SMALL WEDDINGS + ELOPEMENTS | choose love, not fear

Intimate Weddings & Elopement Photography

Since 2002, the WPJA has been connecting couples with the best, most artistic wedding photographers from around the world.

Colorado wedding photography and CO couple engagement portraits by Joe Pyle
BW portrait of England UK wedding reportage photographer Simon Biffen
Self portrait of Var marriage photographer Cynthia Arena, of the PACA WPJA
Wedding photography by Clementine Labrosse for Indre-et-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire, France
England documentary wedding and elopement photography by Nathan Eames
UK wedding reportage photography by Elodie Ruelleux-Dagorne
Kevin Bergthold, adventurous wedding photographer of Berg Berg Photography Studio
Studio portrait of France wedding photographer Ariane Duplaceau
Portrait of Wedding Photographer Denise Chastain
Engagement, elopements and wedding photography by Sujith Kumar of Incognito frames
Color wedding photography by Iris Hu
Wedding photography and engagement portraits by Loic Bourniquel of France
Destination wedding photography by Inokss Ina
Studio portrait of New England wedding photographer Blake Thomas
Engagement Portraits by top Wedding and Elopement Photographer Sylvain Bouzat
Wedding and elopement Photographer Carl Bower

Authentic Photography

The WPJA organizes various wedding photography rounds annually, recognizing and honoring exceptionally captivating images.

Take a look at the previous victors by clicking on the links below:

Intimate, Micro Wedding Planning & Elopement Articles

Kobe Vanderzande, of Limburg, is a wedding photographer for

There’s nothing quite like an intimate wedding reception in a tent, with its uniquely informal atmosphere, customized decor and proximity to the elements...

Not everyone has a lagoon or glacier next door, but there's no rule saying you can't have a small wedding in the great outdoors. Take advantage of natural...

The Authenticity of
Wedding Photojournalism

Petrica Tanase, of , is a wedding photographer for
Jenny Rutterford, of West Sussex, is a wedding photographer for

WPJA Contest Photos - January 19th, 2024

Any wedding photographer is going to want to please their clients — but they also want their work to be appreciated on a broader scale. This is one of the reasons why the Wedding Photojournalist Association members love our regular photography competitions. These popular contests give our photographers the opportunity to submit their best images in hopes of being selected as a winner and being recognized for their creativity and effort. Our contests are judged by a panel of notable and respected working photojournalists and picture editors in the news industry, which adds an element of prestige to our awards.

A professional documentary wedding photographer in the United Kingdom captured this award-winning image of a bride and groom happily enjoying their wedding cake at the Royal Berkshire Hotel.
In Bar le Duc, Meuse, the bride and groom make a grand entrance to the cocktail on horseback, galloping towards their happily ever after.
At Jaipur, India: Capturing the celebratory moment of opening the champagne at the wedding cake table
A couple and their friends hike to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain for a wedding ceremony overlooking the beautiful White Mountains in New Hampshire. The photographer captures this scene, earning them a WPJA award.
Wedding day at White Castle in Scottsdale, AZ, where a unique tradition has guests throwing onions at the happy couple. This White Castle wedding showcases the bride and groom in stunning historic costumes.
At Savoie - Colonie de l'Espérance, the daughter of the bride and groom brings laughter as she plays the clown during the ceremony
Mother of the Bride helping her daughter put on jewelry at their home in Maine-et-Loire, France during the wedding preparations
Reception Venue, Manoir des Foulons in Rosay, France: Bride throws bouquet to single girls eagerly waiting to catch it at the wedding

Artistic Guild - Creative Portraits and Details - January 31st, 2024

The Artistic Guild competitions are distinctly different from our other WPJA contests because this category is specifically for photographers who use their talent to create digitally-enhanced images, staged portraits and dramatic detail images. This competition attracts documentary wedding photographers who also view themselves as artists who are constantly looking to create their next masterpiece.

