35mm Film Film Wedding Photography: should you have your wedding photographed on 35mm and medium-format film? It’s no secret that film is having a massive comeback, and in this post we’ll share out love of why you should consider some or all of your coverage being captured on the inimitable nostalgia of real Kodak film: the ethereal colours, the grit and grain, and the enormous variety of formats available to us from over a century of the craft of photography being in existence.

A decade of experience in film wedding photography

We’re not new to film wedding photography: 35mm and medium format film have been an essential part of our toolkit for a decade. We’re thrilled that film has been experiencing a major revival, and that more couples are asking for their entire wedding to be photographed on 35mm and medium format Kodak film.

(See these full weddings photographed entirely on Kodak film: Alexa and Alex’s Scotland elopement, Lucia and Carter in Sydney, and, the one that got us most known for photographing weddings on film internationally, Lilli and Jake.

For a brief moment there in the late 00’s, opportunistic young-things were meeting the cries of the old-guard lamenting “film is dead!” with “yes, i’ll take all that old processing gear off your hands for free, thankyou very much”. All of the beautiful analogue film processing gear that had seen so much love, had been decommissioned and retired, before being snapped up by enthusiasts for a song.

As a result, more film-labs began to open than they did close, and now there has never been a better time to shoot analog at weddings.

Film has been a key part of my look and approach since I became a melbourne wedding photographer, and an ongoing reason why creative folks and even other wedding photographers book us – even if in some cases I just channel the look of film photos in my digital images.

In 2019, we were awarded the analogue international wedding photographer of the year award, and in this post we want to discuss why we shoot film, what it’s benefits are, and why you might consider the use of 35mm analogue film as part of your wedding coverage.

Being a film wedding photographer means being comfortable with all things slow.

Film photography slows you down, and photographing on film costs you money. In a generation of excess, our freewheeling brains need to be reined in. Historical patterns show that the more Tik-Toks and short-form content (ie – catering to short attention spans) there is entering the arena, the more room is then created for long-form content, and things warranting pause and stillness, as we collectively look for a space to make us feel something again.

When something forces you to respond slowly and consider the cost, the by-product of that is that you give yourself to the medium more. Where there’s tonnes of advantages in firing off thousands of frames on digital, there’s just as many advantages to having the costly walls of constraint around us (constraint being the only true useful tool in creativity that continues to stand the test of time).

Film wedding photos contain variety & real timelessness

People throw the whole timeless thing around in association with analogue film, but I think that only really holds true for black and white (Tri-X) film.

Most colour stocks actually have their own distinct look and feel that, when processed by a modern lab, aren’t what I’d necessarily call timeless. I don’t say that in a bad way – but the timeless colour we’re perhaps used to, is more the Kodachrome, stuff from the 60’s-80’s that our eyes more closely align with timelessness.

The rich, punchy colours of beautifully over-exposed Portra film aren’t any more timeless than digital, and are actually very distinct in their own right.

The sheer variety of looks in analog film stocks, lenses, and camera bodies is staggering, and each link in the chain imparts it’s own little flavour on the end look of the image.

So for me, shooting analog film is less about timelessness, and more about variety.

Film wedding photos might be a better experience for the muse.

In my own tests, shooting analogue film is an objectively better experience for the person in front of the camera – if for nothing else, because we’re slipping into a loss of generational memory of those old cameras: and so these crazy old things bring on a strange sense of removed nostalgia and wonder, simply because it’s assumed that they’re just mantlepiece decorations, rather than fully capable image-making machines.

Having someone use an archaic piece of engineering with all the romance of a past-craft makes them feel valued in a totally different way. Even if the whole shoot isn’t being done on film, having some gear in the bag to switch things up can completely change the tone of the shoot.

David Rees is a good point of reference for the question “can the intrinsic value of a thing be increased or amplified by wrapping some old-world artisan air of craftsmanship around it”.

Typically, there are two main approaches that a photographer will take when choosing to use film as well as digital during a shoot, and they are either hybrid shooting, or separatist shooting (I made that second label up, but I can’t think of another way to title it).

Will we get less wedding photos on film?

