WPJA.com HomeWedding Photojournalist Association

South Dakota Wedding Photographers

Find a Photographer / United States / South Dakota

South Dakota Wedding Photographers

Our South Dakota photographers also provide documentary-style coverage in: Sioux Falls, Rapid City

South Dakota Wedding Photography, Engagement Photo Sessions + Elopements

Intimate Wedding Photography in South Dakota - Capturing the Joy of Small Celebrations - Discover the best South Dakota photographers specializing in intimate marriages. Couples are embracing the trend of smaller, more meaningful celebrations. Let our talented photographers capture the joy and intimacy of your wedding day.

By planning a simple South Dakota elopement, couples are able to stay present in the moment and fully absorb the impact of their wedding day. Given the fact that many couples feel more natural and at ease in intimate settings, it's no surprise that some of the most breathtaking wedding images come from elopements.

The WPJA has an abundance of top-ranked, South Dakota documentary wedding photographers available right now who understand that some weddings and elopements can’t wait. Find yours today!
Recent WPJA WedElope Story Awards
Winter frozen wind swept Lake sunset portraits after elopement ceremony
Brittany Bugaj
The sun glowed beneath the horizon as their cliffside ceremony unfolded, providing a beautiful backdrop of the sea and creating a truly magical and romantic experience for the newlyweds
Carlos Porfírio
The bride and groom stood facing each other, holding hands, as their friend officiated their small wedding ceremony outside in a park
Danielle Gardner

South Dakota Photographers for Large or Small Weddings

Shooting an elopement or small South Dakota wedding event is a wedding photojournalist’s dream: a fairly open schedule with lots of breathing space for creativity – it’s just the photographer, the couple, the officiant, and perhaps a few select companions.

United States WPJA members are ready to document any town hall, justice of the peace, themed, or elopement wedding, even if it is a Monday-Thursday ceremony. Search for the “Can Shoot Weddings on Short Notice!” message on the listings below.

View Award-Winning Pictures from South Dakota Wedding Venues

4 South Dakota Wedding Photographers...

Andrea Bibeault is a photographer for marriage ceremonies and reception events

Adept at utilizing a documentary approach, Andrea Bibeault, masterfully tells stories through her visual works. Her unobtrusive presence enables her to capture the most genuine and intimate moments, painting a vivid and compelling narrative of each couple's journey.

Andrea Bibeault

Omaha in Nebraska, US *Now booking South Dakota weddings.
39
4
2600 (USD)
Madison wedding and elopement photography by Ilana Bar-av of Wisconsin

In a journalistic style, Ilana Bar av is a visual storyteller who captures the beautiful moments of weddings. Inspired by her father and brother, also photographers, Barav overcame skepticism to pursue her passion and celebrates six successful years in the business.

Ilana Bar av

Madison in Wisconsin, US *Now booking South Dakota weddings.
43
2
4800 (USD)
Pro documentary-style wedding photography by Bradley Hanson

In the journalistic style, Bradley Hanson is an experienced wedding photojournalist who captures the candid moments of the wedding day. With 24 years of experience, he has covered celebrations of all sizes and his work has been featured in magazines and ad campaigns.

Bradley Hanson

St. Paul in Minnesota, US *Now booking South Dakota weddings.
31
5000 (USD)
Chris Rusanowsky self portrait of a wedding photographer in black and white

Chris Rusanowsky is a traveling documentary wedding photographer based in the US. With a passion for capturing truth and storytelling, Chris has been creating compelling images for clients for over fourteen years. He loves traveling, trying new foods, and spending time with...

Chris Rusanowsky

Northlake in Texas, US *Now booking South Dakota weddings.
3
2500 (USD)

Map of Wedding Photojournalists Serving South Dakota Couples

South Dakota Wedding, Elopement and Engagement Images by WPJA Photographers

Below are some South Dakota wedding photography samples from the world’s best wedding photographers of the WPJA. Some of these South Dakota marriage pictures might be artistic portraits, details, or documentary-style images that have come from getting ready sessions, wedding ceremonies, reception venues, or South Dakota engagement portrait sessions with couples.

A creative Sioux Falls wedding detail picture at Emerald Pines Barn in South Dakota showing the brides dress hanging on the white barn
Artistic Sioux Falls, South Dakota wedding picture created as the wedding party fills their plates with dinner from the buffet

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How can couples find top-ranked South Dakota wedding photographers?
A: The WPJA created the original wedding photographer ranking systems. Our innovative system is based on contest winning points, meaning that the South Dakota photographers you see at the top of your search results page have recently won the most — and the most recent — contest awards. Our contests judge photographers based on their creativity, style, composure, and ability to capture the heart of any couple's story on their wedding day.
Q: How can couples find South Dakota photographers for pre-wedding engagement portraits?
A: The WPJA issues Diamond Awards for South Dakota wedding photographers to showcase their best engagement photography work. These awards are given to photographers who prove that they have an ability to be creative, artistic, and intuitive while working on-location with couples who are newly engaged.
Q: Can a wedding photojournalist create artistic portraits on my South Dakota wedding day?
A: While wedding photojournalists strive to capture candid moments on the wedding day, our photographers also are skilled artists who can compose powerful portraits. If you have a specific vision of what types of images you want from your wedding day, look at the top-ranked South Dakota wedding photographers who have earned Artistic Guild awards for portrait and detail images.
WPJA Communiqué: Featured Wedding Photography Articles
Smaller Weddings in a Time of Social Distancing
It’s no secret that these are strange times we’re going through right now, and there are many couples out there with weddings set in the near future who are left feeling uncertain and concerned about their futures. While that’s understandable, it’s also important to...Read more
What is a Modern Elopement?
WHAT EXACTLY DOES IT MEAN TO ELOPE? If you look up the definition of “elope” in the Merriam-Webster dictionary , you’ll find a plethora of meanings making it quite clear how polarizing the word has become, and how it has transformed and evolved with the passage of time and...Read more
Wedding Economy: The Ups and Downs
We all know that the economy can go through some hard times, and be somewhat reminiscent of past recessions. However, as people cut back on non-essential little luxuries here and there, one constant remains: weddings. People don’t tend to just stop getting married due to a...Read more

WPJA Communiqué: Viewpoints
Elopements: Traditional and Modern
The oldsters among the WPJA ranks no doubt remember when 'to elope' meant, in Merriam-Webster’s definition, “to run away secretly with the intention of getting married, usually without parental consent.” Many wedding photographers have gone on the lam with couples who did just that. However, even Merriam-Webster now acknowledges that “elope appears to have become shorthand for ‘ small destination weddings ,’ a ‘ wedding that is not financially insane ,’ or a ‘ wedding that allows us to not invite all the people we would rather not invite .’” Smaller Weddings are... Read more
What is Reportage?
On Instagram and elsewhere, one can see images labeled as #photojournalism or #reportage when they are, in fact, merely photos. I say "merely," even though photography has been my career's great passion. But it's because of that passion and my respect for the work of actual photojournalists that I am particularly bothered to see wedding photographers call their work "reportage." That word properly used actually means something important beyond just a stylistic conceit. By contrast, however, I'm the lead cheerleader for those practitioners of #weddingphotojournalism ... Read more

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.