When Kevin Met Lily: An Imperia Lake Union Wedding Story
Kevin and Lily Zhang's wedding was one of those days where every space at Imperia Lake Union seemed to hold a different chapter of their story. From a hidden speakeasy where Lily got ready to a surprise dragon dance lighting up the ballroom, this was a wedding that asked to be filmed slowly, with care for the small things. As their Imperia Seattle wedding videographer, we walked into the day expecting Lake Union views and chandeliers — and walked out with one of our favorite films of the year.
Lily & Kevin’s Wedding Film at Imperia in Seattle
Getting Ready in a Speakeasy and a Basement
One of the first things you learn about Imperia Lake Union is that the venue gives you spaces other downtown waterfront venues simply don't. Lily and her bridesmaids got ready in a tucked-away speakeasy room — dim, warm, the kind of room where you slow down and breathe before the day picks up. Kevin and the groomsmen had their own world a floor below, in an underground basement that turned into a perfect spot for boutonnières, cuff-link details, and the easy laughter that always finds its way into a getting-ready room.
We love venues that give a couple privacy on a wedding morning. It's a small detail that pays off later, when the calm of the morning carries into the ceremony.
Bride getting ready in the speakeasy bridal suite
A Quiet First Look in the Park
Imperia sits right on South Lake Union, which means most first-look spots come with a built-in audience — joggers, paddle boarders, the lunchtime downtown crowd. What we didn't expect was a tiny, private corner of a nearby park that felt like Kevin and Lily's alone.
Lily turned. Kevin's face changed. We let the camera linger.
It's the moment we always hope for in a wedding film: not staged, not performed, just two people seeing each other clearly. With Lake Union behind them and the city skyline catching the afternoon light, it's a sequence we'll remember for a long time.
Couple Portraits by the dock
A Classic Ceremony Inside the Ballroom
The Imperia ballroom carries a kind of weight to it. Vintage chandeliers, high ceilings, and a classic, almost cinematic feel. It's a room that doesn't need much to look elegant — and Kevin and Lily kept the styling restrained on purpose. The room held its own.
The architecture also makes it a gift to film. Light bounces well off the chandeliers, the geometry frames every wide shot, and we can move quietly without ever feeling exposed. We mic'd Kevin and Lily for their vows so every word — not just the loud ones — would carry into the final film as voiceover.
Ballroom Chandelier
Ceremony
The Surprise: A Lion Dance
Reception had a moment we genuinely didn't see coming. As guests settled in, the room shifted, and a Chinese lion dance came roaring through — drums, color, teeth, motion. Kevin and Lily lit up. So did the room. So did our lenses.
A surprise like this is exactly what wedding video lives for. Photos can capture the look on a face. Video captures the sound — the drums, the gasps, the laughter — and the rhythm of a room responding in real time.
Lion Dance
A Coordinator Who Made the Day Easy
A quick word about the team. Imperia's in-house coordinator ran the day with quiet skill, which let us focus on what we do best — capturing real moments — without juggling timeline questions. When you film weddings often, you start to notice the venues that genuinely take care of their couples. Imperia is one of them.
What Kevin and Lily Said
"We met Stephanie and Evan for the first time during our wedding day and immediately felt at ease. They are extremely professional and easy to work with. The two of them coordinated with our photographer perfectly, and the final product made our decision well worth it. We are so glad we decided to invest in videography for our wedding."
That last line means a lot to us. Kevin and Lily booked us later in the planning process, after photography was already locked in — a reminder that it's never too late to add video, and that the right team can slot in seamlessly with whoever is already on your day.
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