Why I Shoot Film at Weddings

A love letter to light, memory, and the magic of slowness.

There’s something film captures that digital just can’t reach. It’s not just the softness or the colours, or the beautiful grain (though those are part of it). It’s the way film feels. 

When I photograph your wedding, I’m holding a camera that’s physically recording the light of your day, the actual sunlight that warmed your shoulders, the candle glow from your dinner, the soft overcast skies just before you kissed.

With film, that light doesn’t just get measured. It gets imprinted onto the negative. The moment becomes part of the medium and that makes every image feel like a memory you’re stepping back into.

I include film photography as part of every wedding I shoot, not as a nostalgic extra, but because it adds depth and emotion to your story. You can see how I weave film and digital together in my wedding gallery , most of the time, you might not even realise which is which. But the ones you feel most drawn to? They’re often the ones captured on film.

What I Use  and Why

These aren’t throwaway cameras. I use a Nikon F5 , a professional 35mm film camera from the 90s, the same one used by documentary photographers, fashion shooters, and war reporters. It’s fast, reliable, and deeply intuitive. I pair it with pro Nikon lenses that help me create something rich and emotionally honest, not staged or overly perfect.

There’s a patience required with film. You don’t spray and hope. You look. You wait. You press the shutter at the right moment. And that sense of slowness, of being fully present, is what film brings into your gallery.

A Little Magic in the Mix

Some photographers shoot film to stand out. I shoot film because I love it. I always have.

I was ten years old when I first saw a camera like mine on screen. It was Jurassic Park 2. A character lifted a Nikon F5 to their eye and I was spellbound. I didn’t even know what it was called, but I knew it was important. Later in life, I found that camera again. I held it in my hands and something clicked, like recognising an old friend. That’s the very camera I bring to your wedding.

So yes, your gallery is mostly digital, edited with care, curated with intent, but film runs through it like a quiet thread, adding softness where it’s needed. Stillness where it belongs. A deeper breath in the middle of a fast, joyful day.

If You Want More Than Pretty Pictures

If you’re looking for emotive, editorial wedding photography with real warmth and soul, not just images that look good, but images that feel like you — then I’d love to hear your plans. Whether you’re marrying in a grand London hotel, under olive trees in Lake Como, or among the wildflowers in the Cotswolds, film can elevate your story in ways that are tender, timeless, and beautifully true.

Explore more of what it’s like to work with me on my About page, or get in touch to chat about your day.

Because you only get one wedding day. And some moments deserve to be remembered slowly.