Portland Family Photographer: A Candid Slice of Life

As a Portland family photographer and family photographer Portland Oregon, I view my role as preserving your life in art. A session like this is the perfect way to do that. I used photos and Super 8 to document a candid slice of life for Jan, Nola, and Stella. I am so in love with these family portraits Portland, Oregon.

A Portland Family Photographer for Nola, Jan, and Stella

When Jan and Nola decided to move, they reached out to me to document one of their last weekends in Portland on photo and Super 8. I love working with families to commemorate a meaningful moment like this. In fact, I did the same for another family in Seattle. You can check out that session here. 

Nola is also a photographer. It’s always such a compliment to photograph another artist. These photos show so many sides of her. She’s the cool mom, the artsy mom, the baker mom. She’s self-aware, and everything she touches turns to gold. That includes the family she’s built with Jan, one of the raddest people I’ve met. 

Celebrating Life Unfiltered in Photo and Super 8

This session was the dream for a Portland family photographer. I met Nola, Jan, and Stella at their house. It was disheveled and full of packing boxes in preparation for their move, and it was perfect. We could preserve the chaotic, beautiful truth of this moment. We walked their favorite paths around the neighborhood and hung out in the yard. Everyone was so at ease that I felt like I could document their life authentically.

Nola and Jan opted to include Super 8 in their family session. As a Portland family photographer, this is one of my favorite mediums to work with. It’s emotional and real. Super 8 has a lot of vintage appeal because it looks like old school home videos. It’s also really unique and different from the digital video we see all the time. Check out Jan, Nola, and Stella’s Super 8 film below.

Would you like me to be your Portland family photographer? Or are you wanting family photography Portland Oregon? Let’s create art that imitates your life. Reach out to me here!

A Rad Whidbey Island Wedding Venue For Your Day

Whidbey Island is known for its rugged Western beauty. Think steep hills leading to quiet beaches and dark fir trees shading sleek cabins. Captain Whidbey was a dope Whidbey Island wedding venue for Nancy and Sebastian’s simple and deeply meaningful celebration. If you’re looking for Whidbey Island wedding venues, Coupeville wedding venues, or Camano Island wedding venues, you’ll want to read further.

Captain Whidbey: A Rad Whidbey Island Wedding Venue

Captain Whidbey is a hotel tucked into the fir forest overlooking the water at Whidbey Island. Modern cabins sit under the trees. Shiplap walls, warm natural wood, and gingham curtains make the interiors inviting. This seaside hotel feels like the Pacific Northwest with its mix of dark colors and unbelievable views. Captain Whidbey even ties in a artisanal food experience with food grown in their garden.

As a Whidbey Island wedding venue, Captain Whidbey can host anything from elopements to celebrations of 120 guests. Packages in peak season start at $6000. If you want to get ready and take portraits at Captain Whidbey without holding your ceremony there, you can exchange vows at Ebey’s Landing or one of the other incredible parks on the island. Captain Whidbey is Ebey’s Landing’s unofficial lodge, and it’s easy to enjoy the reserve’s rugged beauty while staying at the hotel.

Whidbey Island is the perfect setting for a wedding with a mix of intimacy and adventure. You don’t have to do strenuous hikes to enjoy the sense of wilderness. It's a romantic and exciting place, one that feels unfiltered and real. You can drive to Whidbey Island, but if you really want to get the full experience, try taking the Clinton Ferry or Coupeville Ferry from the mainland. 

Simplicity and Flow for a Meaningful Celebration

Nancy and Sebastian express their deep, mushy gushy love in simple but moving ways. When they got engaged, they quietly exchanged rings at a Brooklyn park. Nancy called it “one of the more meaningful things I’ve experienced.” Each small moment held meaning for them. They wanted their wedding to have the same feeling but with a handful of friends and family to bear witness.

If I had to pick two words to describe Nancy and Sebastian’s celebration at their Whidbey Island wedding venue, it would be simplicity and flow. They pared down the details to the things that really mattered. Then they got their planning done early so they could sit back and enjoy the raw emotions of the moment. Everything flowed with uncomplicated beauty.

On the morning of their wedding, Nancy and Sebastian got ready together in their cabin at Captain Whidbey. They took some time just the two of them on the beach to explore and soak up the moment. The images from this part of the day give you the sense that their whole life together will be full of quiet, meaningful mornings. 

