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.

Wedding elopement and photography by Oliver Saillard of France
Xiaoqi Li - Artistic wedding and engagement photographer
Wedding reportage photography by Nadine Lotze of Lumoid Photo
Couple engagement portraits by wedding photographer Joshua Grasso
Nitika Bhasin, Wedding Photographer for India, Maharashtra, and Mumbai
Emma Petersen Wedding Photography Studio
Tracey Buyce Wedding Images
I AM SARAH V Photography - Wedding and Couple Engagement Images
Rio de Janeiro wedding and engagement photography by Bruno Mattos of the Brazil WPJA
Portrait of Wedding Photographer Sarah Priestap
Jerome Pollos Self Portrait, a wedding and elopement photographer of the WPJA
Couple Portraits and Wedding Photography by Tsvetelina Deliyska
Studio portrait of wedding photographer Tanushree Vaidya
Intimate wedding photography by Wayne La

Genuine Photo Contests

The WPJA hosts multiple wedding photography contests each year, awarding only the most captivating and engaging photos.

View winners from past contests 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...

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

Pierrick Roland, of Hauts-de-Seine (92) , is a wedding photographer for
Su Xu, of , is a wedding photographer for
Marion Pomes, of Hautes-Pyrenees (65) , is a wedding photographer for

WPJA Contest Photos - January 25th, 2023

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.

The groom and his roommates gathered in the rented home in Paso Robles, CA to join in prayer before the wedding
The Bride, Groom, and Bridesmaids joyfully jumped into the air on the pure white wedding bouncy castle, celebrating their union at King's Court in Romsey
Grooms acting silly during cake cutting in Minneapolis, MN
From Santa Barbara In the woods near a wedding venue, a groom waits for the bride to arrive
At the wedding venue of Kasteel Hooge Vuursche in Baarn, The Netherlands, the ring-bearers are getting ready while the groom is looking at them in the mirror
A wedding photo of the bride and groom stacking their hands and admiring their rings inside the Domaine des Cigogneaux - Labaroche
At the Inn of the Seventh Ray, Topanga, California, the groom gets lifted on a chair by his friends during a jewish wedding tradition of hora
The Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation was the perfect backdrop for the newlyweds to share a carefully planted kiss on the nose after the ceremony

Artistic Guild - Creative Portraits and Details - February 11th, 2023

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.

Rings symbolizing the union of two lives are surrounded by keys and flowers in this wedding detail image at Castello di Duino, Trieste, Italy
The bride was captured in a beautiful portrait at the JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach with her long bridal dress and veil spread out across the frame
At San Sepolcro Town Hall in Villa Cungi, a backlight portrait was taken of the couple with sunlight glowing into the frame from behind, with trees adding to the beautiful scenery
In Paris, Île-de-France, the bride and groom are joyfully leaping, silhouetted with and framed by leafy trees at their wedding reception venue
The graceful first dance of the newlyweds is framed by the sweeping drapes of the glamorous Axnoller Farm setting
At Cafè Quadri in Venice, Italy, a portrait of a couple facing each other was captured from a low camera angle in an indoor shot
The Toronto bride gracefully walked through a patch of sunlight, her dress rustling amongst the fallen autumn leaves
The bride and groom at Grand Hotel Millennium Sofia in Sofia, Bulgaria, joyfully join hands to dance the Viennese waltz

Diamond Awards - Pre-Wedding Engagement Portraits - March 13th, 2023

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.

The couple can be seen embracing beneath their umbrellas in the rain at South Pond Nature Boardwalk in Chicago, IL for a lifestyle engagement portrait
The couple cuddled casually and relaxedly in the grass, the woman's deep red dress flowing gracefully in front of them in the lifestyle engagement portrait taken in Chartres
The couple relaxed on the swing hanging from tall trees, captured in a lifestyle engagement portrait at Dome House in Cotia, Brasil
The couple in Hedingham Castle, UK braved the rain for a few minutes by coming close together under an umbrella during their lifestyle engagement portrait
The engaged couple posed for a lifestyle pre wedding portrait in the urban street scene of Sancerre Old Market with sidewalks and truck loading docks
The engaged couple in a lifestyle session at the Dome House in Cotia, Brasil, where they fed a monkey in a nearby tree
The couple enjoyed a vibrant engagement photo session at the Salt Lake in Tuz Golu, with the colors of the sky reflecting off the water, and dancing silhouettes
The engaged couple embraced each other at the reflection pool at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA at sunset, captured in a timeless lifestyle pre wedding portrait

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 photograph captured a beautiful and emotional moment as the bride held back tears while saying her vows outdoors at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva, WI
The bride's tearful joy and the groom's humorous charm were beautifully captured in a wedding photo at Snowmass, Aspen Colorado with a backdrop of fall colored trees during their outdoor ceremony
The photographer captured a beautiful and emotional moment as a Bari bride lovingly greeted her ailing grandmother, who was unfortunately unable to join the celebration of her special day
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 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 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 the beautiful moment of a wedding guest giving the bride a big hug and a kiss on the cheek at the Private Home in Congham, Norfolk, UK
The brothers' emotional speeches and hugs at the Lobster Factory ceremony in Tournai, Belgium were beautifully captured in the wedding photo