Los Angeles Film Wedding Photographer

・for small weddings & beverly hills courthouse elopements・

I’m David Cruz (The Drunk Wedding Photographer), politically incorrect Oaxaca native, Mezcal and street taco connoisseur named the best 35mm film wedding photographer in L.A. by my Meemaw.

✨ published in ✨

The White Wren・Bold Journey・Shoutout L.A.・Nikon Owner・Voyage L.A.・Canvas Rebel

simple analog photography for young creative daydreamers who do everything in life but nothing on rainy afternoons

A bride and groom standing together on the steps of Beverly Hills City Hall, a grand white building with a tall clock tower, surrounded by palm trees and well-maintained gardens, on a bright sunny day.

A bride in a white wedding dress and a groom in black pants and suspenders stand on a rocky terrain, holding hands and looking at each other against a pale sky.

A bride and groom standing on the Colorado Street Bridge, facing each other, outdoors on a sunny day with trees in the background.

A man in a tuxedo is standing next to a white convertible sports car, smiling and looking into the car. The scene is outdoors with trees and plants in the background, in black and white.

I’m Not for Everyone

There’s an inherent beauty in being able to say that I’m not for everyone. Because I believe in simplicity. Focusing my limited time with clients creating wholesome photos on 35mm film as newlyweds together with their friends and family — rather than on complicated poses, flat lays, and details meant to impress wedding planners.

I deliver photos Grandma will proudly print and showcase in her home. Simple vignettes: quiet documentations of who my clients and their friends were in that moment, and how the sky looked that day. And if you believe in writing your own vows and sharing life’s simple moments over homemade food, paired with a good bottle of wine, then perhaps I might be for you. Because life is about the simple experiences and memories we share with those we love, no matter how mundane those moments may seem to others.

I’m not here to take trendy wedding photos for social media — I’m here to collaborate with you on this one day when most of your favorite people will be by your side. Because the only two times most of our loved ones are together in one place are at weddings and funerals. And it’s these honest, quiet moments we end up treasuring because they’re all we can hold onto once our loved ones are gone.

A couple in wedding attire sharing a kiss outdoors on a rocky hillside during sunset, with the woman in a white dress and the man in a white shirt with suspenders.

Sky with scattered clouds and a visible crescent moon.

Silhouette of a large historic cathedral with two tall bell towers and illuminated crosses against a twilight sky.

Simple Pricing for 2025 Los Angeles Weddings

Film wedding photography coverage begins at $2,700
Outdoor weddings are photographed on 35mm film
Booking includes: online gallery + 4x6 print proof set
View full wedding client galleries ☞ here

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Frequently Asked Questions

No!… jk jk. Of course I do! While destination weddings are not my speciality — I dread flying but jump in a U-Haul cross-country any chance I get — I have photographed courthouse weddings in Santa Barbara, and Palm Springs, as well as small weddings in Temecula, San Luis Obispo, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, and my hometown Oaxaca, Mexico — with plans for a New York courthouse wedding next year. Pricing-wise, same standard rates, with travel and a minimum three-night accommodation added on.
Sadly, no. Contrary to my off-the-rails brand name, any one of my clients will tell you I'm one of, if not the most, quiet, reserved, and collected wedding vendors there is. And while a drink is much appreciated, it's not necessary for me to drink at your wedding. Besides, even if I wanted to, most venues in and around Los Angeles no longer allow vendors to enjoy a drink or two from the bar.
You'd be surprised to hear I have clients book me a week before their wedding, but given the nature of planning a small wedding, most clients typically book me around five months in advance. It's uncommonly rare for me to be booked a year in advance, but it has happened (once). So far, all my clients have booked me first — even before locking in their venue or deciding whether to hire a wedding planner. That said, as with any wedding vendor, booking sooner rather than later is recommended. As I've mentioned, I'm a one-man show, so when I'm booked, I'm booked.
I'm a one-man band, meaning I'm the one you inquire with, call on Zoom, the one who shows up to your wedding, edits your photos, and hand-inspects them before dropping them off at the post office. This level of attentiveness to each one of my clients is why I only book with clients who plan a simple Beverly Hills courthouse marriage or a small wedding with a limited guest count. Allowing me to photograph the entirety of a wedding without relying on an associate, a second photographer, or even an assistant.
If your wedding takes place outdoors during daylight hours, then yes, most if not all of your wedding will be photographed on 35mm film. However, after sunset or in moody indoor lighting, I switch to digital. And while I do use film indoors in specific lighting conditions, the available light in your venue will greatly influence how I photograph your wedding.
That said, certain photos may not be technically possible to photograph on 35mm film regardless of available light, in which case digital capture would be the practical call. Either way, my goal is to take pretty photos of you as newlyweds no matter the camera, format, time of day, or lighting conditions.
I never saw the point of getting ready photos. That part of the day feels like being led through the sausage factory while it's being made, and how many of us want photos of that? But we all want photos of the sausages on the grill, or better yet, being served at the cookout.
Let's keep it 100: these moments are not for everyone to see — they're for you to experience in private. We both know no one feels their best with foundation being applied, a curling iron in their hair, or while brushing their teeth. So stop for a second and ask yourself: twenty-something years from now, which photo will matter more? The one of foundation being applied to your face, or the one of you standing beside the person you love, dressed in your Sunday best?
Each of my clients receives my attentive presence throughout the planning process, on the wedding day, and afterward, a 4x6 proof set of their wedding photos and an online gallery to download and order additional prints. As for how many photos, I hate to leave you with a vague answer, but photographing a wedding on 35mm film is intentional by nature and, compared to digital, demands a bit of restraint. In other words, it's a less-is-more approach.
I don't promise an exact number because, as cliché as it sounds, each wedding unfolds a little bit differently, even while following similar beats as some weddings naturally have more moments than others. And while I do my best to photograph what matters to you, with film and real life, a few moments will slip by unrecorded, but I'd argue that's the honest beauty of photographing weddings on 35mm film.