Afterward, Sebastian and Nancy met up with family members on the beach near Captain Whidbey for their ceremony. Sebastian’s father traveled from Colombia to co-officiate the ceremony with Nancy’s sister. The ceremony was exactly what Nancy envisioned in their inquiry: modern, intimate, rooted in their closest relationships.

Captain Whidbey was the perfect Whidbey Island wedding venue for this celebration. It was the right combination of cozy and elegant with easy access to quiet stretches of beach. I feel so lucky that Sebastian and Nancy chose me to document their tender, authentic day.

Would you like me to photograph your wedding? I’m a Seattle wedding photographer specializing in candid film images and Super 8 video. Let’s connect!

The Why Behind Film Wedding Photography is Dope

Film wedding photography is such a dope addition to your wedding coverage. The photos are artistic and emotional on a level that digital just can’t achieve. In this post, I share what you should know about adding film to your wedding photography package and what to look for in a film wedding photographer. 

Film Wedding Photography: Nostalgic Artistry

Film is for marriers who want to blur the lines between modern life and vintage nostalgia at their wedding. It’s for people who value the artistry wedding photography can reveal in our lives. There’s something cozy and breathtaking about wedding photos on film, especially when you print them out and hold them in your hands. If you want to learn more about documentary weddings, photographer films, film photographers, and film wedding photographers, you’ll want to keep reading.

As a film wedding photographer, I love the multidisciplinary act of working with a modern $5,000 camera and a vintage camera for $500 from the early 1990’s. I’m able to capture so much of the feeling of a wedding day with these different tools. It gives that mix of emotions and images that show life like you remember it.

I also have to be really intentional about using each photo on the roll. Limiting frames to 36 per roll rather than infinite clicks of a digital camera encourages me to prioritize what matters to my clients.

What You Should Know for Your Wedding

There are some less obvious differences between digital and film wedding photography that affect your experience. Here’s what you should know about having film coverage for your wedding:

1. It’s an art.

Yes, digital photography can be artistic, but film photography really gets back to the roots of this art form. It’s less about precision and more about raw emotion.

2. You don’t get instant gratification (unless it’s Polaroid).

Digital wedding photographers can just upload their files to their computers and jump into editing. With film wedding photography, your photographer has to mail in the film and wait for the digital scans to come in. (I love The Find Lab and Photovision for developing film.)

3. There’s less editing to slow down the delivery timeline.

Even though you have to wait for film scans to come in, the lack of editing means your overall timeline for delivery could be shorter.

4. Film wedding photography is unique and can’t be duplicated.

Film lends itself to documenting candid moments. Sometimes “imperfections” like light leaks and solar flares create the coolest images that no one could have planned. It’s a whole vibe.

Finding Your Film Wedding Photographer

When you choose a wedding photographer to document your day on film, make sure they have experience. You deserve someone who understands film wedding photography as well as they do digital. That requires a more technical understanding of their equipment (because you can’t edit out mistakes in post). 

I’m a multidisciplinary photographer who understands how to use any camera I touch. That expertise means my clients get slices of life on film, not just posed portraits. Would you like me to photograph your wedding? Inquire with me here!

Groovy Seattle Wedding Videography with Mixed Media

When you first start looking for Seattle wedding videography, you might think you must pick between digital and film. The truth is, you don’t! You can mix and match Super 8 film, camcorders, and digital to create a video that feels like you in this moment of life. If those slow-motion, posed videos feel cheesy and fake to you, work with a videographer who will switch it up. I’ll show you how you can have a wedding video that’s authentic to you by mixing media.

Options for Seattle Wedding Videography, videographers in Seattle, WA, and wedding videographers in Seattle

You’re probably most familiar with highly produced digital wedding videos. However, if you want a more authentic way to tell your wedding story, it’s totally possible. Sometimes, it starts with picking the right medium. There are many tools to choose from to make your wedding video vibey and true to you. Here are some of the tools I use for Seattle wedding videography.

4k Digital

4k is the format most people are familiar with these days. It’s good for faster-paced moments and capturing very crisp, colorful footage. People who want traditional audio (think vows over a montage of lovey-dovey moments) often prefer 4K digital video.

A Vintage Camcorder

Do you want your wedding video to feel more like a home movie? Adding a camcorder will give you those soft-around-the-edges nostalgic moments. It’s not as modern-looking as 4K but not as old-school as Super 8, either. It’s got that colorful, raw 90’s energy.