You can generally expect there to be slightly less wedding photos delivered when we’re photographing on film, but the trade-off is, they’re all on film. Something that we’ve found in doing this over a decade, time and again, is that the volume that you receive is kinda neither here nor there. Where you might receive 800 wedding photos if we do it all on digital or 500-600 if we photograph your wedding entirely on film, it’s all really a much of a muchness. We tend to think quite strongly too, that the more volume there is, the more that kinda gets lost in the mix. Some might say it’s quality (if you appreciate the magic of film wedding photos) over quantity, but we can explain more about that if you make an enquiry.

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Hybrid shooting: film wedding photos vs digital photos

Hybrid film photography is when the photographer shoots analog film, but aims to have the feel and tonality of the images completely in tune with the digital coverage. Often the aim of the preset applied to the digital images is to have them look as close as possible to the film ones. In this way, hybrid shooting is a process-based approach to film photography, rather than an output based approach: which is to say that it’s used mainly to provide variety to the photographer, rather than to the couple. This is not how I shoot film.

Separatist shooting:

Separatist shooting is when the differences in the two mediums are celebrated, and no effort is made to create consistency between the digital images and the analogue images, meaning that the photographer gets to enjoy the process of shooting with different cameras, as well as providing something unique to the couple, and extra variety in the images they receive. This is how I choose to shoot film.

Separatist shooting is my preferred approach, and this is why: over the last 100 years, we’ve had hundreds of beautiful, differing formats used to create images. Different analogue film-stocks, and different lenses that all interpret light and render a scene, differently. I think those differences should be celebrated. It also keeps us more entertained pushing to find the deeper uniqueness of a particular format, rather than agonising over getting a perfect match between analog and digital, which for us, defeats the purpose of enjoying analog film as a medium.

Mixing things up is probably the number one reason why I shoot analogue film at weddings.

I don’t necessarily think consistency is overrated, but I do think surprise and intrigue is underrated. And as a film wedding photographer, there’s no greater joy than delivering a set of images where couples get the chance to swoon over that sprinkle of images that seem to just have something… else, to them.

The downsides of film wedding photos

Sure, I could go into the all the impractical bits of it, but for me, they’re joys. The only prolonged implications of shooting this stuff, is that it costs. It’s easy enough to throw in a roll here and there, but with analogue film and developing costs, we’re looking at about $70 for a couple of rolls – or about $3 per shot.

That’s fine when it’s a small part of the shoot, but a full-day analog wedding shooting only film can run past $1500 in film and developing costs alone very quickly, and that’s where it has to be considered as an add-on, rather than something that can be thrown in.

If you’re considering having your wedding photographed on analog film, I can recommend a bunch of ways in which it can be approached: whether having your entire wedding photographed on film such as Lil and Jake here, or doing what I do much of the time, when I detect that the idea sparks joy: bringing along some weird, wonderful gadgets, and making some images on them over the course of the day.

If you like, you can see some of what’s in my camera bag over at Shotkit, although it’s in need of an update (i’m pretty sure all the kit there hasn’t survived my anarchist hands for half a decade).

Are you sure our wedding on film wont get lost in the mail?

We personally deliver all of your film to one of the best professional labs in town. If we are photographing your wedding internationally, then part of our meticulous level of care when photographing your wedding on film includes researching labs nearby and doing the exact same thing.

The film photography gear we use currently:

Yashica 635G

The poor-mans Rolleiflex, this little beauty is quiet, a marvel of engineering, dream to look at, and a pleasure to carry around.

Hasselblad 500CM

This is my “good afternoon, i’m making some serious work” camera. A little heavier, a lot louder, but due to having an enormous mirror inside it, what you see through the ground-glass is what you get: whereas with a Twin Lens Reflex (TLR) camera, there might be a very slight difference in what you end up with.

Crown Graphic 4×5 camera

The grand-daddy of common press-cameras in the 1950’s. Extremely portable, lightweight, invites curiosity, and the looks of it alone are good enough reason to be a film wedding photographer.

If I had to take one to a desert island, it would be the Yashica. If I got to take a tripod too, it would be the Hasselblad. My favourite film stocks are Kodak Portra 400 and Kodak Tri-X, although these days i’m taking a leaning towards the rich colours of Ektar.

