Film Photos for your Elopement in Washington, Mixing the digital world with the 90’s nostalgia
Okay so you’re searching the google, tiktok, everywhere for your perfect mixed medium wedding elopement photographer. Someone who does film, digital, maybe video, content creation. There are so many more options for media in 2026 weddings and elopements and personally I kinda love it.
I personally want to show you how I include film photos into my elopement packages for my clients, and what that looks like during your actual elopement to the how you get your photos afterwards.
Want more of my planning guides or elopement packages?
Make sure to do a deep dive in the blog, I have you covered whether you want to elope in Washington, the midwest, or anywhere in between!
👉🏻 How to Elope in Washington
👉🏻 Mt Baker Elopement Packages
👉🏻 Wedding Pricing and Packages
Film Photos Made a Huge Comeback into Weddings + Elopements
Film photography has truly been one of the best inventions. We can freeze time in a way that can’t be replicated by digital or mirrorless. It’s just a certain human warmth to the images. From the feeling you get to the smell, it takes you to that memory.
In a way I think that’s why film has made such a comeback into modern day weddings. People want to cling to a feeling, they want to remember how everything felt and not just do their wedding for the sake of a social media post.
Kinds of Film Photos you can see
I personally love 35mm film, this is a super popular format from disposable cameras to quick point and shoot, to SLR (you can change the lenses and control more of the settings for exposure).
A few wedding photographers will do medium format or even large format film at weddings! They all have their own creative edge and what makes this industry so fun.
How I take Film photos + digital + BTS iPhone content during your elopement
This is kind of an art form in itself because when I slow down to think about it, it sounds insane.
The gear I bring to each elopement is my digital camera, back up digital, film camera, extra film rolls, phone tripod, and capturing all the BTS on my actual iPhone.
Throughout the day I am capturing everything on all formats, and I trust my gut on what format to use for what moments. I also take into account what kind of film is currently loaded inside my film camera.
For me I don’t want your film photos to just be a “copy and paste” of the digital. Digital is more forgiving than film, but I want film photos to have their own time to shine.
So I will do different angles, wait for different reactions, and trust me after 15 years in the wedding photography industry I can feel when a moment is about to happen and I’m ready for it.
With iPhone content it is a mix of grabbing it on my tripod while I press record and walk around with my other cameras, and then pulling it out (or using my meta glasses) while holding my bigger cameras.
It’s a dance, and I know I look a little crazy with it all loaded on me with my harness and fjall raven fanny pack… but I love it. I truly do love creating with it all.
My process from start to finish with each client
When clients first reach out to me they know they want film photos as well as digital photos. The iPhone BTS is kind of like a bonus, but I try to make sure to give my clients what I wish I had back in 2019 (content creation wasn’t a thing back then).
- You inquire & book with me
- We do extensive planning from custom locations for elopements, to family names for weddings
- Capture it all on your wedding or elopement day
- I send your film out to be developed at my trusted film photo lab
- Once I receive the film photo scans back, I correct them (crop etc) before adding to your gallery
- From there I back up all your photos on a USB drive for a physical back up and mail everything to you with a handful of prints so you can start your photo albums
This way you know exactly what to expect from start to finish. My goal is that you’re never guessing if something is done yet.
Let’s plan your Elopement Package!
If you know you want mixed mediums in your final gallery, I’m ready to do it for you. I’m an adventure elopement photographer who spends her summer in Washington (and the rest of the PNW) with my fall in Iowa, Colorado, and the rest of the midwest.
My packages always include film (least as I am writing this in 2026) so you don’t have to worry about adding it on.
