Are you planning a short-notice, small wedding or elopement?

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIOS OPEN DURING COVID-19 - Many couples don’t want to wait. They are planning to get married in the very near future, eloping, or rushing a small ceremony with their photographer, some close friends, and family but dispensing with or postponing the reception party. 

View WPJA photo stories from smaller weddings - WedElope | Choose love, not fear!

WPJA.com HomeWedding Photojournalist Association

SMALL WEDDINGS + ELOPEMENTS | choose love, not fear

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.

Real Wedding Photography

Since 2002, the WPJA has been connecting Brides and Grooms with the best, most reknown wedding photographers from around the world.

Milan wedding and elopement photography by Michela Bocciarelli, of Lombardy, Italy
Florent Fauqueux, La Rochelle Wedding Photographer for Charente-Maritime, France
Brittany Diliberto, a wedding and elopement photographer at Bee Two Sweet Photography in Arlington, VA
Sacramento Wedding Photographer Alena Evteeva, for Northern California
Angers marriage reportage photographer Thomas Desmier - France WPJA for Pays de la Loire, Maine-et-Loire
Hong Kong Wedding Photographer Ronnie Szeto
Helsinki wedding photography by Petri Mast of Finland
Istanbul wedding and elopement photography by Nilufer Nalbantoglu - Turkey WPJA
Los Angeles wedding and elopement photographer Annie Bang of CA
Teramo wedding and elopement photography by Pierpaolo Cialini - Abruzzo and Italy event coverage.
One of the most touching things about wedding photography is how quickly you find yourself thrown into the heart of such an important, intimate occasion. It's a responsibility only a fool would take lightly.- Harry Richards, WPJA Member
Become a Member

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:

2020 v02 Artistic Guild

2020 v02 Photography Competition

2020 v01 Photography Competition

Artistic Wedding Photography Contest

2020 v01 Artistic Guild

Top pre-wedding engagement photography gallery of 2020

2020 Diamond Awards for Engagement Photography

View More Contests

WPJA News & Articles

Checkout the latest wedding photojournalism news and top articles:

2019 AG Photographer of the Year - Jesse La Plante

WPJA’s 2019 Artistic Guild Photographer of the Year says he couldn’t have asked for a better training ground for his craft than the years he spent as a...

Read the Article
WPJA 2019 POY

2019 WPJA Photographer of the Year

Congratulations to Yves Schepers of Belgium ! To call Yves Schepers’ first year as a WPJA member eventful would be an understatement. Not only did the Belgian...

Read the Article

2018 AG Photographer of the Year - Matteo Originale

Matteo Originale, Italy Matteo Originale excels at work that is, well, original. In his wedding photography business, he has honed a point of view that...

Read the Article
View More Articles

The Authenticity of
Wedding Photojournalism

Can Tang, of , is a wedding photographer for

Two people making a commitment of marriage want to remember the day for the rest of their lives. Shouldn’t the wedding photography that commemorates their celebration reflect the personal moments and honest emotions they will remember?

A love for authenticity in wedding photography — finding art in the actualities of a marriage celebration — led to the founding of the Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA) in 2002. Out of respect for our clients, the wedding photographers and photojournalists accepted for WPJA membership have a demonstrated talent for candid originality and a dedication to the documentary approach in wedding photography. To maintain their standing in the WPJA, member photographers must adhere to the highest professional and ethical standards.

  • For Engaged Couples planning a wedding: Hire a WPJA photographer so you can reproduce and retell the beautiful, unique story of how your celebration unfolds — as you will want to remember it and have it told for generations.
  • For Professional Wedding Photographers with a photojournalist’s talent for capturing moments, not stage-directing them: Join the WPJA to have your expertise accredited, to help promote and further our craft, and to let the WPJA introduce you to the ideal clients for your work.