If you’d like us to shoot some analogue film at your wedding, you can connect with us here or on instagram, and maybe for a doubke-whammy of awesome, let’s get our analogue on at one of these Melbourne wedding venues.

For more of my film-only work, you can follow my personal account here.

If you like this, check out more black and white wedding photos

Film wedding photography questions answered

Best Wedding Venues on the Mornington Peninsula (no order)

1. Tanglewood Estate
2. Crittenden Estate
3. Lindenderry Red Hill
4. All Smiles Sorrento
5. Brighton Savoy
6. The Shearing Shed
7. Private property

The Mornington Peninsula isn’t just famous as an escape for no-ones favourite redneck, nor is it just a place to quest a short distance from the CBD to scratch that covid iso-itch at a local winery: Mornington Peninsula wedding venues are some of Victorias most incredible landscapes filled with culinary brilliance (on that note, check out this regenerative farming Barragunda Estate Wedding) and unique wedding accommodation right at your fingertips.

Having photographed so many incredible celebrations at beautiful Mornington Peninsula wedding venues, I wanted to share with you 7 of my favourite places to get married on the Mornington Peninsula (if you are looking for something a little closer to the city, check out these unique Melbourne wedding venues).

1. Wedding Venue on Mornington Peninsula: Tanglewood Estate

Tanglewood Estate is exactly as it says on the box. You get your wood, that’s tangled, in, an estate. Almost something more out of the brain of Tim Burton than a wedding venue on the Mornington Peninsula that you can actually visit and see with your own eyes, this impossibly gorgeous estate is where i’ve even chosen to host my own wedding photography workshops.

A family owned and operated venue, the McEvoys will look after you and put on the most brilliant celebration imaginable (read on down to #5 for another incredible family owned wedding venue).

Tanglewood Estate on the Mornington Peninsula has more space than you can poke a stick at, and an incredibly broad configuration of their space is possible: from the wild grounds themselves, to the incredible heritage chapel they lovingly transported and placed onsite, over the enormous barn (where your epic grazing table can live).

Load up the space with one of Melbournes best wedding bands (you MUST check out Like This and Tobi Tobi), grace the interior with some of the best wedding flowers on the planet, and you have yourself and incredible wedding on the Mornington Peninsula.

If you want to dive a little deeper into this incredible wedding venue on the Mornington Peninsula, scroll down to get in touch with them, or check out some images from my workshop I hosted for some brilliant photographers right here.

Enquire about their Mornington Peninsula Wedding Packages
Tanglewood Estate website: https://tanglewoodestate.com.au/
Tanglewood Estate gallery: https://briarsatlas.com/tanglewood-estate-wedding/
Venue size: Able to cater to both small and large weddings

2. Dromana Wedding Venues: Crittenden Estate

Here’s a question that might not be at the top of your mind when you’re considering your wedding venue: “how will the wedding venue deal with an apocalypse?”.

Let’s answer that here with Crittenden Estate. These two lovers, Jess and Kevin, had a wild day at one of the Mornington Peninsulas best wedding venues, as clouds took over, a hectic storm, and a regional power outage. In case the sublime smiles and joy don’t give you your answer, it’s worth knowing that the Crittenden Estate staff are joy-merchants, slick professionals, and masters of dealing with curve balls.

All of that stuff aside, Crittenden Estate is set on beautiful grounds in one of the most beautiful regions in Victoria. Read on below to connect with them.

Enquire about Crittenden Estate Wedding Packages
Crittenden Estate website: www.stillwateratcrittenden.com.au/weddings
Crittenden Estate capacity: 130 seated, 150 cocktail

3. Red Hill Wedding Venues: Lindenderry Red Hill

I keep going to write “Lindenberry” then realise i’ve misplaced a d with a b. An easily made mistake. Anyway, whatever consonant you choose, Red Hill’s Lancemore Lindenderry Estate Mergest wild, mountainous vineyard terrain, with subtle art-deco brilliance all wrapped up on the Mornington Peninsula, just an hour from Melbourne.

And after a beautiful day there spent necking wines on their gorgeous grounds, I bet you’ll also forget which way is up, which way is down, which b should be a d, etc.

