Wedding Photos of Water

The following “Water” images were created by documentary wedding photographers from the WPJA, who regularly submit their best candid moments, artistic portraits, details, and scene setters for review by our WPJA competition judges.

WEDDINGS + ELOPEMENTS + ARTISTIC PORTRAITS & DETAILS + ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS

Some of the “Water” marriage photography samples below may have come from the getting ready events, the actual wedding ceremony, the reception after-party, an engagement session with the couple, or possibly be artistic portraits or detail shots.

FINE ART WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY: Our Artistic Guild award winners take a more creative approach to wedding day Portraits and use their innovative skills to capture the Details of each couple’s special day. The Artistic Guild’s Scene Setters are some of the most notable and breathtaking from within the artistic WPJA contest categories. Playing with light and shadow, special effects, and post-production editing, these images embrace the artistic component of wedding photography.

PRE-WEDDING ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY: The story of every couple starts long before the wedding day, and the engagement marks one of the most important milestones in their story. Engaged couples often want to celebrate the occasion and announce their upcoming wedding with a photoshoot. Pre-wedding portraits of an engaged couple can be just as moving and compelling as the images taken on the wedding day. Engagement portraits can win a Diamond Award, an exclusive WPJA award whose winner is selected from the best engagement photography in the world.

Bridal party members gather around the bride as the wind blows during a lakeside ceremony at North Shore House in New Jersey.

Windswept Wedding: Bridal Party Surrounds at New Jersey Ceremony

At Inn at Mount Vernon Farm in Sperryville, VA, the bride's sister hurries to find water for the nervous bride before the wedding ceremony.

SISTER OF BRIDE SAVES DAY: The chase for water at the Sperryville wedding

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Newlyweds sailing on a big yacht in Dalyan, Turkey, enjoying a post-ceremony boat trip with stunning views of the water and surrounding landscapes.

Sailing Newlyweds: A Dreamy Boat Trip in Dalyan, Turkey

sail Dalyan boat trip yacht cruise Dalyan Turkey Turkey newlyweds boat

Newlyweds walk up immense white stairs at Andromedas Villa & SPA Resort in Santorini, Greece. Black and white shot emphasizes the contrast against the stunning sea backdrop.

Stairway to Forever: A Santorini Wedding Tale

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A couple portrait captured by a North Devon wedding photographer at Porlock Beach. The couple shares a laugh together as they stand near the beach, framed symmetrically by hills on each side with water behind them.

Harmonious Amusement: A Moment of Laughter at Porlock Beach

beach Devon laughing symmetrical Porlock Beach water framed by hills

A mesmerizing pre-wedding engagement portrait at Maceió, Brazil. This captivating image showcases a couple by the beach, locked in a loving embrace beneath the enchanting pier pilons, with the majestic ocean as their backdrop.

Brazilian Beach Love: Pre-Wedding Portrait Showcasing Maceió Embrace

ocean backdrop couple photography wind Maceió ocean Maceió engagements pier

A pre-wedding engagement portrait capturing a California couple near San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge. Joined by their exuberant canine companion, they stroll along the serene shoreline, with the flat waters serving as a picturesque background.

California Engagement Portrait at the Golden Gate Bridge | The Blissful Couple, Their Canine Sidekick, and the Shoreline

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California Santa Cruz lifestyle couple portrait. Embraced by the ocean and bird rock, the couple shares a tender embrace at the flat water's edge, capturing the beauty of their love.

CALIFORNIA SANTA CRUZ | Embracing the Ocean: A Stunning Couple Portrait at Bird Rock

couple portrait water Santa Cruz lifestyle couple portrait Bird Rock sea rocks couple portrait session

Engaged couple's lifestyle portrait in Fort Collins, Colorado's Horsetooth Reservoir. Groom-to-be gracefully lifts his bride-to-be in a dance-like gesture, showcasing their love over the serene flat waters.

Elegance Elevated | Engaged Couple's Portraits on Horsetooth Reservoir's Serene Waters

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Lifestyle couple portrait at Horsetooth Reservoir, Fort Collins, Colorado featuring a couple perched on a rock, admiring the picturesque sunset and blue hour hues over the serene, still waters below.

Unforgettable Romance | Stunning Engagement Wedding Portraits at Horsetooth Reservoir, Colorado

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A pre-wedding engagement portrait captures a couple's joyful embrace with shared laughter high above Horsetooth Reservoir in Fort Collins, Colorado.

ELEVATED ECSTASY | Pre-Wedding Portrait Above Horsetooth Reservoir in Fort Collins, Colorado

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Winter Park, FL: A couple in love poses for a lifestyle portrait surrounded by nature. They share a passionate embrace by the water, beautifully captured and highlighted by the talented photographer.

Winter Park, FL: Nature's Amorous Canvass | Passionate Love Immortalized in Stunning Portrait

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Fort Collins, CO: A couple engages in a romantic dance pose against the backdrop of a setting sun. Illuminated by the skilled photographer, this lifestyle portrait captures their passion and connection.

Fort Collins, CO | Enchanting Engagement: Love's Dance Beneath the Setting Sun

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Lifestyle couple portrait with a breathtaking Colorado Mountain and serene waters of Bear Lake, RMNP CO, as a backdrop. Shot from a high angle, the couple is elegantly posed, beautifully lit by the photographer.

