What To Expect From An NYC Film Wedding Photographer

A woman with long hair smiling and holding a drink in a dark setting. She is wearing a patterned dress with thin straps.

We are Chellise & Mike, New York City & Hudson Valley-based, documentary-style film and digital wedding photographers. If you have any questions about our processes not covered in this FAQ, feel free to reach out.

Black and white photo of a wedding couple walking outdoors with friends and family, with trees in the background.
A three-tier wedding cake with decorative icing, flowers, and ribbons, placed on a table in front of a large window with a city and water view, with champagne glasses and tableware arranged around it.

Why Do You Shoot On Film?

A woman wearing a strapless black and red dress with floral patterns, accessorized with a pearl necklace and earrings, walking through a dimly lit red curtain area.
A woman wearing a strapless black and red dress with floral patterns, accessorized with a pearl necklace and earrings, walking through a dimly lit red curtain area.

Film holds time differently. The light is softer, the grain gives texture, the skin tones are delicious, it's tactile, luscious, lucid, and it feels like a dream. It’s always giving us more than we could have hoped for. It's undeniably perfect and has a way of making an image taken just yesterday feel nostalgic.

Mike and I have shoeboxes stacked to the bim in our cedar closet filled with prints and polaroids. Every photograph from childhood up until our 30s was shot on film and printed. Holding those photographs in my hands carries so much more weight to me than a digital photo on a screen ever could. And while we no longer print every roll of film (because we dont have to anymore), still having the digital film scan is a pretty beautiful second.

A pyramid of stacked red cocktail glasses with a colorful patterned backdrop.

How Long Have You Been Shooting On Film?

Black and white photo of a formal gathering with people standing around and sitting, in a room with large windows and a city view. A fire is burning on the floor, emitting bright light.

All of our lives, because that's what we were raised on. My first camera was a Polaroid, and Mike's was an Olympus point-and-shoot.

In 2012, we began shooting weddings with a few rolls of film in our bag for our personal satisfaction. Most of our couples didn't seem excited about it, or even knew what it was, so the pressure was off, which allowed us to get really creative and experiment with expired film stocks and all kinds of cameras. All those years allowed us to get comfortable and weird on film - it was so exciting for us, and our clients loved it too. We have been hooked ever since.

In 2022, when the rising demand for analog film at weddings picked up, we were ready with open arms and have gone full throttle ever since. Documenting weddings on analog film for this new generation of couples who genuinely appreciate it as much as we do has breathed new life and immense excitement into our process. And since analog limits us to a small, finite number of frames per roll, it has sharpened our intuition as photographers. Film has forced us to slow down, and as a result, our work has become so much more personal and intentional.

Do You Have A Defined Film Style?

Black and white photo of four people at a wedding, two women in white dresses and two men in tuxedos, smiling and looking at each other, with a draped fabric background.

Unposed, unraveling, and unscripted. For over 15 years, we've told the stories of lovers and their weddings with an emotional pull, full hearts, our dancing shoes, and honesty.

Maintaining our desire to create something artful and extraordinary while always honoring those expected moments that one would expect from a professional. We’re not the ones going for high-def, polished images, and our film camera choices and processes reflect that. To us, weddings are a big, beautiful, emotional, fun, collective experience, and it’s our obligation to honor it as it naturally unfolds, with some unconventional lucid-dream pics dropped in for the art wall. Analog gives us this, and lucky for us, we attract like-minded couples who also want their photos to have soul, grain, and texture.

A person dancing on stage wearing a revealing, shiny, silver outfit with fringes and lights, under colorful stage lights.

How Much Film vs. Digital Do You Shoot At Weddings?

Um. A lot.

Mike shoots exclusively with film cameras; he usually has 5-7 cameras hanging from his body, a mix of ever-evolving 35mm and medium-format cameras.

I, Chellise, blend digital and film, and while I could never give specific percentages in how much of this or that I shoot, I will say it’s as much analog film as I can possibly shoot. Film is Queen, and I only lean on digital when it makes sense for me.

What’s The Biggest Misconception About Shooting Weddings On Analog Film?

Person wearing a red jacket and pants with black prints, sitting with hands clenched together. The image focuses on the clothing and hands.
Person wearing a red jacket and pants with black prints, sitting with hands clenched together. The image focuses on the clothing and hands.
Two women standing on a stage in front of red theater curtains. One woman is wearing a pink dress and holding flowers, the other is dressed in white with a veil, also holding flowers, suggesting a wedding or similar event.
Two women standing on a stage in front of red theater curtains. One woman is wearing a pink dress and holding flowers, the other is dressed in white with a veil, also holding flowers, suggesting a wedding or similar event.
A floral centerpiece featuring red roses surrounded by black and gold candle holders on a pink tablecloth, with a blurred background of chairs and a table.
A floral centerpiece featuring red roses surrounded by black and gold candle holders on a pink tablecloth, with a blurred background of chairs and a table.

The most misleading phrase we keep hearing on repeat is that “film has its place,” implying that digital is needed for backup and for dark spaces. We feel that this is false and misleading, given that every wedding documented before digital took over in 2007 was shot on film. You only need to look at your parents' and grandparents' wedding albums for proof.

