Why You Should Add Film Photography to Your Wedding Day
My First Experience Shooting Film at a Wedding
When I first started photography, it was all film. Digital wasn’t the standard just yet. Loading rolls, winding manually, and waiting for scans was just part of the process.
So when I began photographing weddings about 7 years ago, I honestly didn’t think film would ever be something couples would request. I figured the precision, ease, and instant gratification of digital would always win. But slowly, year after year, the requests for film coverage started to trickle in.
Now? It’s having a full-blown resurgence. Super 8 wedding films, camcorder-style video, 35mm snapshots, and even Holga images have exploded in popularity. It’s not just a trend—it’s a creative wave that’s put soul back into the industry.
Film has changed the game. It makes you slow down, shoot with intention, and trust your gut. It brings imperfection, honesty, texture—and it brings magic.
These images here are from the first time I brought a film camera to a wedding. It was an intimate elopement—just the couple, no distractions. I brought my Canon AE1 along and used it sparingly throughout the day while my Sony did the heavy lifting.
When I got the scans back, I couldn’t stop smiling. The tones, the grain, the unexpected moments—it was all exactly what the day felt like. I’ve never looked back. Since that day, I always bring film cameras with me to every wedding.
All the images from this post were captured that day.
Why Film Photography Is Having a Moment
Film is everywhere again. But why?
According to top wedding publications like The Knot, Vogue Weddings, Brides, and Green Wedding Shoes, there are a few big reasons:
- Authenticity > Perfection: Today’s couples don’t want staged, heavily retouched images—they want the real stuff. Film naturally brings emotion, movement, and beautiful imperfection.
- Slowness Is Romantic: In an age where everything is instant, film makes you pause. There’s something intimate about knowing each frame counts.
- Nostalgia Meets Aesthetic: Film connects couples to family history—those wedding albums their parents had. But it also happens to look incredible on Pinterest, too.
- TikTok & Super 8 Films: The rise of analog-style video and film content on social platforms has introduced an entire generation to the charm of old-school visuals—especially Gen Z couples who grew up digital and now crave the opposite.
Is It Worth Adding Film to Your Wedding Day?
Absolutely—but here’s what you need to know to make the call that’s right for you:
Top 3 Pain Points Couples Have When It Comes to Film
- “Will I get fewer photos?”
Yes and no. Film isn’t meant to replace digital—it’s meant to complement it. I still deliver hundreds of digital images, and film is added for those irreplaceable frames that carry a little extra soul. - “What if they don’t turn out?”
Trust your photographer. I’ve spent years shooting film, understanding light, metering, and embracing the unpredictable in a way that always results in magic—even if that magic wasn’t the original plan. - “How much more will it cost?”
Expect to add between $300–$1,500+ depending on the number of rolls, cameras used (35mm, medium format, Holga, Polaroids), and whether you want Super 8 video coverage. Film is more expensive because of the cost of rolls, development, and time—but the value is in what it brings.
What Film Brings to Your Wedding Day
There’s no preset or Lightroom tweak that can replicate film. It captures the day in a completely different energy.
- Colors are more romantic.
- Movement feels more alive.
- The images feel like memories.
Adding film isn’t about being trendy. It’s about being timeless. It’s a creative choice that elevates the story of your wedding day—especially for couples who value artistry, storytelling, and feeling everything fully.
Inquire About Film Wedding Photograph
Whether you want just a few rolls of 35mm, or full-day hybrid digital + film coverage, I’d love to help you design something meaningful.
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Let’s talk about film on your wedding day →
My photography is a blend of art, experience, and instinct, a little bit of this, a little bit of that. It started 22 years ago, the first time I stepped into a darkroom, a moment that sparked a lifelong pull toward capturing the world through a lens. That pull eventually led me into the fine art space, collaborating with artists, managing studios, and working alongside galleries and museums, studying art and photography through both undergraduate and graduate school, where my aesthetic developed under the influence of critical theory and contemporary art. I found myself drawn to the intersection of documentary photography and the spontaneous, unfiltered moments of real life. My goal has always been the same: images that are raw, honest, and deeply human.
I founded Teresa LoJacono Photography in 2013, and started experimenting with wedding photography in 2019, on purpose, and differently than what I’d been trained to expect from the industry. Travel plays a huge role in my creative process too, I find inspiration in the unfamiliar, letting light, movement, and emotion guide my eye. With a camera in hand, everything becomes a canvas and a chance to catch what’s actually happening, not what’s staged for it. If there’s one belief that’s driven all of it, it’s this: have fun, and let it be what it’s going to be. I’ll be there to catch whatever happens.
