lot about your photographer’s talent. As a result, film wedding photography can cost more, but with the right photographer, it’s always worth it.
Pictured: Rachel + Jacob getting ready at Crook Point. Bride wearing Grace Loves Lace with Catbird and Vrai jewelry.
Film Wedding Photography vs. Digital Wedding Photography – Which is Best?
In truth, one isn’t better than the other. It all comes down to preferences, circumstances, and purpose.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer about which type of medium is best for capturing your wedding. In truth, I’m a hybrid wedding photographer – that means I shoot with a variety of mediums because I believe that captures your story, your day, and your experience most beautifully.
I also wholeheartedly believe that both film and digital have a place in your wedding photos.
They’re two tools that use two different but beautiful languages to tell one cohesive, honest story of your wedding day.
Where & When Film Wins in Wedding Photography
I truly believe film shines in the slow, cinematic moments – the kinds that feel like their own mini-stories wrapped inside the greater one. Film allows me to take colors and light and create a magical photo – the kind you want to dive right into.
Pictured: A micro wedding in Washington’s North Cascades. Bride wearing BHLDN wedding dress, with florals created by Tangled Roots florals, and setup and dinner provided by Miere Catering.
I love shooting film for emotionally-rich, intentional pauses throughout the day, like:
- Getting ready moments: Quiet moments full of human connection
- Couples portraits: Glowy, dreamy frames of the two of you
- Detail shots: Your jewelry, ceremony space, and reception tablescapes.
- The small stories: Wind in your veil, tears during vows, a shared look as the sun sets
- Candids: Of you and your guests celebrating, toasting, dancing.
Film requires ideal lighting and planning for the most beautiful results. With film, you have a built-in limit (a roll of film), whereas with digital, there’s greater flexibility in how many shots you can take.
Film is more limited, finite. It feels more precious because you only have so many shots on a roll.
To me, that makes film almost more special. Because of that, there’s this beautiful feeling behind film that says, “This was important – so much so we chose to immortalize this moment on film.”
Where & When Digital Wins in Wedding Photography
Digital photography has its strengths, too, and they matter. Most photographers agree that digital photography has greater flexibility than film in how much you can capture, how many frames per moment are possible, and how easy it is to fine-tune or adjust photos when editing.
Digital is fast-moving – perfect for the can’t-miss moments. It works much better than film for low light (without flash) or tricky light conditions. And it’s also crucial for scenarios where flexibility is everything and you need to adjust on the fly, then look at your camera’s screen to make sure that the adjustment was just right.
What I love about digital photography is that it’s fast, flexible, and forgiving. It makes sure no moments are missed – even the ones that fly by in front of your eyes.
I love using digital photography during your wedding day for moments like:
- Fast-moving but wildly important moments: Your first kiss or a spontaneous smile between sips of champagne
- Low light or bad light: You can’t always control the light, digital helps me refine my settings, make sure they’re working, and gives me a chance to edit a bit after the fact
Multiple shots of the same moment: With film, every shot is precious. With digital, I can capture the micromovements of the same moment, something that can help tell your story in your gallery.
Pictured: A seaplane elopement in Washington. Seaplane charter by Kenmore Air.
A Blend of Both: Why Hire a Film Wedding Photographer Who Offers It All?
Both film wedding photography and digital photography tell your story. Choosing a wedding photographer who can creatively and intentionally capture your wedding day with both is, in my opinion, the true sweet spot.
As a hybrid photographer, I don’t just love film for the aesthetic – I love it for the feeling, the technical depth, and the richness it can bring to your wedding gallery. I love digital for its speed, flexibility, and never-miss-a-moment ability.
In the ideal world, you’d have both. And I think you deserve that on your wedding day. Curious if film wedding photography is right for your day? Let’s dream it up together and find the magic that feels most like you. Reach out to me with any questions you have about film or to schedule a chat about your intimate wedding or luxury elopement.