Super 8

This 8mm film system was invented in the 1960s. Kodak designed it for amateur videographers. Read home videos. It really made home videos accessible to way more people than any technology had previously. Picture the opening credits of The Wonder Years. The warm, dreamy footage is my absolute favorite addition to a wedding video. You can feel it on a whole different level.

Wedding Videography You’ll Be Obsessed With

I’ll be real with you. Super 8 is my absolute favorite way to document a wedding (in addition to film photography). I love it so much that I made a course for videographers who want to add it to their repertoire. Here are a few reasons why adding Super 8 to your Seattle wedding videography is a rad idea. 

Super8 will switch up your videography experience. You can spend more time in the moment with your people and less time standing in the best light. Super 8 isn’t meant for super-posed, over-dramatic moments. Instead of repeating candid gestures for your videographer, you get a combination of spontaneous moments documented with intention.

Super 8 is also tangible and real. Emotion radiates from Super 8 footage. Without complicated production, it feels genuine. You can imagine sitting down decades from now and sharing those big feels with the important people in your life.

Having an actual roll of film instead of a digital file on a computer is also cool as fuck. You have a legit home movie of your wedding. Nothing will get you more nostalgic than this soft footage with its neutral tones. You can really feel Super 8 films.

Things You Should Know about Choosing Super 8 for Your Wedding Videography

With any wedding coverage, it’s good to know what to expect going in. My goal is to make it easy for you to stay focused on the irreplaceable moments unfolding. Here’s what you should know about including Super 8 in your Seattle wedding videography

Super 8 looks how memories feel. It looks more like a dream than the clean, sterile footage you get with digital video. You won’t get every detail in hyper focus. Instead you’ll get art. The film’s imperfections are what give it that beautiful softness and inviting feeling. Super8 instantly adds artsy, romantic vibes to your wedding video.

There are other types of film video available, but Super 8 is less expensive than 16mm film. It’s a more accessible way to have a film wedding video. If you’re getting film wedding photography, Super 8 is the perfect match. It gives you a cohesive way of telling your story in stills and video.

Since most home movies up to the 1980s were shot on some form of 8mm, any 8mm film will be reminiscent of those old home movies. You’ll look at your wedding video and get nostalgic for the home movies you grew up around. Or you’ll start a new tradition.

Most importantly, Super 8 will make you feel some type of way about your Seattle wedding videography. It’s raw and magical. I can’t get enough of these videos. The ways candid smiles and interactions translate on 8mm film are incredible.

Mixing Media for Chris and Tara’s Wedding

Tara and Chris value their adaptability in their relationship. They said, "We communicate, and love in a mixture of ways, depending on our moods and phases of life." They wanted their wedding photos and video to feel the same - a mixture of styles and moods that they can come back to throughout life. I mixed the media to make that happen. 

When it came to choosing a format for their Seattle wedding videography, Tara and Chris had different preferences at first. Tara loves muted tones, while Chris prefers bright colors. I included Super 8 and camcorder footage as a nod to Tara’s love of earthy tones and making home videos as a kid. I included 4k footage to portray the faster-paced moments and get that vivid color that Chris likes. It was the perfect mix to tell Chris and Tara’s whole story.

I love that the media of a wedding video can reflect people’s personalities. Each type of video - 4k, camcorder, and Super 8 - reflects different vibes from different parts of the wedding day, too. This wedding video portrays the whole breadth of emotions and energy from Tara and Chris’s wedding. The vintage videography styles compliment the digital video in documenting their celebration. It was modern and unpretentious, elegant and focused on what matters most.

Your Seattle Wedding Videography 

Whatever medium you choose for your wedding videography, it should feel like you. Your wedding video is art that imitates life. If your wedding is going to be intimate and focused on connections, adding Super 8 is a great way to document that. Make sure you pick a Seattle videographer who is going to give you art intentionally tailored to you. You deserve a video as honest and unique as your relationship.

Would you like me to document your Seattle wedding videography? I would love to work with you. We’ll choose the perfect formats to capture those unfiltered, in-between moments. Your video will help you relive your wedding like you remember it.

 Book your Seattle wedding videography!

