Ways to incorporate Film into your Wedding Day

I’m sure you’ve seen that film Photography is trending recently. 

Analog is definitely back in style. Especially in the wedding photography world, film photography is becoming more and more popular. So what are some fun or creative ways to incorporate film into your wedding day? Well, there are a lot — let’s dive into it.

1. Hire a film wedding photographer! 

I’d say this is probably the most obvious way to incorporate film into your wedding day, but it’s certainly not the most boring.

Film photographers dig creativity — we love the messy, the blurry, the in-between photos, and it tends to really spice up a wedding gallery. Plus, remember your parents’ or grandparents’ wedding photos? All of those were shot on film. The art of film is truly timeless.

Professional film wedding photographers are the best option if you’re looking for someone you can trust to deliver beautiful film photos with consistency. We’re more prepared to shoot film than the average joe, so if you want someone you can count on to shoot film at your wedding, look for a “hybrid” (film and digital) photographer!

Film wedding photographers are popping up everywhere now, so if you’re interested in analog, just ask. We photographers love to talk about all things film.

2. Polaroids

One of my personal favorites in the film category is Polaroid photography. Some professional photographers like myself bring a Polaroid camera to every wedding as a special little bonus, but if your photographer doesn’t have one, never fear! You can easily find new Polaroids for a reasonable price online.

On your big day, you could set up a Polaroid “photo booth” with props and a simple backdrop, use it for your guest book (which is my next tip…), or even just ask your guests to pass around a Polaroid camera! It’s a ton of fun, and everyone loves the instant gratification of a photo you can hold in your hands.

3. Instax Guest Book

Stemming off the Polaroid tip — I’m sure by now everyone has seen this trend, but personally, it’s one of my favorites, so I’m shamelessly adding it to this post.

Polaroid (or more specifically, instax or instax mini) guest books are such a cute and interactive way to incorporate film into your wedding day! People snap a photo, put it into the blank guest book, usually with some cute little photo corners, and then sign something sweet next to their image. It’s truly a perfect keepsake to look back on later. Bonus: it’s relatively inexpensive and so fun for the guests! I certainly recommend getting extra films, too. After the wedding, if you have leftovers, you can take the instax on your honeymoon!

4. Super8 Video

Does your photographer love film? Do they also love shooting Super8? Is your wedding photographer…me?

Jk. But all jokes aside: Super8 is another trendy medium in the wedding photography world, and for a GREAT reason: It’s the perfect wedding video.

Super8 video was created by Kodak in 1965 to make the home video simple and accessible for everyone and was widely used until the 80s. Now, Super8 is a novelty, primarily used by artists and nostalgia lovers like yours truly.

I think Super8 is one of the best ways to incorporate film into your wedding day because it’s a simple, nostalgic video that you can hold onto forever. Especially if you are choosing not to hire a professional videographer, Super8 video is a great highlight of the day.

If you’re interested in seeing a few of my Super8 films, you can check out my vimeo account or my Film page!

5. Disposable Cameras

Another interactive way to incorporate film into your wedding day is to pick up a handful of disposable cameras and leave them on the reception tables for guests to use!

This fun trend has been around a long time, and for a good reason. It’s so timeless and cool to see the guest's perception of a wedding day, and it just gets better as the party rages on. You can get bulk packs of them on Amazon for a reasonable price, and after the wedding, you can drop them off at your local drug store or film shop for processing and printing. It requires minimal work on your end and always has hilarious results. Win-win.

Not interested in giving a bunch of cameras to your guests? Another fun idea could be to just grab two disposables — one for you and one for your partner — and use them to playfully document the day! Imagine how cute it would be to look back on your future wedding photos and see some fun getting ready selfies, pictures of each other during your portraits, and pictures of all your friends tearing it up on the dance floor! All on film.

^ a photo of yours truly, captured by a guest at a wedding on a disposable camera!

To sum it all up — FILM IS FUN 

…and you should definitely consider having analog around for your big day. There are so many ways to incorporate film into your wedding day, and they don’t have to break the bank. Of course, I always recommend hiring a professional film photographer, but I also think everyone deserves to have a little film on their wedding day, so hopefully, one (or more) of these ideas sparked your creativity.

Wanna know why I’m so passionate about film and analog photography? You can read a lil more about me here. If you’re interested in hearing about my film packages or have questions about the film, reach out! I’m an open book.