Super 8 Film for weddings: nostalgic feels, unique look.
Reproducing your memories through an ethereal, textural lens is just one of the ways Super 8 Film can add a layer of unique nostalgia to your wedding day visuals. For couples that love a soft, vintage vibe and want to add something extra special to their wedding day photography and videography, Super 8 may be the perfect choice.
Ultra-talented wedding photographer Georgia Verrells gives us all the insider information about this beautiful and increasingly popular art form and why you may want it for your wedding day..
Photo of Georgia by Ali Bailey
Super 8 film.
Super 8mm is a vintage video film format popularised in the 1960s and 70s – the type of video footage your grandparents might have created. The film you receive is a two to four-minute highlight film that gives a feeling of nostalgia that cannot be replicated.
Dreamy imperfection.
Super 8 offers a softness, fine grain and colour rendition that create a nostalgic, ethereal atmosphere that many couples find enchanting. It is known for its grainy textures, soft, dreamy colours and unexpected light leaks.
Super 8 films feel imperfect, and there is a certain appeal to this. We live in a world of perfectionism, and it’s so refreshing to see couples reach for the imperfect. It also invites couples to be authentic and not worry about the perfect ‘moment’.
Nostalgia trend.
This also means it fits beautifully into the recent trend within the wedding world for film, both in still and video. Couples are seeking a sort of fresh nostalgia that Super 8 provides and the personal feeling that this style of media offers.
Watching your wedding day on Super 8 Film can make you feel like you are watching footage a friend has captured, and it makes the viewer feel like they are in the moment in a very real way.
Why couples choose Super 8 Film.
I find couples that have stumbled upon their parents’ or grandparents’ wedding captured on film/super 8 want to replicate that same feeling they felt watching these ‘home’ videos. They had an emotional response and couldn’t quite work out why.
It’s for couples that want their wedding captured in a way that feels unique, that draws us in and gives us a personal, comforting feeling that digital does not create.
Some couples want Super 8 as their highlight film without having the full-day video.
The practicalities.
I have a pocket-style super 8 that I keep on me during a wedding day. I take it out at key moments during the morning, ceremony and portraits to create a highlights video of sorts.
Photo of Georgia by Ali Bailey
The unique intricacies of Super 8.
Super 8 Films can be time-consuming to produce. Currently, this is still in the realm of the four to six week turnaround times I provide for my couples, but with the influx of popularity of Super 8, we may find in the future that film takes longer to get back to us.
Super 8 also does not have any sound and should NOT replace a videographer. Instead, it’s in a category of its own that lies somewhere between photos and video. It’s about the unique feelings it provokes, the family traditions it carries on, and the sense of beautiful imperfection and closeness it gives.
See more of Georgia’s stunning work in Fiona & Aaron’s boldly beautiful Dromana celebration, or enquire with her here.