Enquire about their Lindenderry Estate Wedding Packages
Lancemore Lindenderry Red Hill website: https://www.lancemore.com.au/lindenderry-red-hill
Venue size: Capable and scaleable: 180 seated, 280 standing

4. Sorrento Wedding Venues: All Smiles Sorrento

Right at the tail end of the Mornington Peninsula, we have this incredible clifftop Sorrento wedding venue, All Smiles Sorrento. One of the best wedding venues on the Mornington Peninsula, All Smiles merges a brilliant restaurant, with breezy clifftop views, and plenty of space around the venue to escape for a bit of quiet. If you’re looking for Sorrento wedding venues, this is the standard.

Enquire about All Smiles Sorrento Wedding Packages
All Smiles Sorrento website: https://allsmiles.com.au/
All Smiles Sorrento Wedding Gallery: All Smiles Sorrento Wedding
Venue size: All Smiles Sorrento seats up to 120 guests

5. Bayside Wedding Venues / Wedding venue near Mornington Peninsula: Brighton Savoy
Wedding Venue Location: Brighton

These scallywags sneak in, though right at the top of the Mornington Peninsula, they’re a little further away from what most regard as “peak peninsula”. Regardless, I photographed a beautiful intimate wedding there recently, and was pleasantly surprised by how scaleable the venue was, how beautiful the outdoor ceremony area was, and the hospitality game of all their staff.

Brighton Savoy is where you get looked after, where you can head over the road to a beautiful stretch of the bay, and where you can rest your head after a few too many wines, all on the same site with their own accommodation.

Enquire about Brighton Savoy Wedding Packages
Brighton Savoy website: https://www.brightonsavoy.com.au/
Brighton Savoy capacity: 30 – 220 guests

6. Phillip Island Wedding Venue: The Shearing Shed

Wedding Venue Location: Cowes, Phillip Island

Phillip Island isn’t really all that well known as a destination wedding region, and I don’t know if that’s a shame, or whether the area is best left as a well kept secret for all the locals of the surrounding region in the know. In any case, you must check out the best Phillip Island wedding venue – the Shearing Shed.

A long family-run venue, the Shearing Shed is situated at the top end of one of the most beautiful regions of natural wildlife and escapism, just a short hour and a half (or so) out of the city.

While it’s a little bit further away from the other Mornington Peninsula wedding venues, this spectacular little part of the world is full of hidden gems that the crew at The Shearing Shed will be more than happy to divulge to give you and your guests ideas for an incredible week away from the big smoke.

The Shearing Shed on Phillip Island has an incredibly adaptable suite of spaces for all sorts of weddings large and small.

Enquire about the Shearing Shed Wedding Packages
The Shearing Shed website: https://www.theshearingshed.com.au/
The Shearing Shed Venue capacity: 150 guests seated

7. Private Property on the Peninsula

Wedding Venue Location: Anywhere on the Mornington Peninsula

Ever considered having your wedding in yours (or an accommodating mates) backyard? Jaira and Paul did, for their surprise backyard wedding on the Mornington Peninsula (see more of their Mornington Peninsula wedding featured here on Hello May).

Family and friends turned up for a going away party, only to be surprised by an imminent wedding (in about 5 minutes).

Featuring a Paella chef, backyard antics, and a jaunt around the area for some portraits, it was a brilliant, intimate day with their family and friends.

Beautiful.

Venue comparison chart

Wedding venue	Venue Style	Venue Location	Venue Capacity	You might also like	Sample gallery
Tanglewood Estate	Rustic Barn	Dromana	150+	The Shearing Shed	Tanglewood Estate Wedding
Crittenden Estate	Elegant outdoors	Dromana	150	All Smiles Sorrento	Coming Soon
Lindenderry Red Hill	Art Deco	Red Hill	280	Brighton Savoy	Coming Soon
All Smiles Sorrento	Coastal clifftop	Sorrento	120	Crittenden Estate	All Smiles Sorrento Wedding
Brighton Savoy	Elegant	Brighton	220	Lindenderry Red Hill	Coming Soon
The Shearing Shed	Rustic	Phillip Island	150	Tanglewood Estate	Coming Soon
Private property	All	Mornington Peninsula	Varied	Tanglewood Estate	Coming Soon

There. 6 of the most incredible Mornington Peninsula wedding venues.

Author and all photos by: Briars Atlas. Photos may be only used with a link back to this website.