Thank you to the vendors who made Chris and Tara’s wedding so dope:
Videography: Sara Welch Photography
Dress: Sarah Seven
Jewelry: Perry and Carlson
Hair and Makeup: Done by Tara with products from Ilia and Chantecaille
Hair color: Lindsey at The Chill Blonde
Florist: Anne Long at The Dahlia House and Pretty Bitchin Blooms
Catering: Arbia Pizza
Cake and other desserts: DERU Market
Macaroons: Renee Chiang

Get Started with Super 8 Wedding Film

Maybe you’ve seen it on Instagram - the dreamy, vintage videos of people in love. They look like they could be from the ‘70s in the best way. Warm grain amps up the emotions of intimate moments. Everything about Super 8 wedding film is rad. I’m Sara, a film photographer and Super 8 educator. In this blog post, I’m sharing what you need to know to get started with Super 8 in your wedding business. Come get obsessed with me.

Why Add Super 8 Wedding Film to Your Offerings

There are so many reasons to add Super 8 to your wedding offerings. If you love that vintage vibe but don’t want to learn a whole new skillset, Super 8 and Super 8mm wedding videography is a great solution. You’ll build on what you already know about creating great visuals. Think lighting, composition, all that good stuff you’re already doing in your photography.

Super 8 is actually an accessible way to get into videography compared to a lot of digital options. You don’t have to invest a ton of money in new professional gear. Typically, you can find Super 8 cameras for just a few hundred dollars. The end-to-end process is more affordable and less intimidating than the full-on cinematic setup you’ve probably seen at weddings. You don’t need mics or sound equipment, just your clients’ joy shining through in the footage.

But the REAL reason Super 8 is the shit? The clients. You get to meet the coolest people doing Super 8 wedding films. They’re people who want unfiltered emotion and see the artistry in life’s in-between moments. Those vibey visuals will make your brand a magnet for these clients. When they see Super 8 wedding film on your website and socials, they’ll know you’re the artist for them. 

Get ready to fall hard. Just check out this Super 8 wedding film and my work as a Super 8 videographer:

What You Need to Know about YOUR Super 8 and super 8mm Wedding Film

Super 8 wedding film is definitely outside of a lot of people’s experience. Even if you grew up with home videos, they were probably taken on a camcorder or similar equipment. Here are some things you should know before you get started.

1. Once you get the hang of it, it’s super straightforward.

Super 8 looks complicated from the outside, but the truth is that it’s less fuss than a lot of modern systems. You don’t need a whole set up and a crap ton of equipment - just your camera, charged battery, and some film.

2. It’s not as expensive as you think.

The costs can seem steep at the outset. Once you understand the process and where to buy and get your film developed, though, it makes sense. (More on costs in our free mini training. Watch it to get all the details!)

3. Things can go haywire if you’re just winging it.

Remember that this is film. Whatever is true for film photography is usually true for 8mm as well. You can’t delete a bad take on a Super 8 wedding film, and you have to understand your camera. This is not the kind of thing you want to learn just by messing around on your own. That’s why we created our Gr8 Super 8 Masterclass. More on that below!

4. There’s no audio.

A lot of contemporary videographers include audio recordings in their final edits. This can require multiple microphones. Super 8 wedding film, on the other hand, doesn’t have any sound. You can record sound on separate equipment, but people who want Super 8 tend to like it the way it is. The focus stays on the visuals and the emotions they create. It also frees marriers from having to wear mics on their wedding attire or figure out how to get them into their ceremony setup discreetly. Like I said, less fuss.

5. You’ll need some things to get set up.

Start with your physical equipment. You likely can get 8mm film from your local camera store. We love a local camera store.  I buy Super 8 film at Glazer’s Camera in Seattle and Pro8mm online.

As for digital requirements, you’ll need a platform to host videos for your clients. I use Vimeo. It’s pretty straightforward to use, and clients usually are familiar with the platform. Vimeo videos are easy to embed in blog posts as well. You can get a discount on your Vimeo subscription with this affiliate link. (I might make a small commission.) 

How to Create Dope Super 8 Wedding Films

By now, you’re probably thinking, “Cool cool cool. How do I learn to do all this?”

Good news is, you don’t have to do it through trial and error. Brilliant human and videographer Natalie Bergfalk and I teamed up to create a comprehensive course for photographers. Gr8 Super8 takes you through the whole process step by step. We combined everything we learned to help you skip a lot of the growing pains that come with adopting Super 8. You can skip the hassle with our no-fluff, confusion-free masterclass. We’re sharing everything you need to start offering Super 8 wedding film. 

