Photography, Ben Wagner Photography | Venue, Magnolia, Private Residence | After Party Venue, Waterwheel Lounge | Wedding Planning, Willow & Ivy | DJ, Shawn Herring | Catering, Kaspars Catering
Candid Seattle Wedding Photography During the Biggest Storm of the Year
“You know they chose this date to get married because you had it open.”
This is what a guest told me a few hours into Leah and Joe’s magical backyard wedding at Leah’s parents’ house in Magnolia.
I don’t know if this is true, and it was just about the biggest compliment I could imagine. But the truth is these two “got it”. They understood what weddings are really about. They’re not about magazine-perfect portraits. They’re not about the photographer. They’re not about achieving a perfect day.
Weddings are about the people.
Well, and also the cats. I began the day with Leah’s one request: pictures with Zest the cat (the most beautifully behaved cat a photographer can ask for). I ended the day soaking wet in a karaoke bar as the storm of the year raged on. Through it all, I saw beautiful friendships, real family love, and high school sweethearts who knew exactly what they wanted their wedding to be and who they wanted to spend it with.
Case in point, after dinner, the couple took the time to sing “Happy Birthday” to two of their (deeply moved) guests, even hand-delivering special cakes made just for them. They took precious time out of their wedding day to celebrate friends who chose to spend their birthdays at the wedding.
It’s about the people.
When the dance floor started, Leah and Joe knew where they had to be — right in the middle of the action. There were no wallflowers, everyone packed onto the dance floor to party the night away. And when the biggest thunderstorm in 5 years dumped buckets of rain onto the proceeding, the party didn’t slow down for a second. Some crowded under the tented dance floor where an assistant held an umbrella over the DJ, but many of us just kept dancing in the rain.
It’s about the people.
When the wedding was over, they announced they had rented a small 35-person shuttle to take anyone interested to a local karaoke bar for a little after-party. It was still pouring rain, and I think the couple expected a few people, maybe the bridal party, to come along.
The shuttle was completely full within 2 minutes, standing room only capacity. After 9 hours, no one was ready to call it a night.
Make it about the people, and the rest will follow.
At the karaoke bar Leah and Joe waited their turn and sang “I’m a believer” as the Saturday night crowd cheered on a soaked bride and groom. By the time I left even more of the wedding guests had arrived, the bride’s parents sipping beer from a pitcher in a back booth while soaked members of the wedding party trickled in.
Make it about your people.
Candid Seattle Wedding Photography — The PhotoFilm
Select Wedding Packages include a 4K PhotoFilm — combining your wedding photographs with recorded sound to create a one of kind photographic documentary. A way to relive your special day for many years to come.
Candid Seattle Wedding Photography — Select Photos
The gallery below includes a select group of photos from Leah and Joe’s Seattle backyard wedding ceremony in Magolia. In the following gallery you will see images in both Color and Black and White. Select wedding photography packages receive all photos edited in both color and black and white. Any film photography images are delivered depending on the chosen film stock.
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Click any image to view in fullscreen or slideshow mode.
Seattle Wedding Photography — The Specs
Digital images photographed on the Leica M11, Leica Q3, and Fujifilm XT5. Film photographs taken on the Leica MP on Kodak Tri-X and Portra 800 film stocks.
Film processed by Panda Lab, Seattle, WA.
