Photography, Ben Wagner Photography | Venue, The Edgewater Hotel | Wedding Planning, Your Perfect Bridesmaid | DJ, Seattle Parties | Content Creator, Content By Christina | Officiant, Grace MacLeod | Rentals, Cort Party Rentals | Hair and Make-up, Onsite Beauty | Dessert, Fuji Bakery | Floral, Seattle Floral Design
Documentary Wedding Photography at Amy and Mike’s Edgewater Hotel Wedding
By Seattle Wedding Photographer Ben Wagner
The Edgewater Hotel is one of Seattle’s Iconic Wedding Venues: famous for its views across Elliott Bay and the Puget Sound on one side, and it’s breathtaking view of the Seattle skyline on the other. When Amy and Mike first reached out to me via Jade at Your Perfect Bridesmaid, they said they wanted a low-key photography experience. Laid back and authentic, no performative flourishes — just capture those real, in-between moments.
And after getting to know them better as I shot their Bellevue Engagement Shoot, I got it. They were exactly the type of couple I like working with: genuine, in-love, and focused on the wedding as a celebration with family and friends — not an excuse for a magazine photoshoot.
When I arrived at their suite at The Edgewater Hotel, Amy was having lunch surrounded by close friends, the room filled with an easy calm. There was no frantic scramble as she got ready — her wedding dress was elegant and the veil caught the light as it shifted from morning to afternoon, warming the suite from the western facing windows. In a nearby hotel conference room, Mike adjusted his tie with a mix of nerves and excitement as his friends tidied up his hair.
For a first look they wanted to keep it simple, right on the balcony overlooking the bay. When they finally saw each other for the first time, the laughter said it all.
The Edgewater Hotel Wedding — a One of a Kind Ceremony Space
Set against the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Seattle’s Elliott Bay, the ceremony space at The Edgewater Hotel is unlike any other in the city. Hilariously, just as the ceremony was about to start, a Norwegian Cruise Line Ship departed, passing directly in front of the windows and briefly blocking the view, delaying the ceremony five minutes. Of course, Amy and Mike (and their guests) took this in stride. A good lesson in ensuring your timeline has room to breathe in case of small unexpected delays.
When we started the ceremony the room glowed with afternoon light as Amy walked down the aisle, and the emotion between them was undeniable. There was laughter through tears, holding hands, and one unforgettable exchange of vows. But it wasn’t grand gestures that defined this moment, but authenticity — two people being exactly themselves in front of the people they love most.
The Edgewater Hotel Wedding: Cocktails, City Views, and Unscripted Moments
After the ceremony, guests spilled out to the patio for cocktails overlooking the Seattle skyline. There were clinking glasses, easy laughter, and a flurry of conversation. Everyone was having such a great time, I had to remind the couple of the handful of family photos they told me ahead of time we should get during the cocktail hour.
Amy and Mike ate dinner quickly so they could spend more time with their guests, moving from table to table as I photographed toasts and hugs along the way. Afterwards, we moved back to their balcony and suite for them to have a few minutes together as I photographed them during the sunset over the bay.
Afterwards it was a flurry of beautiful speeches and a moving set of first dances. And that’s when, in the parlance of our time, there was a major vibe shift…
The Edgewater Hotel Wedding: A Hall of Fame Dance Floor
Amy and Mike told me they were dancers and they expected a raucous dance floor. They undersold it. The next few hours was a party for the ages. The walls shook. The floor rumbled. During the little lulls guests would move to the patio with the nighttime Seattle skyline illuminating them. That’s when the DJ would play another banger, and the rush back to the dance floor would kick in.
It was so good I was sore after. So good I couldn’t sleep until 3 AM because of the adrenaline. So good that when one of the coordinators said “oh I’m surprised you’re still here” all I could say was “I’m having too much fun to leave.”
The Edgewater Hotel 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.
The Edgewater Hotel Wedding Photography — Select Photos
The gallery below includes a select group of photos from Amy and Mike’s Edgewater Hotel Wedding. 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 Photographer — The Specs
Digital images photographed on the Leica M11, Leica Q3, and Fujifilm XT5. Film photographs taken on the Leica MP and Rolleiflex 2.8E, on Ilford HP5 and Kodak Portra 800 film stocks.
Film processed by Panda Lab, Seattle, WA.
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