Wedding Photojournalist Association

Photo by Juan Carlos Calderon, Jalisco, Mexico

Photo by Lynne Kennedy, United Kingdom

Photo by Laura Segall, Arizona, United States

David Clumpner, of Montana, is a wedding photographer for

Photo by David Clumpner, Montana, United States

Photo by Ronan Jégaden, France

William Lambelet, of Herault (34) , is a wedding photographer for

Photo by William Lambelet, Herault (34) , France

Sean Lara, of Colorado, is a wedding photographer for

Photo by Sean Lara, Colorado, United States

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.

Intimate Weddings & Elopement Photography

Since 2002, the WPJA has been connecting couples with the best, most artistic wedding photographers from around the world.

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:

2022 Diamond Awards for Pre-Wedding Engagement Portraits

2022 v01 Artistic Guild

2022 v01 Photography Competition

2021 v04 Artistic Guild

2021 v04 Photography Competition

Intimate, Micro Wedding Planning & Elopement Articles

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...

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Kobe Vanderzande, of Limburg, is a wedding photographer for

Wedding Reception Tents: A Creative Photo Palette

There’s nothing quite like an intimate wedding reception in a tent, with its uniquely informal atmosphere, customized decor and proximity to the...

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The Authenticity of
Wedding Photojournalism

Anupa Shah, of Maharashtra, is a wedding photographer for Mumbai, India

Zhiwen Liu, 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.

WPJA Contest Photos - June 8th, 2022

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.

Artistic Guild - Creative Portraits and Details - July 2nd, 2022

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.

Diamond Awards - Pre-Wedding Engagement Portraits - August 10th, 2022

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.

TLC - True Love Captured - March 31st, 2022

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.