Andi Smiles in the Bridal suite at WithinSodo
Photography, Ben Wagner Photography | Venue, WithinSodo | Location, Seattle,WA | Coordination, Sunflower Entertainment
WithinSodo Wedding Photography
Andi and Tyler told me they were a little different, they had their own pace, a unique style. This started with Andi’s choice to wear a Black Wedding Dress on their big day at WithinSodo.
This was my first time shooting WithinSodo Wedding Photography, a fantastic wedding venue deep in Seattle’s Sodo neighborhood, just a few blocks south of T-Mobile Park. This was also the first of a few times in 2022 I worked with Sunflower Entertainment, who were the day of coordinators for the wedding (and who I can highly recommend).
As I usually do when shooting for the first time at a new venue, I arrived early to have time to check out WithinSodo, before making my way to the Groom and Bridal prep rooms to chat with Andi and Tyler and to get some candid shots of the two of them getting ready. This getting ready time is often my favorite part of they day, giving me a chance to meet and embed with the main characters of the wedding day, the officiant, parents, bridesmaids and groomsmen.
I often find that the wedding photographer being present for this stage of the day helps everyone acclimate to the camera — it’s not every day that you have a professional photographer follow you around for 8 hours. Being there early helps the key people get used to me being there so that by the time things really get going, you will have forgotten about me and the camera, which of course helps me get in close for candid wedding photography.
It also helps me as a documentary wedding photographer to identify who the important people are. If the Bride and Groom are the stars of the wedding day, I also need to know who is the supporting cast: the parents, grandparents, best friends and old mentors who will shape the emotional arc of the day.
After everyone was ready, Andi wanted to do a first look with her dad. There’s not always time for a father-daughter first look, but I love to do it when there’s time. There’s almost always a tear, or at the very least an emotional hug. This one did not disappoint, and his joy really shines through in these photographs.
Then it was time for the wedding ceremony itself, held in the main gallery. Tyler wanted to do a traditional first look, avoiding seeing Andi until the moment she walked up the aisle. About half my couples choose this route over a more formal first look. Sometimes it puts a lot of pressure on the groom to “perform” in front of the wedding guests, but in this case you can’t beat the authenticity of Tyler’s smile when Andi walked into the room.
The ceremony itself was officiated by one of their close friends. It was a simple ceremony with lovely vows between the two, snippets of which you can hear in the PhotoFilm featured below.
After the ceremony the group headed up to WithinSodo’s fabulous rooftop deck. Here we had the signing of the certificate, some portraits, lots of hugs, and a lovely cocktail hour. We were lucky with May weather and a bright sunny day as the group enjoyed the sun and each other’s company.
With the cocktail hour wrapped up, it was time for the reception back in the venue’s ballroom. The spring light faded as it came through the venue’s western facing windows, giving a bit of a dramatic look to the speech photos.
WithinSodo Wedding Photography – The PhotoFilm
WithinSodo Wedding Photography – Select Photos
In the following gallery you will see images in both Color and Black and White. Each couple receives all digital photographs edited in both color and black and white.
Click any image to view in fullscreen or slideshow mode.
All images captured on the Fujifilm X-T4 and X-Pro3. Processed in Capture One.
