Film, Flash, & Nostalgia: How I Mix Old-School & Edgy Vibes in Elopement Photography

There’s something about an old Polaroid that just hits different. The soft blur, the imperfect lighting, the way it feels like a memory before you’ve even lived it. That’s the energy I bring into my photography—except instead of waiting for a film strip to develop, I’m using a mix of direct flash, double exposures, and vintage-inspired, in-camera techniques to make your photos feel like they belong in the coolest, most chaotic scrapbook of your life.

If you want wedding photos that feel like a blurry, beer-soaked night out (in the best way), keep reading.

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The Nostalgia Factor: Why Your Photos Should Feel Like a Memory

Look, digital photography is cool and all, but sometimes it feels too clean—too sharp, too polished, too not how we actually remember things. Real memories are hazy in the best way. They’re grainy, warm, full of movement. They feel alive.

That’s why I lean into film-inspired and in-camera techniques. I want your wedding photos to have that same feeling—like you could reach into them and be right back in that moment. Whether it’s the flash-lit chaos of a dance floor in Springfield, MO, a golden, sun-drenched double exposure in the middle of the Midwest forests, or a perfectly imperfect instant film shot that looks like it was ripped out of the ‘90s, I want every image to scream, “you just had to be there.”

I know what it’s like to feel like an outsider. Growing up in a town of 700 people, I was the weird kid, the poor kid, the weird, alternative kid (who couldn’t afford anything from Hot Topic so she just wore hand-me-downs and some brown velvet Converse she found in a ditch once). I stuck out whether I wanted to or not. So now? It’s engrained in me to celebrate difference. If your love story is a little unconventional, a little weird, a little badass—then your photos should be, too.

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Direct Flash: Making Every Moment Look Like a Rockstar Moment

If I could bottle up the energy of an old dive bar, a basement punk show, or a gas station at 2 AM, it would be direct flash photography. It’s bold, it’s gritty, it’s cinematic in a way that makes even the simplest moments look iconic.

That’s why I love using it for couples who want something different. Maybe it’s catching you mid-laugh with a beer in hand. Maybe it’s the way your leather jacket catches the light as you pull your partner in for a kiss. Maybe it’s just the two of you in an alleyway, looking like you walked straight off an album cover.

This style isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s for the people who want photos that feel like a Ferris Bueller type of day off—chaotic, fun, full of movement, and a little rebellious. Because life moves pretty fast, and if you don’t stop to capture it, well… you might forget how fucking good you looked.

Where this vibe really shines:

• City elopements in Kansas City or St. Louis, where the streetlights make for the perfect backlight and give you that ultimate cinematic glow? Okay, Nicolas Winding Refn’s 2011 cult-classic hit movie, Drive.
• Dive bar receptions (imagine flash bouncing off the disco ball in the window or the neon signs or a random taxidermied rabbit behind you)
• Intimate at-home/backyard micro-weddings where every candid moment deserves to be immortalized like a punk-rock magazine spread. Nothing’s more punk than DIY, don’t let anyone tell you differently.

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Double Exposures: More Than Just a Cool Trick

Double exposures are where I get to really lean into the artistic side of photography. If you’ve never seen one before, imagine layering two images into one—your silhouettes against a neon skyline, your faces fading into a soft blur of city lights, your hands intertwined over a backdrop of movement and color.

It’s cinematic. It’s nostalgic. It turns your photos into something more than just documentation—it turns them into art.

And let’s be honest: if you’re eloping in Kansas City, getting married in a grungy, candlelit venue in St. Louis, or running through the streets after saying “I do” somewhere unexpected, you deserve wedding photos that match that energy.

I’m obsessed with this technique because it captures the way love feels—layered, full of depth, a little dreamy, and unlike anything else.

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True-to-Color Editing: Because Trends Fade, But Memories Shouldn’t

Just because you’re alternative doesn’t mean your photos need to be dark, moody, or drowned in a vintage filter. I don’t do trendy. I do timeless. My editing leans true-to-color because your wedding photos should look just as good in 50 years as they do today—without the regret of following a short-lived aesthetic.

That being said, sometimes a moment demands a filmy touch. A little grain, a little motion blur, a little something that makes the photo feel like it was ripped from a memory instead of a camera roll. But I let that happen naturally—if it fits the vibe of the image, I embrace it. If it doesn’t? I let the colors, the emotions, and the energy of the moment do all the work.

Because no matter how bold, weird, or unconventional your love story is, your wedding photos should still feel like you—not a fleeting trend.

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Why This Style Just Works for Alt, Queer, and Non-Traditional Couples

Let’s be real: traditional wedding photography has always been about fitting into a mold. But if you’re reading this, you’re probably not the “cookie-cutter wedding” type.

Maybe you’re wearing something other than a white dress. Maybe your “first dance” is happening in a grungy warehouse venue. Maybe you just want wedding photos that feel as alive as your love story.

I know what it’s like to exist outside the lines. I grew up in the middle of nowhere Missouri, listening to music that made me feel something (shoutout Paper Kites and A Day To Remember), knowing that one day I’d build something different. And now? I get to help couples do the same.

If you’re here, you probably don’t just want wedding photos—you want an experience that feels like you. Something cool. Something nostalgic. Something you’ll look back on and feel everything all over again.

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Where We’re Doing This

I shoot all over Springfield, MO, St. Louis, Kansas City, and beyond. If you’re eloping in the Midwest and want something different, I’m your person. But if you’re dreaming of taking this vibe somewhere wild—a desert elopement, a foggy forest in the PNW, a neon-lit city street at midnight—I’m packing my fucking bags.

Because your love isn’t ordinary. So why should your wedding photos be?????