COLORADO MOUNTAIN MAJESTY | A Romantic Engagement Session at Bear Lake

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Bear Lake, RMNP CO: A breathtaking pre-wedding engagement portrait captures a couple illuminated by the photographer's skillful lighting. Shot from a high angle, the stunning backdrop of flat water adds to the enchantment.

Bear Lake Bliss | A Captivating Engagement Portrait in RMNP CO

water dusk Bear Lake ocf Colorado engagement photography Bear Lake portraits lake

Ravenna Wild Beach in Italy serves as a picturesque backdrop for a lifestyle couple portrait. The photographer captures an intimate pose as the couple shares a hug on the shore, their legs interlocked, resulting in a symmetrical composition.

Ravishing Ravenna: Intimate Elegance | A Symmetrical Couple Portrait on Wild Beach

sea Ravenna Wild Beach photographer engaged couple Ravenna Photography sand Couple Portrait on Wild Beach

Lifestyle couple portrait at Finca Vikingos in Santa Barbara, Heredia, Costa Rica. Silhouette of a couple framed with an arch present at the Finca Vikingos lagoon, creating a striking image with a mirror reflection below them.

Enchanting Love: A Captivating Silhouette at Finca Vikingos

silhouette mirror engaged couple Finca Vikingos Costa Rica blue sky Engagement photography

Albi, France: An enchanting lifestyle couple portrait showcases a reflection of a kissing couple in the water. The focal point is on their dark pant legs and white shoes, while their faces are seen in a puddle in the foreground.

BLISSFUL IN ALBI: A captivating juxtaposition of love and reflection

white shoes kissing couple puddle dark rain raining reflections

Saint-Pardoux, France couple gracefully pose face to face during a lifestyle portrait session, while the serene water behind them beautifully reflects the bright sky. A truly captivating image captured expertly by the photographer.

SAINT-PARDOUX, FRANCE | An Exquisitely Captivating Portrait Session

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Arapaho National Forest, CO: Lifestyle couple portrait showcasing the serene beauty of nature. The couple poses before a tranquil alpine lake, with the majestic mountains perfectly mirrored in the water.

Colorado Captivating Couple Portrait Amidst Majestic Mountains

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In this award-winning black and white image, an artistic wedding photographer captures a bride gazing down at her bare shoulder adorned with water droplets from the nearby waterfall at Mt. Rainier National Park.

Mt. Rainier National Park: Gazing bride, water droplets, award-winning black and white

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In the picturesque Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, a radiant couple embraces tenderly against the backdrop of a serene alpine lake, capturing the essence of their wedding day.

Majestic Matrimony: A Stunning BW Wedding Portrait in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

serene embrace artistic wedding photographer Alpine CO matrimony lake bride and groom

Wedding portrait of couple at Tenuta di Polline - Lago di Bracciano - Italy. Partial silhouettes of the couple holding hands on the lake shore, with warm tones and sunlight.

Romantic Embrace: Eternal Love with View of Italy's Lago di Bracciano

lakeside portrait warm tones Bracciano Lake Lazio Tenuta di Polline sunset sunlight

Newlyweds embrace nature's beauty as they stand near the water and trees, surrounded by exposed tree roots in Lipnik Park. This unique wedding day portrait captures their love in an enchanting setting.

Embracing Love in Lipnik Park: Enchanting Newlywed Portrait Amid Nature's Beauty

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In the beautiful setting of Almería, Spain, this award-winning wedding photographer captured a romantic kiss. The bride and groom stand on the beach, under a veil, in a symmetrical pose, face-to-face.

Symmetrical Sands: Award-winning Wedding Photographer Captures Romantic Kiss in Almería

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At Piney River Ranch, a wedding couple shares a tender portrait session on the boat dock at sunset, with stunning reflections in the water of them, the mountains, and the clouds.

Romantic Reverie: A Wedding Day Sunset Affair on Piney River Ranch's Boat Dock

clouds mountain boat dock Piney River Ranch Colorado mirror Rocky Mountain portrait

In a picture taken at the Dionysos Village Hotel in Turunc, Marmaris, Turkey, a couple strolls during their wedding day portrait session. They walk, holding hands, on the rocky cliffs above the water.

TURKISH TRYST: A CAPTIVATING COASTAL PROMENADE FOR THE NEWLYWEDS

Turkish coastal celebration holding hands Marmaris wedding Turkey water Marmaris bride and groom portraits

Lifestyle couple portrait capturing a creative embrace at Esplanade in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The silhouette of a couple kissing at sunset by the water, with golden tones and ducks in the lake. Composition emphasizes off-center framing.

Golden Kisses: A Creative Embrace at Esplanade

Cambridge MA Engagement Portrait Cambridge MA lakeside engagement ducks Massachusetts in nature golden tones

A romantic mountain lake scene captured at Piney River Ranch, CO. The couple kisses while enjoying a canoe ride during the enchanting sunset.

Enchanting Sunset Canoe Ride: Romance at Piney River Ranch

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A wedding photographer captures an award-winning scene as a couple, accompanied by their furry friend, takes a leisurely stroll on the beach near their reception venue in Morbihan, Brittany.

A Serene Beach Portrait: Love, Laughter, and Paws in Brittany

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WPJA contest judges have been recognized by their industry peers, winning top awards as staff picture editors, staff photojournalists, and newsroom mentors while working for these and other leading publications and journalism organizations.