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Charlotte Wedding Photographers

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Charlotte Wedding Photographers

Our Charlotte photographers also provide documentary-style coverage in: Piedmont, Mecklenburg County, Catawba River, Lake Norman, Lake Wylie, Mountain Island Lake

Charlotte Wedding Photography, Engagement Photo Sessions + Elopements

Intimate Wedding Photography in Charlotte - Capturing the Joy of Small Celebrations - Discover the best Charlotte 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 Charlotte 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, Charlotte documentary wedding photographers available right now who understand that some weddings and elopements can’t wait. Find yours today!
Recent WPJA WedElope Story Awards
The happy couple is having an elopement ceremony on the beach, with the bride's three boys playing in the sand
Simi Rabinowitz
The bride and groom had a first look with mountain views, a special picture from their elopement
Nina Larsen Reed
The couple planned a small wedding ceremony and reception in the backyard of a private home, where strings of lights hung overhead for the night's festivities
Laura Segall

Charlotte Photographers for Large or Small Weddings

Shooting an elopement or small Charlotte 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.

North Carolina WPJA members are ready to document any city hall, pop-up, DIY - do it yourself, 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 Charlotte Wedding Venues

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5 Charlotte Wedding Photographers...

Song Johns wedding and elopement photography of Blooming Dreams Photo

Song Johns is an acclaimed documentary wedding photographer and the founder of Blooming Dreams Photo. With her unique artistic approach, she skillfully captures the genuine emotions and fleeting moments of each couple's wedding day.

Song Johns

Charlotte in North Carolina, US
13
21
2900 (USD)
Wedding photography by Michael Freas

Michael Freas is a photojournalistic wedding photographer. He puts the focus on your unique relationship, honoring all of those present. His commitment to stress-free joy, allowing couples to celebrate to the fullest, has made him one of the most reputable wedding...

Michael Freas

Asheville in North Carolina, US *Now booking Charlotte weddings.
64
3
26
3800 (USD)

In a journalistic style, Dan Harris, a wedding photojournalist, expertly captures the fleeting moments of love and joy that occur during weddings. His extensive portfolio showcases the unforgettable memories he has captured, and he has been recognized with numerous...

Dan Harris

Jacksonville in Florida, US *Now booking Charlotte weddings.
8
400/hour (USD)
North Carolina wedding photography by Joe Payne

In his role as a visual storyteller, Joe Payne utilizes his background in fine art and his MBA to bring a journalistic style to his wedding photography. He excels at capturing authentic moments of love with a documentary approach and creates visually stunning portraits.

Joe Payne

Raleigh in North Carolina, US *Now booking Charlotte weddings.
2
2
3999 (USD)
BW wedding and elopement photography by Brian Mullins

Brian Mullins is a North Carolina wedding photographer based in Raleigh. With a background in photography, cinematography, and concert lighting, Brian's unique visual arts experience has shaped his photography style and vision. He creates beautiful imagery that...

Brian Mullins

Apex in North Carolina, US *Now booking Charlotte weddings.
3499 (USD)

Map of Wedding Photojournalists Serving Charlotte Couples

Charlotte Wedding, Elopement and Engagement Images by WPJA Photographers

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

At Palisades Country Club in Charlotte, NC, three adorable ring security boys stand proudly, giving a thumbs up as they fulfill their duties at a wedding.
An award-winning wedding day portrait captured by a professional photographer at The Terrace at Cedar Hill. The image showcases the bride's captivating eyes as she gazes through her elegant white veil.
Capturing the whimsical spirit of the couple's wedding day, the artistically skilled photographer captured a stunning image as the couple playfully tossed their rings into the air, only for them to land back in their hands.
A wedding photographer captured this award-winning image at The Terrace at Cedar Hill. The bride and groom are being lifted above their wedding party and guests on the dance floor.
The couples' last dance at the reception, held at 658 Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, was captured in a documentary-style wedding photograph
At the beautiful Ballantyne Country Club in North Carolina, the wedding guests laughed as the officiant shared a funny story of the bride and groom, surrounded by an arbor of yellow sunflowers
World-class documentary wedding image of Flower girls making their way down the aisle at Big Chill in Charlotte, North Carolina
North Carolina couple poses for fun portraits to announce their UNCC Botanical Gardens engagement under the sky and trees
A North Carolina couple adventure together for a modern UNCC Botanical Gardens engagement announcement portrait session showing that Distance doesn't matter
A wedding photo at Morehead Inn in Charlotte, NC shows the couple holding Scrabble letters spelling out "He said 'I do.' and she said, 'I do, too.'"
Charlotte lifestyle couples portraits session at Freedom Park in North Carolina with a water fountain on the pond
North Carolina lifestyle couples photography at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Gaston County, NC with layers of purple flowers

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Where can I find a photographer for a short-notice, small Charlotte wedding?
A: There are many WPJA photographers who are able to help you out at a moment's notice. We understand that sometimes love happens and there's simply no time to lose. We can ensure that you can get married as quickly as possible — and have incredible photographs to remember your Charlotte wedding day by.
Q: How can couples find Charlotte photographers for pre-wedding engagement portraits?
A: The WPJA issues Diamond Awards for Charlotte 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: How can couples find reviews of Charlotte wedding photographers?
A: We call them Client Letters. At the WPJA, we decided more than 20 years ago to avoid incorporating those third-person testimonials and endorsements that are found all too often in advertisements. Instead, we elevated our listings with the use of Client Letters, which represent the actual words and feelings of the clients who booked those Charlotte wedding photographers for their own wedding.
WPJA Communiqué: Featured Wedding Photography Articles
Small Weddings - How to Budget and Save
Traditionally speaking, often times it is the couple’s families who help pay for their wedding. However, unfortunately that’s just not possible for everyone, especially these days when the cost of weddings can quickly and easily get out of control. Some couples find...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
Vows, Crowds, and Nerves: Avoid Stress with a Small Wedding
While some of us were fortunate enough to be born as extroverts, not everyone feels the same way. For a good chunk of the population, any number of the typical wedding day traditions can inspire anxiety and existential dread. This day is all about you, yes, but does that...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.