Black and white photo of a couple kissing outdoors, woman wearing a dress and man wearing a white shirt with suspenders.

A wedding ceremony outdoors on steps decorated with flowers and garlands, with a couple exchanging vows, surrounded by guests, palm trees, and a white building with arched windows.

Woman in a white wedding dress holding a bouquet, standing outdoors near a wooden fence with mountains in the background.

A bride and groom sitting on stone steps in front of a wooden door, sharing a moment of joy while eating ice cream cones.

A newlywed couple sitting by a fountain outdoors; the bride is in a white wedding dress, the groom in a navy suit with sunglasses, feeding each other ice cream while holding a wedding cake slice.

A couple dressed in wedding attire standing on rocks outdoors, holding hands and smiling at each other under a clear sky.

A couple dressed in wedding attire, with the bride in a white gown and the groom in a black tuxedo, holding each other and looking into the distance outdoors, with mountains and trees in the background.

A bride and groom sitting on stone steps in front of a large wooden door in a stone building. The bride is in a white dress, and the groom is in a blue suit. There are two black wrought iron lamps on the wall beside them.

A woman in a white dress standing on a beach with rocks and greenery in the background, illuminated by sunlight.

A man in a black tuxedo, white dress shirt, patterned bow tie, and sunglasses stands outdoors, with a flower tucked into his lapel, during sunlight.

A rustic wooden table set with a speckled ceramic plate, white napkin with green foliage, silverware, glass of water, and green leafy garland for decoration.

Close-up of an agave plant with long, spiky, bluish-green leaves growing from the center, surrounded by small rocks and other greenery in the background.

Why I Use 35mm Film and Nikon Cameras for Small, Simple Weddings in Los Angeles

Someone once told me, "Simplicity is sophistication, because intelligence is being able to make complicated things simple." I’ll admit, I didn’t get it at first. But over the years, those words have become inseparable from who I am, shaping how I see the world, how I photograph my clients, and how I take pride in using well-made tools that don’t need firmware updates. Tools that simply work, and will likely outlast my career.

It’s why I use Kodak 35mm film to photograph weddings, and why I rely on cameras like the Nikon F3, N75, F6, and F5 — the same F5 I’ve used for over twenty years — supported by Tap & Dye leather wrist straps and carried in a Domke bag I picked up around the same time. Tools that are proudly made in America.

I don’t use 35mm film because it became fashionable again. I’ve been using it since 2003. I use it because it works. It’s practical. It’s consistent. The color and depth when paired with the right lens and light are unmatched. It’s why Hollywood still uses Kodak 35mm motion pictures film for many of its most important projects. Sitting in that Goldilocks zone — not too analog like 16mm or 8mm, and not too polished like medium format.

35mm film has that je ne sais quoi. You can’t always explain it, but you feel it. You know it when you see it. It's like an In-N-Out burger in Los Angeles: honest, consistent, and unpretentious. Drawing people in with its quiet beauty of natural light to create neutral tones without the artificial sheen of viral TikTok wedding trends. It holds its own by honoring the subtle, meaningful moments of a wedding by speaking to those who value quiet memories over spectacle.