Hire me to photograph your Peninsula wedding (if you want)

Wedding photographer Mornington Peninsula: Briars Atlas – Enquire

Going intimate? Looking for a small wedding venue further away?

Be sure to check out my list of the best 17 Small Wedding Venues in Melbourne, and check the video below for a quick preview of them.

There’s nothing better than a rustic wedding. Surrounded by amazing antiques, homely vibes, and gorgeous Victorian era structures, you can’t help but allow yourself to be entirely engulfed by the country atmosphere. A well-done country-style nuptial celebration can have you feeling like you’ve been dropped right into your own Aussie fairytale. And let me tell you, the photo ops are to die for. Sprawling fields, old wooden sheds and stables, gorgeous native flowers from on-site gardens, delicious local menus – it all comes together to create a truly magical experience. So, without further ado, let’s check out the top 3 best rustic wedding venues Melbourne has to offer!

• The Cosmopolitan Hotel, Trentham
• Brown Brothers Winery, Milawa
• Butterland, Newstead

I’ve thrown in a few sneaky pics too so you can truly appreciate the warm, inviting atmosphere of each of these venues.

Country Victoria wedding venue: The Cosmopolitan Hotel, Trentham

The Cosmo Hotel is one of those classic Aussie pubs that looks and feels like your grandfather might have had his first beer at, back in the day, and maybe one of the most unique modern rustic wedding venue melbourne or beyond.

It is a highly convenient venue for Melbourne-ites to travel to because it’s situated only about an hour out of the CBD. It’s classy yet relaxed and it has a plethora of exciting bits and pieces that are honestly a wedding photographer’s dream.

History

In 2005, the Cosmopolitan was ravaged by a fire that destroyed a huge portion of the venue. Unperturbed, the owners rebuilt the hotel, restoring it to its former glory, with the addition of a few modern features. Although it has been done up in recent years, this historic pub still holds an air of friendly, rustic sophistication. This charm truly lends itself to the bright-eyed, love-filled couples who exchange nuptials here.

Rustic Features

The primary locations for a Cosmopolitan wedding are the Stables and the Gardens. These two locations simply have the most peaceful atmosphere.

The Gardens are impeccably kept and host a wide range of native Australian flora. Due to this, they are the perfect location to exchange vows and capture memorable photos. You may also be lucky enough to find your reception hall at the Stables decked out in some of the native flowers that the gardens have on show.

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The Stables are truly breathtaking with their dim lighting, beautiful flowers and rustic decorations. The olden-day style wooden shed works together with these features harmoniously. This creates a mystically rustic setup for both the reception and dinner.

This delightfully quaint barn surprisingly seats up to 125 guests, perfect for a medium sized wedding. Inviting a few extra guests along is easy enough because the space can accommodate more for a cocktail style function.

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The Cosmopolitan Hotel wedding packages are all encompassing due to their awesome inclusions like a wedding planner, local food and drink options, access to the entire grounds of the venue and more!

Final Thoughts

The Cosmo exudes such an air of homeliness and warmth that you can’t help but smile no matter where you are on the property. It’s definitely one to consider if you’re looking to venture to truly rustic wedding venues Melbourne adjacent.

Cosmopolitan Hotel Trentham website: https://www.thecosmopolitanhotel.com.au/

Also check out this Cosmopolitan Hotel Wedding.

Country Wedding Venue: Brown Brothers Winery, Milawa

About 3 hours north east of Melbourne CBD sits Victoria’s wine country. This region hosts many historic wineries and vineyards just waiting for travelers and tourists to visit. For many reasons, one that stands out as a truly remarkable wedding venue is the picturesque Brown Brothers Milawa Winery.

History

Since its inception in 1889 Brown Brothers has held its title as one of Australia’s leading family-owned wine companies.

Brown Brothers won the award for ‘Most Loved Brand’ at the 2015 and 2017 Australian Drinks Awards. They received this due to their mix of traditional wine making methods, plus an added innovative flair that supports experimentation. Their mix of old-school and modern techniques spills over into the physical attributes of their winery with expertly designed features. Whilst it is a rustic setting, sparks of contemporary design are scattered throughout.