Wedding photo in Snowmass Village, Colorado. Bride and Groom share a romantic dip at sunset, embracing and kissing beneath the empty chair lifts and towers against a beautiful backdrop.
In the lovely town of Gonzaga in Mantua, Italy, at the bride's home, a wedding photo captures the bride's shoes and her hands on her legs during her makeup session.
In Pontremoli, Italy, a beautiful wedding portrait captured the bride and groom seated in a pose. The groom can be seen reading a newspaper against a village stone building, creating a memorable and artistic image.
Award-winning wedding photographer captures the couple's intimate pose at Ambient Studio in Atlanta. The artistic silhouette portrait highlights their love against the backdrop of exquisite drapery.
Capturing the timeless beauty of a couple's special day, this award-winning photograph showcases their elegance as they gracefully descend the stairs at the enchanting Frensham Hall in Surrey.
A view from above at San Galgano Abbey, Siena captures the intricate details of the bride's white wedding shoes resting on a vivid red metal chair.
A modern wedding portrait captured at Tourterelle Inn in New Haven, Vermont. The award-winning image showcases the couple's playful and contemporary love, with the sunset blasting behind them as he playfully wraps his arms around her from behind.
Capturing the intimacy amidst nature's beauty, this award-winning image showcases the newlyweds in a private session on a mountain rock, near their ceremony location in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Diamond Awards - Pre-Wedding Engagement Portraits - May 8th, 2024

Couples who are searching for a wedding photographer often want a pre-wedding engagement portrait session as well as wedding day photography services. Engagement photographers need to rely on their skill and expertise in order to help their couples select a meaningful location for their portrait session. These awards allow engagement photographers to submit their most moving engagement images in hopes of being recognized for their creativity and skill.

In Berkeley, CA, the couple enjoyed the warm late afternoon sun and ocean breeze during their engagement portrait session at the beach, standing together and sharing a hug in the beautiful sunset light.
At a balcony in Shanghai, China, the couple sat in patio furniture, exuding style and coolness with their sunglasses and fashionable attire, capturing the essence of their upcoming marriage.
At their engagement portrait session in Basque Country France, the couple stood hand in hand against the large orange wall of their living room, captured in a minimalistic framing that showcased their love and anticipation for their upcoming wedding.
During their engagement portrait session at Istanbul Galata Port, the couple shared a tender and warm embrace in front of the elaborate architectural patterns of the tall background, foreshadowing the love that would soon be celebrated at their wedding.
An intimate and heartfelt engagement session at Berkeley Botanical Gardens captured the couple sitting close on a bench, kissing, and sharing a tender and warm embrace as they prepare for their upcoming wedding.
In Fort Collins, CO, USA, a couple getting married got their picture taken with sunglasses on, standing in front of a colorful geometric mural on a block wall.
Capturing the love between the soon-to-be-married couple, the engagement portrait session at home in Kadıkoy Istanbul shows a tender black and white image of them kissing in an intimate setting.
At Topo do Mundo in Brazil, the couple posed for their engagement photos, embracing each other with her lifting her feet up high in the air as he picks her up.

TLC - True Love Captured - March 3rd, 2023

This WPJA photography competition is focused on the emotions that are on display throughout any wedding event. The images showcase the powerful emotions that the couple are experiencing, and any of the feelings that any wedding guests may go through. The TLC contests follow a long-standing WPJA category tradition of capturing raw emotions.

The wedding photographer captured a timeless moment of love and joy as the bride's grandparents danced in an embrace at the Mountain Top Inn in Vermont
The tender loving moment of the bride caressing her groom's face during their wedding ceremony at Duino, Trieste, Italy was captured perfectly in the wedding photo
The wedding photo taken at West Haven, Connecticut captured a touching moment of a groom shedding tears as his mother lovingly does his hair for the big day
The photographer captured the beautiful, emotional moment between the bride and groom after they exchanged their rings in Trieste, Italy
The photographer at Ancenis, France captured a heart-warming moment of the bride holding hands with her father-in-law as he saw her for the first time in her wedding dress before the ceremony
The photographer captured a beautiful moment of a hug between the bride and groom at Palacio de los Cordova, Granada, Spain, after receiving and giving comfort through the Chinese tea ceremony gifts from the parents, full of emotion and true love
The photographer captured a beautiful moment at Montlouis sur Loire, as the two mothers of the couple tearfully embraced outdoors
The brothers' emotional speeches and hugs at the Lobster Factory ceremony in Tournai, Belgium were beautifully captured in the wedding photo