What Film Adds to Your Wedding Photos (35mm Film vs Digital)
Over the past couple of years, I’ve started dipping my toes into 35mm film. I picked up my first film camera without really knowing what to expect, wanting to explore it on my own before ever considering bringing it into my professional work. It was important to me to make sure I truly loved it—and that it aligned with how I already approach photographing a wedding day.
Spoiler alert: I was hooked almost immediately.
Since then, film has become something I genuinely love incorporating into how I photograph. I recently started offering it as an add-on for weddings because I truly believe it adds something meaningful to a wedding day.
If you’re on the fence about adding 35mm film to your wedding day, here are a few of the reasons I’ve been so drawn to it—and why I’ve fallen in love with it.
How Film Changes the Way I Photograph
With digital, it’s easy to take hundreds of photos without thinking twice. Film doesn’t work like that.
There’s no screen to check, no instant feedback. Just a moment, your instinct, and the split moment decision to press the shutter.
Because of that, I find myself slowing down. Paying closer attention. Being more intentional about what I’m capturing and why.
The Nostalgia You Can’t Recreate Digitally
It reminds me of old family photos—the kind you find tucked into albums (we still have ours), where flipping through the pages brings you right back to that exact moment in time. It’s not something you’re scrolling past on a phone or seeing for a second on social media—it’s something you sit with, that makes you feel like you’re there again. The kind you come across years later and instantly feel connected to.
There’s a depth and honesty to it that’s hard to replicate digitally, no matter how advanced editing becomes. It’s a little imperfect. A little softer. And because of that, it feels even more real.
Why I Chose to Bring Film Into Weddings
After shooting more and more film personally, it started to feel like a natural extension of how I already approach weddings.
I’ve always been drawn to the in-between moments—the ones that aren’t posed or planned. Film fits into that seamlessly. It allows me to capture those moments in a way that feels even more organic and unforced.
So over time, I began bringing it along to weddings and sessions to try and incorporate it in a small, intentional way. Not as a replacement for digital, but as a complement to it.
How Film Fits Into a Wedding Day
If you choose to include film coverage, I’ll photograph select parts of your day on 35mm film alongside your digital images.
It’s not about documenting everything on film—it’s about choosing the moments that lend themselves to it. The quiet ones. The in-between ones. The moments that feel like they should live a little differently.
Those images are then developed and scanned, and delivered alongside your full gallery.
Is Film Wedding Photography Right for You?
Film isn’t for everyone—and that’s okay.
But if you’re drawn to:
- A more nostalgic, timeless feel
- Images that feel a little less polished and more organic
- The idea of slowing down and capturing moments intentionally
…it might be something you’ll really love having as part of your day.
Final Thoughts
Film has become something I genuinely love—not just for how it looks, but for how it makes me photograph. If you’re drawn to the feeling of film and are considering adding it to your wedding day, I’d love to talk through whether it’s a good fit for you.