Here’s a peek at what we cover in each module of the masterclass.

Camera Settings

We’ll help you find your first Super 8 camera. I even include a video of me shopping online to really break it down for you. Then we walk you through the ins and outs of a Super 8 camera - how it works, which settings you should know about, and how to prep for a session.

8mm Film

You know how there are different stocks of 35mm film? There are different types of 8mm film too. We cover each kind and when to use them.

Actually Filming

Time to put theory into practice. Expert videographer Natalie walks you through all the good stuff. We’re talking lighting, panning, and timing for your Super 8 camera.

Developing the Film

You can send your Super 8 film to be developed by a third party. Or you could learn the craftsmanship and technical skill behind the magic. (Can you tell which we prefer?) In this lesson, we take a start-to-finish journey through the developing process.

Basic Editing

Let’s turn all that footage into a story. We teach you basic editing for that vibey Super 8 you and your clients love.

Since this is a self-paced course, you can go from newbie to launching your new service as fast as you want. We’re really excited to help more photographers create vintage and vibey films.

Want to learn more about adding Super 8 wedding films to your offerings? Grab our free training! We’ll tell you what you can expect to invest, how we structure Super 8 packages, and which deliverables clients love. We’re even throwing in a discount code for $40 off of our course because we’re kind of obsessed with spreading the Super 8 love. Are you looking for a super 8 wedding videographer? Drop me a line here.

Seattle Lifestyle Photographer: The Sullivans’ Last Summer in Seattle

There are lots of legit reasons to hire a Seattle lifestyle photographer. The Sullivans reached out to me to document an important moment in their family - their last summer in Seattle and their last season as a family of three. I documented raw magic moments on a mix of digital and Super 8 film lifestyle photography Seattle.

A Seattle Lifestyle Photographer for the Sullivans

I love when clients reach out because they want to document their real life in a place that’s so important to them. Laura and Tim are incredible artists. Before the session, they shared this: “We are TRULY so excited to shoot with you specifically because of all the film/off-kilter/non-cookie cutter family photo vibes. We want weird and cannot wait to see what you create.” I couldn’t have described my approach to family lifestyle photography better!

Since the point of lifestyle photography is to document life unfiltered, we spent the evening the same way the Sullivans had been doing all summer. We met up at their rental then headed out for ice cream cones. Laura and Tim shared cones with their daughter Misa before heading to Lake Washington for a swim. It was the perfect way to capture what life was really like for the family in that moment.

That Last Summer in Seattle

As a Seattle lifestyle photographer, I love to incorporate Super 8 film into sessions. Laura was especially excited about this part of the session. With the move to Chicago looming, she wanted to preserve this moment in Misa’s childhood and their family’s life in Seattle. Laura said, “Something dreamy and sweet is going to remind me of this last summer as a family of three and how grateful I am for this life.” I love the way the Super 8 came together! You can see the full-length film from this session here.

Would you like me to be your Seattle lifestyle photographer? I’ll snap slices of life that you can revisit for years to come. Reach out!

Thanks to these Seattle businesses that helped make this day magic:

Ice cream: Homer

Children’s gifts: Perry and Carlson

Super 8 Wedding Videographer for Seattle Wedding

Super 8 adds instant nostalgia and artistry to wedding videography. Paired with film photography, it’s my favorite way to document a wedding. In the summer of 2022, I joined Hildi and Adam as their Super 8 wedding videographer and Super 8 videographer. They had a dreamy, connection-oriented backyard wedding outside of Seattle. I’m obsessed with their film photography and Super 8 video! Are you looking for Super 8mm wedding videography? Look no further.

Hiring a Super 8 Wedding Videographer

Hildi and I first met in a pretty unique way (for a wedding photographer and client, anyway). We met at a business meetup in Bellingham. We really hit it off and started following each other on Instagram. I was thrilled to be her photographer and Super 8 wedding videographer.

Like a lot of my clients, though, Hildi and Adam were excited about having film and Super 8 coverage as part of their wedding package. Hildi even photographs with film, and they’re both mixed media artists. They really wanted an alternative way to document their wedding day. I used mixed medium format film, instant Polaroid film, 35mm film, and a medium format digital film for their photos. For their videography, I used a combination of 90’s camcorder and Super 8.

