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.

Engagements, Weddings and Elopement Photographer Lucy Schultz
United Kingdom and Scotland Documentary Wedding Photography by Christine Russell
Adventure elopement and wedding photography by Mike Kory
Nicholas Haigh - UK wedding reportage photographer
France Wedding Photographer Florent Fauqueux
France wedding photography by Angelique Blaise
BW wedding photography by Mauricio Urena
Studio portrait of French wedding reportage photographer David Blateyron
United Kingdom wedding reportage photography by Andrew Heeley
London wedding and elopement photography by Gyula Lovaszi, of England, United Kingdom
Bavaria wedding and elopement photography by Andrea Kühl of Germany
Engagement, Wedding and Elopement Photographer for New England, Andy Madea
Wedding Photography by Thinh Phan
Rome documentary wedding photography by Barbara Baldigari of Lazio, Italy

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

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...

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 elements...

The Authenticity of
Wedding Photojournalism

Maxime Desessard, of , is a wedding photographer for Domaine de la Butte Ronde
Brittany Diliberto, of Virginia, is a wedding photographer for

WPJA Contest Photos - September 19th, 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.

A groom perfects his beard in the mirror at the Omni Parker House in Boston, Massachusetts, with a vintage portrait hanging on the wall, creating a charming juxtaposition between past and present
A joyful bride shouts with excitement, anticipating the moment she will be pronounced married during a rain-filled ceremony in Rockport, Maine
Guests at a wedding reception in Porto, Portugal, raise their champagne glasses in celebration as they admire the beautifully decorated wedding cake, captured by a talented wedding photographer
The bridesmaids and the bride having a delightful time in Tuscany, Italy. With matching hair rollers and sunglasses, they share a laugh before the wedding ceremony
In his own home in Haute-Saone, a groom prepares for his big day in a bustling room adorned with wall-hung mirrors. The reflections of his groomsmen capture the anticipation and excitement in the air.
In the streets of Paris, Île-de-France, the bride's determined grandmother tries to adorn her hair with a veil, battling against the relentless wind. A heartwarming moment captured during a bustling Parisian wedding.
A newlywed couple shares a kiss while waiting for their pizza order at a laid-back reception on Philadelphia's boardwalk in Pennsylvania
A happy bride and groom leave their ceremony at Fort Collins, Colorado, as guests cheerfully shower them with flowers and plants, creating a joyous and colorful scene

Artistic Guild - Creative Portraits and Details - July 12th, 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.

A bride poses for a portrait in her Tuscan home by a window
A close-up shot captures a small something old, intricate detail on a greenery bouquet at Smedmore House in Dorset, UK
Three generations of the family come together, hands intertwined, at Domaine de Valmont
Artistic wedding couple portrait from Ferme du Coudray: A married couple poses in the middle of the night at a round shaped building with a door
Groomsmen and the groom strike a pose for a creative wedding portrait at Ewing Manor in Bloomington, IL, with a unique mirror reflection of the sky and trees beneath them
Artistic wedding couple portrait captured at a reception location in Colorado, featuring the bride and groom enjoying a private session by an open pit fire during their wedding reception, while guests revel in the evening
A bride and groom hug each other in a creative wedding portrait at Versailles, France, with the bride's hair gently blowing in the breeze
A skillfully composed photograph taken at the Sheraton Hotel in Calgary captures the precise moment when a makeup artist applies lipstick to the bride's lips, adding a touch of artistry to the wedding scene

Diamond Awards - Pre-Wedding Engagement Portraits - September 16th, 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.

A sunlit black and white portrait of a couple, taken during their engagement photo shoot in Peña del Águila, Mancha Real, Jaén
A couple sits on a rock, gazing at the stunning views of Colorado's Front Range from Lookout Mountain during their engagement portrait session
A couple in Pleneuf-Val-Andre, Bretagne, France, with an affectionate kiss placed on the head
A captivating black and white portrait of the engaged couple romantically embracing amidst the timeless stone buildings of Siena, Tuscany
Engaged couple embraces the magical twilight in Northern California, near San Francisco, as their photographer beautifully captures their love in a gentle oceanic glow, hand in hand
Engaged couple embracing at sunset on a gentle slope in Les Sables d'Olonne, France, surrounded by a golden-lit sky
Emily and Vittorio embrace in front of a rustic door in the enchanting alleyways of Cortona, Italy, during their dreamy engagement photo shoot
A black and white engagement photo from Baeza, Jaén, Spain shows a captivating couple as they pose in different directions, creating a sense of intrigue and allure

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 wedding photo taken at West Haven, Connecticut captured a touching moment of a groom shedding tears as his mother lovingly does his hair for the big day
The photographer captured a beautiful moment of double happiness, with the bride giving a sweet touch on the cheek and a loving hug from behind at Strabrechtse Hoeve Mierlo
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 photographer at Ashton Creek Vineyard in Richmond, Virginia captured a beautiful moment of the bride and bridesmaids tearfully witnessing the groom's heartfelt vows
The brothers' emotional speeches and hugs at the Lobster Factory ceremony in Tournai, Belgium were beautifully captured in the wedding photo
At a wedding in Bucharest, Romania, the groom lovingly hugged his sister - a beautiful black and white image captured the emotional moment
At the stunning Mont La Salle in Napa, CA, the moment a bridesmaid holding flowers ran to hug the bride was truly a beautiful and emotional one that the wedding photographer was able to capture
The beautiful moment of a bride wiping away her mother's tears of joy at Help Beach, Fethiye, Mugla was captured by the wedding photographer