The Magic of 35mm Film in Wedding Photography across the UK & Scotland
There’s something truly magical and otherworldly about photography of weddings and elopements on 35mm film. Immersing yourself in film is like stepping back in time to where colours were richer and laughter was brighter, and viewing it through a hazy, romanticised lens. Your wedding gallery should tell the most immersive, nostalgic story of your wedding day and take you back to every feeling. If you dream of a gallery you can relive and truly feel, film is undeniably for you.
Why 35MM Film Feels So Special
35mm film has a way of slowing down a moment and freezing it authentically as it happened. With digital photography, I can take a hundred photographs of one moment and carefully select the best one. But, with film, only one photograph exists of that moment, and it captures that moment in all its honesty. It’s this honesty and authenticity that makes film so nostalgic - the moment exists in its purest form, just like the memory. The rich warmth of the colours, the soft grain and the perfect imperfections give film a dream-like quality, allowing you to feel as though you are watching the memory as opposed to simply viewing a photo. It’s this quality that digital photography simply cannot recreate.
Every time I work with film, I never quite know what I’m going to create. It’s only once the roll has been developed and the negatives scanned that we can look back on each intimate memory. There is no tweaking, no manipulation, no curation. It simply exists as is - this is why I love it and why my couples adore it.
What Makes WEDDINGS ON 35mm Film So Beautiful?
➵ Timeless Aesthetic:
Film has a soft, hazy, dream-like quality that no digital edit will ever come close to. The most intimate moments are captured with purity and authenticity, creating photographs that are so real and so akin to human memory. The colours are warmer, the contrasts are softer, and there’s a gentle, romantic feel captured in every shot. If you dream of a wedding gallery that’s immersive, nostalgic and feels like the most romantic Shakespeare-worthy love story, film is undoubtedly for you.
➵ A Little Nostalgia:
Film is inherently nostalgic. Think of your parents' wedding album, or photographs of you and your siblings as children, or your grandparents on holiday. It’s timeless and immersive, it tells a story from history that feels just like a memory. Your wedding gallery should feel the same for you, for your children, and their children. Every time I get a film scan delivery, I feel emotional. I’m taken back to your day and I can feel the love pouring through the photographs, and I know you’ll feel this too for years to come.
➵ The Beauty of Imperfection:
Film has such a magical ability to create perfection from imperfection. A slight grain, a soft focus, a beam of sunlight leaking into the frame. These imperfections elevate that quality that is so close to our memory and give depth and to the story. Film has soul and life and makes every single moment a love song.
Thank you so so much for these beautiful photos, we absolutely love them! They were so lovely to look back on. You were so brilliant on the day and you’ve put so much care into editing the photos, we can’t wait to show our family. And thank you so much for our lovely box of prints and goodies, so beautiful! We are in love with your photography and so glad to have had you there on our wedding day, we are so grateful!
Caitlin + Scott
The Process: From Roll to Memory
Once the champagne has finished and the cake is all gone, I drop your film rolls off personally to my local film lab. I patiently wait while they are carefully developed and scanned and, once they’re processed, they get delivered straight to my inbox. Opening your film scans gets me emotional every single time, as this is the first time I’ll be seeing the outcome. I add them to your gallery and carefully work through them to bring forward all of their most beautiful qualities - from the colours to the soft grain, the light leaks and everything in between. I edit film very lightly to simply enhance the natural beauty. Something so pure as a memory doesn’t need to be perfected.
When you receive your gallery, it’s like opening up a little box of magic. You get to feel every moment again, see the most honest laughter that you can almost hear, see every gentle touch you know so well, and immerse yourself in memory. Film is truly the most honest, authentic and timeless form of photography, and your wedding is the perfect place for it.
How 35mm Film and Digital Work Together
Your wedding day is full of magical, heartfelt moments, and I know just how important it is to document every single one. I shoot a mix of both digital and 35mm film to ensure no moments are missed. Digital allows me to work quickly and gather images on a large scale. Film allows me to be more deliberate and document more of those heartfelt, intimate moments in a slower paced format. Digital gives you every angle and perspective, while film sprinkles that little bit of pixie dust throughout your gallery. My blend of the two formats create the ultimate nostalgic experience allowing you to relive every part of your wedding day and truly feel immersed in the story.
Let’s Make Some Magic
If you adore 35mm film as much as I do and dream of the most honest, warm, romantic, and nostalgic gallery, I would love to hear from you. 35mm Film is a truly special format of photography and I would truly love to be able to give you these pure, tangible memories of your wedding day. Let’s make some magic and create a gallery to immerse yourselves in for a lifetime.