So, let’s lay this myth to rest. It depends on the photographer's level of expertise and comfort in shooting on film and their use of flash in dark, cavernous venues like those in NYC. Mike is exceptionally skilled in this arena.

Do You Edit Your Film?

Two women sitting at a dimly lit table with glasses of drinks and a small container, in a social setting. One woman has short brown hair, glasses, and tattoos on her arm, while the other has curly black hair, sunglasses, and is wearing a red dress.
Two women sitting at a dimly lit table with glasses of drinks and a small container, in a social setting. One woman has short brown hair, glasses, and tattoos on her arm, while the other has curly black hair, sunglasses, and is wearing a red dress.

To a very limited degree, yes.

Each film stock has its own beautiful color profile, which we honor; however, if we feel it’s needed, we adjust color, blacks, contrast, and exposure to our liking.

A bride and groom in wedding attire standing together indoors against a red curtain backdrop. The bride is wearing a white lace wedding dress and veil, and the groom is dressed in a black suit with a white shirt and black bow tie. They are holding hands and looking at the camera. In the foreground, there is a dark round table with a floral arrangement of white hydrangeas, grapes, and greenery, with small candles around the arrangement. Brown velvet chairs are visible in the background.
A bride and groom in wedding attire standing together indoors against a red curtain backdrop. The bride is wearing a white lace wedding dress and veil, and the groom is dressed in a black suit with a white shirt and black bow tie. They are holding hands and looking at the camera. In the foreground, there is a dark round table with a floral arrangement of white hydrangeas, grapes, and greenery, with small candles around the arrangement. Brown velvet chairs are visible in the background.
A bride in a wedding dress with a veil standing indoors near a window, with sunlight streaming in, in a cozy room decorated with wooden furniture and a colorful rug.
A bride in a wedding dress with a veil standing indoors near a window, with sunlight streaming in, in a cozy room decorated with wooden furniture and a colorful rug.

How Do You Handle Dark Wedding Venues With Film?

Off camera flash with film
Off camera flash with film

hand held flash

direct, on-camera flash

ambient lighting

We have a multitude of tricks up our sleeves for big, dark, moody spaces. (NYC trained us well…)

We prefer to use discreet remote flashes, which allow us to pop the flash for a nanosecond when needed. This process creates a beautiful, cinematic look while preserving the space's ambient mood and not blinding you or your guests (youre welcome!). We also use direct and handheld flash and shoot in ambient light.

All of this gives our couples a very textured, multidimensional set of images.

It is worth noting that we do not use continuous lighting (bright, LED lights that stay on constantly and, in our opinion, kill the vibe)

remote off-camera flash

hand held flash

Where Is Your Film Developed?

Close-up of a woman dressed in a white dress with a satin bow at the waist, showing her arm with tattoos and hand with black nail polish, standing near some green foliage.
Close-up of a woman dressed in a white dress with a satin bow at the waist, showing her arm with tattoos and hand with black nail polish, standing near some green foliage.
A man in a tuxedo with a floral boutonnière, wearing sunglasses, is pouring champagne into a flute glass during a celebration or formal event.

Developing and scanning are an essential part of our process. We work very closely and obsessively with the team at Primary Photographic in NYC.

A man with curly hair, sunglasses, and facial hair, wearing a white suit with a butterfly-shaped brooch, holding his face with both hands in an outdoor urban setting.

How Do You Deliver Film Photos To Your Clients?

While we would love to send a massive box of 4 x 6" prints with a bow on top as the final product, that's not going to fly these days (unless you want us to?).

All of our film is scanned in high resolution and sent to our clients as digital scans.

Woman with dark hair in a sleek bun, wearing a white satin dress with off-the-shoulder sleeves, earrings with pearls, standing in front of a large pink rose painting.

How Much Do Your Film Wedding Photography Packages Cost?

What’s Included?

Close-up of pink and beige curtains or drapes with a textured pattern, possibly in a decorative or elegant setting.
A bride and groom hugging outdoors in a garden with trees and flowers, during sunset.

All of the Collections we offer include 9 hours of coverage and an NYC or Hudson Valley engagement session. Our couples can choose me (Chellise) or Mike as their lead photographer, or request both of us.

For 2027, our Collections range from $12.5K to $20K. Variables such as travel, additional coverage for multi-day events, fine art albums, support from a second photographer, or the preference to have us shoot together as a team (the dream team!) are major factors in that range.

For smaller, intimate weddings, we offer an hourly rate - best to inquire about those since they vary so much.

We also offer à la carte engagement sessions and elopement packages - those range between $3K and $5K

How Far In Advance Do You Book Out?

A black and white photo of several men in formal attire, including tuxedos, standing and walking in a room with ornate wall decorations and a large mirror. One man in the foreground is smiling and wearing glasses.
A black and white photo showing a woman with dark hair and earrings, wearing a white sleeveless top, leaning forward with her face close to her shoulder, beside a white surface.

If we had to average it, 9 months to 1.5 years out is the zone for us. In New York, May, June, September, and October are the most in-demand months, as well as holiday weekends, so we get booked up quickly for those. We each take no more than 15-20 weddings per year and hope one of them is yours! To enquire about our availability, contact us here.

A smiling groom in a tuxedo holding a bride in a wedding dress and veil on a balcony with a city skyline in the background.