Rustic Features

This unique venue in the heart of the King Valley boasts sprawling green grounds with gorgeous gardens full of natives. Cottages and heritage sites make themselves known, standing tall on the lawns. Mountains surround the valley and can be seen for miles from anywhere on the Brown Brothers Milawa site.

A nearby forest of tall native gums makes for an epic photo shoot location due to an air of intrigue and mysterious adventure. Check out these bad boys…

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Even after years of photography experience, my mind is still blown by how finding the perfect angle can eloquently capture such magnificent moments in time.

The luscious on-site gardens make for a truly heartwarming ceremony with gorgeous native trees and shrubs lending their old-school Australian charm. Large oak trees surround the gardens in order to provide shelter from the elements.

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A beautifully restored historic barn is the perfect setting for post-ceremony festivities and a seriously delicious dinner. Decorated to the nines, this venue is the perfect balance of modern sophistication and rustic charm.

Stained wooden features and an old-timey cellar provide a visual contrast from the light and bright wedding decorations and attire. I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better venue when it came to capturing phenomenal wedding photos for this couple.

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Choose from a range of packages and options including The Bridal Cottage, Prosecco Hour, a custom made wedding cake and a professional wedding planner in order to construct the perfect wedding.

Final Thoughts

Any couple would be #blessed to secure a wedding at this contemporary yet rustic venue. A wide range of wedding package inclusions, stunning grounds and photo locations that are out of this world make Brown Brothers, Milawa one of the best rustic wedding venues Melbourne has to offer.

Brown Brothers Winery website: https://www.brownbrothers.com.au/

Country Victoria wedding venue: Butterland, Newstead

This one-of-a-kind venue is located just under 2 hours out of Melbourne CBD allowing it to be an ideal destination for couples looking for a modern rustic wedding venue Melbourne and beyond. As you may have guessed from the name, Butterland is an old butter factory that has been masterfully refurbished as a rustic event venue.

History

Butterland was constructed in 1904 to accommodate an influx of settlers that came to Newstead as a direct result of the Gold Rush. It has been transformed from a dairy to a candle factory and now stands as a unique, multi-purpose venue for country-style weddings and other quirky events.

The red brick exterior, the chimney stack of the original dairy and the front signage have all been restored to their former glory in the recent restoration. Internal features have also been magnificently brought to life to accentuate the historic charm of a structure that has managed to survive throughout the ages.

Rustic Features

The grounds of this stunning old building are nothing short of breathtaking due to the well-manicured lawns, stone walls, wooden structures and charming atmosphere.

A gorgeous garden and several homely veggie patches can be seen on the acre of land this venue calls home. Not only that, there’s a concrete pool hosted by an old sump tank and a disused railway line. These seemingly small features provide a spectacular opportunity to capture both the fun and sincerity of wedding celebrations.

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The internal aspects of this repurposed butter factory are just as stunning as the external.

Because the venue is owned by a florist, you can look forward to indoor plants and flowers galore. A wedding with a botanically-forward theme would be perfectly at home here.

Exposed wooden beams and a mish-mash of chairs made from steel, wood and other materials add to the relaxed aura. Long wooden tables extend through the main hall to provide ample seating for guests.

The owners of this homely venue will work with you to ensure every detail of your wedding is truly yours.

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Final Thoughts

Butterland isn’t just any wedding venue. It’s a wedding venue with history, personality and a suave charm that’s very difficult to resist. Quirky couples with a country-style wedding in mind will go nuts over this place. Honestly, it’s too much fun for its own good.

Butterland Newstead website: https://www.butterland.com.au/

Of the weddings I’ve been privileged enough to photograph, I often find myself looking back at rustic wedding venues with such fondness.

The simple, country vibe never fails to remind us of the importance of family, friends and home. It’s not just the amazing photo ops that draw me to these weddings. It’s the people, the history and the ability to connect so personally with a venue.

What are your favourite rustic Melbourne based wedding venues? Shout out in the comments!

Check out some pics from Tess and Sam’s stunning Kangaroo Valley wedding if you haven’t already…

For beautiful rustic venues specific to the Castlemaine region, check out these Castlemaine wedding venues, or on the other side of Victoria, if rustic is your vibe then you’ve gotta take a look at these Mornington Peninsula wedding venues.