Grand Rapids Wedding Photographers

Our Grand Rapids photographers also provide documentary-style coverage in: Walker, Grandville, Kentwood, Northview, Jenison, Cutlerville, Forest Hills, Holland, Grand Haven, Ionia, Muskegon Heights, Norton Shores, Muskegon

Grand Rapids Wedding Photography, Engagement Photo Sessions + Elopements

Intimate Wedding Photography in Grand Rapids - Capturing the Joy of Small Celebrations - Discover the best Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids 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, Grand Rapids documentary wedding photographers available right now who understand that some weddings and elopements can’t wait. Find yours today!

Recent WPJA WedElope Story Awards

At the end of the reception party, the happy couple wowed their guests by dancing together in the sparkler-lit venue

Penny McCoy

The couple are celebrating their wedding in a small village

Luigi Porzia

The bride and groom chatted at a table at the reception venue restaurant

Fabrizio Demasi

Grand Rapids Photographers for Large or Small Weddings

Shooting an elopement or small Grand Rapids 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.

Michigan WPJA members are ready to document any secret, fast, mini, 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 Grand Rapids Wedding Venues

1 Grand Rapids Wedding Photographers...

Ray Anthony Iavasile, a wedding photojournalist based in Michigan, is celebrated for his journalistic style and ability to capture authentic moments. He is recognized as one of the Top 50 wedding photojournalists worldwide and is the go-to choice for couples in Michigan.

Ray Iavasile

Birmingham in Michigan, US *Now booking Grand Rapids weddings.

3000 (USD)

Map of Wedding Photojournalists Serving Grand Rapids Couples

Grand Rapids Wedding, Elopement and Engagement Images by WPJA Photographers

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

Grand Rapids, Minnesota on the lake wedding image of Guests dancing at the reception in a tent

Pictures of a bride getting helped into her dress - Grand Rapids wedding photographer

Searches Related to Grand Rapids Wedding Photography Vendors

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How can couples find reviews of Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids wedding photographers for their own wedding.

Q: Can a wedding photojournalist create artistic portraits on my Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids wedding photographers who have earned Artistic Guild awards for portrait and detail images.

Q: How can couples find Grand Rapids photographers for pre-wedding engagement portraits?

A: The WPJA issues Diamond Awards for Grand Rapids 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.

WPJA Communiqué: Featured Wedding Photography Articles

Essential Elopement Vendor - The Photographer

So your wedding is just around the corner and you’ve decided to elope , either because you want to do this on a budget , avoid a large wedding party, or simply to enjoy the day together with minimal distractions and as little stress as possible . They say 'all you need is...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

A Sunshine Solemnization - Outdoor Weddings in Nature

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 sunshine and that open, airy feeling and give your guests some room to breathe! LESS IS MORE Instead of hemming your...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.