As a Super 8 wedding videographer, Hildi and Adam’s film is exactly what I always hope to accomplish. The emotional in-betweens with loved ones, the raw joy, the dreamy whirlwind of it all are condensed into a film that feels like their wedding day really did. You can check out their entire Super 8 wedding film below.

Pairing Film Wedding Photography with Super 8 Video

A shared love of film photography is one of the things that Hildi and I bonded over. As a Super 8 wedding videographer, I find that film photography perfectly pairs with that medium. It’s endlessly inspiring to me. It captures these unfiltered moments in the most magical way. 

Like I mentioned before, I used four different types of cameras, including three film, to photograph Hildi and Adam’s wedding. Each brings something different to the experience of reliving Hildi and Adam’s wedding. The image of the ceremony taken on my medium format camera has light leaks and imperfections that actually feel perfect. The wedding had this magical intimacy about it that the light patches in the corners emphasize. 

The Polaroids, on the other hand, have such a party vibe. I love the one of the tambourine, trumpet, and other instruments sitting on the porch beside the old metal chair. The slight blur and glint of the lights gives you a sense of the anticipation and whirlwind energy that carried everyone through the reception. The Polaroids along with the 35mm photos feel like the kinds of images Hildi and Adam’s grandkids might pass around at holidays decades from now.

Hildi and Adam’s Intimate Poulsbo Wedding

Documenting the meaningful in-betweens is definitely easier when a couple has a cool community like Hildi and Adam do. Everyone stepped up to help with their backyard wedding. Hildi’s dad offered the use of his home in Poulsbo on the edge of the Olympic Peninsula. The lush space was so beautiful that you’d guess it was a venue if you didn’t know better.

Hildi’s sister and grandmother also pitched in by making the cake - another element you’d never guess was DIY from how gorgeous it turned out. Her mom did a lot of the planning. Her dad built the cornhole and arbor. Her uncle MCed, and her aunt officiated. Friends made the bouquet and brought other flowers. Hildi said, “This is really put on by our ‘village,’ and we couldn’t be more appreciative.”

Hildi and Adam held their ceremony under her “birth tree.” The resilient tree felt like the perfect symbol to Hildi. She and Adam got to start their life together rooted in what was authentic to them, including deep family connections.

A Rad Reception with Live Music

Even though Hildi and Adam’s celebration was carefully planned, the best moments were spontaneous and impossible to plan. Cake smashes and kisses, pre-ceremony tears and dance floor twirls. It was a beautiful blur. I’m so grateful I got to document it!

Music played a BIG role in Hildi and Adam’s celebration. Her father’s band Paundy played at the reception. Leading up to the wedding, Hildi told me that “they are phenomenal musicians and play funky music.” What an understatement! They got everyone moving. Adam’s dad played some music, too. Hildi even hopped on the drums for a few songs. I’m not sure I’ve ever documented a wedding where so many talented family and friends contributed to the music.

If you couldn’t tell, music has always been an important part of Hildi’s relationship with her father. They love listening to the Beatles together. For their father-daughter dance, they chose “Imagine” by John Lennon. Needless to say, the big dances were pretty emotional, including Adam and Hildi’s first dance to “Crimson and Clover.”

Super 8 wedding videography and film photography were the perfect mediums for documenting the joy of Hildi and Adam just being themselves with their favorite people. It’s intimate and creative just like this one-of-a-kind wedding day. Would you like me to be your Super 8 wedding videographer? Reach out to me here!

Thanks to the vendors who made Hildi and Adam’s wedding so damn special!
Florals: Costco and Pumphouse Farm 
DJ / Band: Paundy 
Dress: Wtoo from A & Be
Custom suit: Ruby Suits at the Fremont Market
Bridesmaid dresses: Scholle Dress on Etsy
Engagement ring: Sophia Perez Jewellery
Wedding bands: Ernesto Garcia in Bellingham
Rentals: Vividly Yours Co

We Love Artistic Wedding Photography on Film

Wedding photography on film and films photography is perfect for artistic candid images that document life the way you remember it and documentary weddings. At Aaron and Giselle’s backyard wedding in Seattle, I used film to capture their non-traditional celebration and all the emotional in-betweens.

Artistic Wedding Photography on Film

Film is magic. As a wedding photographer, it lets me document raw moments in artistic and sometimes unpredictable ways. This medium was seriously perfect for an edgy, honest couple like Giselle and Aaron. They’re non-traditional and really valued having artistic wedding photography on film. These photos have life. They document those rich in-between moments that you wouldn’t think to put on a shot list.

