
How I Achieved My Best Documentary Wedding Photography
2024 was a banner year for Ben Wagner Photography. Most importantly I became a father — and my personal photography completely changed. Personal projects were abandoned or put on hiatus for more time (and photos) with baby.
But it was also the year in which I felt I accomplished my best documentary wedding photography. I took on fewer weddings in 2024 than ever before. Partially this was due to the baby’s decision to arrive in July, the middle of wedding season and traditionally my busiest month. While weddings are always seasonal, I feel wedding photography in Seattle and the broader pacific northwest is especially so. There are only so many good weather Saturdays.
So I took off what is normally my busiest time for documentary wedding photography to focus on starting a family. But this also meant I was more selective than ever before about the couples I chose to work with — if I was only able to take on so many weddings to be away from the family — then my clients needed to be wholly aligned with my style and process.
This really paid off in being able to produce what I felt was the best documentary wedding photography of my career in 2024. Every single one of my couples “got it”. They understood what I do and wanted something a little different. They got that weddings are about their people in unrepeatable moments, not about a bunch of forced poses. The understood that more time spent on the dance floor, or at the cocktail hour, or with their loved ones before the ceremony would produce more unforgettable moments and beautiful photographs than a magazine style photoshoot could ever turn out.
They understood that being in the moment creates memories.
Below I’ve included 20 examples of what I consider to be my best documentary wedding photography of 2024. Narrowing down was an impossible task. There are so many more photos I loved, and have and will continue to share. But the best I could do is go with my gut, the photographs that when I clicked the shutter made me smile and go “I got one”.
I love what I do. I came to this career path a little late, but it’s the greatest and most fulfilling job I ever had. When I’m dancing in the rain or tearing up at a toast or laughing as the bridesmaids dance to “Hot to Go”, I think “I can’t believe I get to do this”.
Best Documentary Wedding Photography of 2024
Digital images photographed on the Leica M11 and Leica Q3. Film photographs taken on the Leica MP on Ilford HP5.
Film processed by Panda Lab, Seattle, WA.