The Drunk Wedding Photographer

David Cruz has a simple test for a good wedding photograph: would grandma proudly put it up in her living room? As The Drunk Wedding Photographer, he makes wholesome, unpretentious pictures of who a couple was on their wedding day, how the sky looked, the way parents stood together in the garden, the ordinary colors of a day that only later turns out to be a living memory. In an era of performative, content-first weddings, he is refreshingly unbothered by trends. Weddings, as he puts it, have always been about "grandma holding her purse in every picture, and mom telling you to smile every five minutes," and that familiar, sentimental, slightly nostalgic feeling is exactly what he is after.

His look is best described as bright, fine-art editorial documentary photography on analog 35mm film. David draws on the warmth of mid-century summer vacation snapshots, with sun-washed colors and textures that echo Los Angeles's Spanish Californian and Art Deco architecture, then frames it all with the composition and generous negative space of a fashion editorial. The result feels cinematic and romantic but lived-in, closer to a treasured family album than a social media highlight reel.

For couples considering film, the most useful thing to know is how literally David means it. For outdoor weddings in daylight, he photographs the entire day exclusively on real Kodak Gold or Kodak Ultramax 35mm film, using the same Nikon F5 he has relied on for more than twenty years. Once the sun goes down or the party moves indoors, the venue's light decides the tool, and he switches to a Nikon D700 digital camera where film simply cannot keep up. For a few specific shots, like capturing the full facade of Beverly Hills City Hall in one frame, he reaches for an Olympus E-M1. What he does not do is the "hybrid" coverage common in the industry, where the same moment is shot twice on film and digital, or the far less honest practice of advertising film and delivering one token roll padded out with film-look presets. Couples receive an online gallery plus 4x6 prints of every final image, from a photographer who calls himself a pragmatic professional service provider first and an artist second.

David works solo with deliberately minimal gear, which suits his temperament. For all the swagger of the brand name, he describes himself as quiet and even a bit reclusive, a low-key presence that lets couples and guests simply enjoy the day. The name came out of a bold 2023 rebrand, designed to be as instantly memorable as a sign spotted in Los Angeles traffic, and his website is upfront that he is "not for everyone." He tends to click with couples who write their own vows, share homemade food, and care more about family than spectacle.

Based in Los Angeles, David photographs intimate documentary weddings across the city and Southern California, from Silver Lake and Highland Park to Santa Monica and Long Beach, and travels north for multi-day vineyard estate weddings on the Central Coast around San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles. An Oaxaca native with Mixtec roots who grew up in Los Angeles, he works with couples in both English and Spanish, and his film work has been featured in Rock n Roll Bride, Boho Weddings, Bespoke Bride, and The White Wren.