A Wedding at Usk Castle and Tiny Rebel Brewery – Film Photography as a Guest

Last week, I had the privilege of attending the wedding of my lovely friends Amy and Paul Cook-Rogers.

The day unfolded across two brilliant venues: the ancient stonework of Usk Castle and the modern buzz of Tiny Rebel Brewery. It was a wedding full of contrast—sunshine and shadow, vows and dancing, and for me, digital-free photography with a couple of old film cameras in my pocket.

Me! Standing in front of Usk Castle gates

A Castle Wedding with Analogue Charm

Usk Castle is a stunning 900-year-old fortress tucked into the Monmouthshire countryside. Guests gathered in the courtyard, the sun sharp and hot for early May. The ceremony took place in a small, beautifully converted barn at the edge of the castle grounds, with wildflowers and timber beams setting the scene.

Shooting Film at a Castle Wedding

Amy, the bride, is a big fan of film and analogue photography. So I came armed with two trusty old machines: my dad’s Praktica BMS 35mm SLR (a sturdy East German camera from the 1980s), and my partner Nicole’s Nikon L135AF, a compact and fun little point-and-shoot from the same era.

With only a couple of rolls of film, I needed to shoot sparingly while still enjoying the celebration, sunshine, great company, and plenty of beer. The goal was staying present to watch our lovely friends get married.

Guests wait for the Wedding Ceremony to begin, in Usk Castle grounds.

From Smoky Bars to Bright Sunlight - Getting Your Film Photography Right

I fired off a few shots on arrival, but quickly realized I had a problem. The roll still in the Praktica had been shot at ISO 1600 for a friend’s dark, smoky gig the week before. The complete opposite of the bright, sun-drenched castle courtyard.

This meant that when it came time to develop the photos, there was a huge risk that the gig photos came out black, or all the wedding photos overexposed and birhgt white/contrasty.

Rather than dwell on camera geekery, I stopped the lens down to f/16, cranked the shutter to 1/1000, and hoped that was enough to keep the exposure manageable. I managed a few quick shots of friends arriving, people laughing in the sun, and then it was time to pocket the cameras as we were ushered into the barn for the ceremony.

Wedding Photography as a Guest

For this wedding, I’m here as a guest.

Of course, any photographer wants to take as many photos as they can, and who can resist taking a few snaps at a wedding? Well dressed people, having fun, in beautiful locations.

If you want to check out some of my wedding photography where I’ve been the official photographer, have a look here: Declan & Rhiannedd’s wedding in Insole Court.

For Amy and Paul’s, the camera went away for the vows and ceremony, and came back out for ice cream and drinks in the sun.

Nicole, my partner, galivanting off after a prosecco.

Free ice cream from Garbanzo’s is a hit.

Tiny Rebel Brewery Reception – Beer, Bands, and 35mm Fun

After ice creams and a few loops around the castle tower (including a surprisingly long cobbled trek to the toilets), the newlyweds climbed into a vintage VW camper van, and we all followed them to the reception at Tiny Rebel Brewery.

Vintage VW camper from Vanity Weddings, ready to collect the bride and groom

From Castle to Brewery: A Modern Welsh Wedding

I’ve been to the brewery before, years ago with my dad and brother. It’s a cool industrial space, with huge windows looking into the working brewery. Fresh cans zip around on conveyor belts tantilisingly.

As guests arrived, staff handed out beer and trays of snacks. Large ice buckets made the rounds and, before long, the place was buzzing.

The camera came out again, though less selectively this time. I shot more freely as the night wore on: guests dancing hard to live folk-rock band The Apple Tree Theory, laughter over speeches, spontaneous hugs, spilled drinks. In the dark, you can never quite predict how your film photos will come out, but that’s half the fun. Blurry, grainy, real photos.

The Apple Tree Theory getting people movin’.

Tearing up the dance floor at Tiny Rebel

The Film Lab Gamble and Final Thoughts

We left late, after sweaty goodbyes and big hugs for Amy and Paul, still glowing from the dance floor. I had three rolls of film in my pocket and absolutely no idea which roll was which. One of them was definitely the ISO 1600 roll from the gig, but I couldn’t remember which (too many beers!).

When I dropped them off at Express Imaging in Cardiff, I asked them to develop both rolls at ISO 800 and crossed my fingers. Some of the shots came out a bit too contrasty or overexposed, but overall I was happy with the results.

My favourite images came from the point-and-shoot. They’re imperfect, spontaneous, sometimes slightly out of focus, but that’s half the fun. They feel like the kind of photos we used to have as kids. Natural, nostalgic, and real. I hope they’re just what Amy was hoping for.

Thinking About Film Wedding Photography?

If you’re planning a wedding and love the look of authentic, analogue photography, I’d love to chat. Shooting film at weddings brings a special kind of warmth and honesty that’s hard to replicate digitally. You can take a look at more of my film and documentary-style work on my website.

Big congratulations again to Amy and Paul, and thanks for letting me capture a few memories along the way.