Aaron and Giselle’s top priority for their wedding was that it felt like them. They skipped the first look. Food didn’t matter much to them, but they got a killer espresso cart. They said, “We just want it to feel fun and comfortable but in fancy clothes!” Even their playlist was full of old favorites that got everyone on the dance floor.

Even though Giselle and Aaron aren’t interested in fitting inside narrow wedding industry boxes, they love hard. They love their families, their cats, each other. Film fits their whole vibe because it’s unfiltered and nostalgic at the same time. These photos show you just how deeply and dreamy this wedding felt. 

Aaron and Giselle’s Backyard Celebration

Giselle and Aaron got married in the front yard of her parent’s house in South Seattle. Her parent’s also got married at a family home. Can you tell that they’re sentimental? Wedding photography on film had that intimate feeling that comes with being in the place you love most - but in fancy clothes, as Aaron said.

This wedding was deeply intentional from start to finish. Before the ceremony, they asked guests to put away their phones. Not a single phone was in sight the entire ceremony. I have never seen guests so attentive during a ceremony.

We made time for quiet moments, too.  We snuck away to a rental a few houses down for family portraits. It was so nice to be away from the noise of the day to document heartfelt formals and the funny moments in between.

Would you like me to snap your wedding photography on film? Inquire here!

Thank you to the vendors who helped make Aaron and Giselle’s wedding so dope:

Dress: Monique Lhuillier
Suit: Canali
Shoes: Prada
Wedding Band: Valerie Madison
String ensemble: Seattle String Quartet
Giselle's engagement ring: Greenlake Jewelry  
Planner: Lisha Lee, 3Eleven Events
Cutting cake: Deep Sea Sugar and Salt
Sheet cakes: Simply Desserts
Cookies: Treat
DJ: PT: Patrick Troll
Makeup: JoAnn Persephone
Giselle's hair: Mastered by Miyoko
Giselle's nails: Altar of Nails
Coffee Cart: Seattle Espresso Cart
Photobooth: A&H Photo Co.

Bellingham Wedding Photographer - Intimate Backyard Wedding

Hillary and Cullen are grounded, genuine humans with a creative flair. I was so stoked when they chose me to be their Bellingham wedding photographer. Their film photography and Super 8 film show the warmth and openness that characterized their beautiful backyard wedding.

A Bellingham Wedding Photographer for Hillary and Cullen

The whole atmosphere for Hillary and Cullen’s backyard wedding couldn’t have been better. The weather was perfect. Everyone was welcoming, loving, and warm. The couple moved from Portland to Bellingham during the pandemic. Hillary loves collecting Mid-century Modern furniture and adopting dogs. Their wedding featured plenty of both. 

The whole day felt like all of their other favorite days together except with more loved ones and decadent food. Before their wedding, Hillary and Cullen told me that their version of the perfect day is laying around in their sunny backyard while they drink wine and throw balls for their dogs. As a Bellingham wedding photographer, I felt every bit of that hominess at this elevated backyard celebration. It had the ultimate classy garden party vibes.

Documenting the Wedding on Film and Super 8

Hillary and Cullen’s families worked hard to get the backyard prepped and looking beautiful for their wedding day. It was really important to Cullen and Hillary to get genuine photos with their family members, including Hillary’s grandmother. I got some incredible moments of them together on film and Super 8.

As a Bellingham wedding photographer, my favorite images from Hillary and Cullen’s wedding day are the ones we didn’t plan. Neighbors passing by stopped to chat over the fence. Their beloved pups lounged in the backyard like it was any other day. Everyone enjoyed the food, which was just SO GOOD. You can really feel these moments when you look at them on 35mm film and Super 8. You can see Hillary and Cullen’s Super 8 wedding film here.

Would you like me to be your Bellingham wedding photographer? I would love to document your day with artistic film photos. Inquire here!

Thank you to the vendors who made magic at Hillary and Cullen’s wedding:
Florist: Aziza Seykota at Maple Petal Design 
Cake: Saltadena Bakery 
Hair + Makeup: Tamara Cantu for Beauty by Elizabeth Marie
Hillary’s ring: VRAI 
Cullen’s ring: Fairhaven Gold 
Catering: A Taste of Elegance