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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.

WPJA Spotlight

Exceptional Wedding Photography Showcase

Explore top-tier imagery captured by WPJA members. With special badges and recognition, these exceptional images from weddings showcase the unparalleled talent of our photographers. Dive into dedicated slider galleries within Member Profiles and Spotlight Galleries to witness the artistry and skill that sets our members apart.

A wedding ring is featured in the foreground, catching the brilliant light and shadow of ice and snow during a winter day in Kaifeng, China.
Xie Tian
La Castella venue, Italy, is the scene where a bride and her best friend joyfully dance together, celebrating late into the lively wedding reception party.
Alessandro Vargiu
Celebrating their wedding at Castello di Modanella, Tuscany, the happy couple exits the venue immediately following the ceremony while smiling guests excitedly toss handfuls of celebratory confetti into the air.
Alessia Bruchi
The joyful bride and groom share their first dance as a married couple, moving intimately across the floor at their reception venue in Trieste, Italy.
Lisa De Domenico Pacor
At the historic Kohl Mansion in Burlingame, CA, the bridesmaids work together in a "getting ready" moment, carefully fanning out the bride's wedding dress.
Chris Shum
Poland: The anticipation is clear on the groom's face as he waits at the altar inside the church while his bride walks down the aisle accompanied by her proud father.
Albert Czyżowicz
View Spotlight 2025 Round 21

Intimate Weddings & Elopement Photography

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

Asia-based wedding photography by Narin Nirundarangkul
Soft box party scene portrait of wedding photographer Joey Curry of the USA WPJA
Urban lifestyle portrait of United Kingdom elopement and wedding reportage photographer Alex Benyon
Foggia wedding photography by Pino Coduti of Apulia, Italy
Rustbelt Mayberry Wedding Photographer, Erin Ninehouser
Tracey Buyce Wedding Images
Color wedding photography by Iris Hu
Portrait of Natasha Lamalle – Wedding, Engagement, and Elopement Photographer
Wedding Photographer and Engagement Portrait Pro, Ronnie Szeto
Bangor, Maine wedding photography by Hailey Crabtree
Studio portrait of Florianópolis wedding photographer Diego Pereira da Silveira of Santa Catarina, Brazil
California wedding and elopement photographer Annie Bang
England wedding and elopement photography by Nathan Eames
Massachusetts Couple Portraits by Wedding Photographer Katie Kaizer
Italy wedding photography by Danilo Coluccio
Song Johns wedding and elopement photography of Blooming Dreams Photo
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
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Authentic Photography

The WPJA organizes various wedding photography rounds annually, recognizing and honoring exceptionally captivating images.

Take a look at the previous victors by clicking on the links below:

2025 v03 Artistic Guild

2025 Lifestyle Engagement Portraits - Diamond Awards

2025 v02 Photography Competition

2025 v02 Artistic Guild

2025 v01 Photography Competition

View More Contests

Intimate, Micro Wedding Planning & Elopement Articles

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 elements...

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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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View Wedding Articles

The Authenticity of
Wedding Photojournalism

Jiake Yang, of Victoria, is a wedding photographer for Melbourne
Tom Beynon, of Cambridgeshire, is a wedding photographer for
Victoria Sprung, of Illinois, is a wedding photographer for Chicago - Bridgeport Art Center

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 - August 13th, 2025

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.

At the Château de Boucq in France, newlyweds share their first dance in the vaulted cellar. The award-winning photo highlights the photographer’s skill at documenting intimate, romantic moments in a unique and historic setting.
At Divan Kuruçeşme, Istanbul, the photographer skillfully captures a playful, high-angle moment as the groom’s father places money on the bride’s head, highlighting dynamic party energy and vibrant dance floor fun.
Black and white photo of a bride waving from an Amsterdam tram.
At Eglise d'Urrugne in Pyrénées Atlantiques, France, the photographer captures a moving low-angle black-and-white shot as the groom embraces his parents outside the church, expertly highlighting deep emotion and familial connection.
At Divan Kuruçeşme in Istanbul, the photographer skillfully captures the precise moment a makeup artist sprays the bride's face, highlighting both anticipation and elegant detail in this intimate getting-ready shot.
At domaine de Solomiac, the bride and groom applaud a guest, exchanging love with hand gestures shaped like hearts. The photographer’s creative vision captures this joyful, affectionate interaction during the celebration.
The bride and groom at Le Clos de Florie in Savoie, France, warmly thank a guest for their speech.
Bride kisses father outside Église Notre-Dame du Bon Secours, Lyon, France.

Artistic Guild - Creative Portraits and Details - October 17th, 2025

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.

In Santorini, Greece, a couple poses on the rocks at sunset, where a warm glow illuminates their faces against the dramatic backdrop of the sea.
Divan Istanbul — The couple laughs together, enveloped by the bride’s sweeping veil in a tight black-and-white shot, capturing warm love and intimacy in this artistic wedding portrait.
South Farm — The couple stands back to back, smiling as they spray champagne at night, dramatically lit by the photographer to create a lively and celebratory wedding portrait.
Château de Contremoret — The couple faces each other, smiling and embracing during a nighttime kiss, softly illuminated by a warm glow close to and behind them, creating a romantic and intimate wedding portrait.
The bride's sparkling engagement ring is delicately placed among the fresh blooms of her wedding bouquet, creating an intimate and artistic detail captured on her special day in L'Isle d'Abeau, France.
The intricate wedding day details in San Francisco, California, are shown through an artistic photograph of multiple people's hands gently arranging the bride's dress at the ceremony location.
Kingscote Barn, Tetbury — The bride and groom stand face to face under an illuminated rose arch at night, about to kiss, surrounded by lush green foliage in a romantic wedding portrait.
North Cadbury Court, Dorset — The couple stands together among blooming wisteria at North Cadbury Court, creating a romantic and colorful wedding portrait in the venue’s lush gardens.

Diamond Awards - Pre-Wedding Engagement Portraits - October 13th, 2025

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.

An engaged couple shares a candid embrace by the water at Lac du Pontet, France. The image captures the golden light of sunset, highlighting their quiet connection at day's end.
A tranquil pre-wedding portrait of a couple in Spain, sheltered within a stone cave. The soft, radiant pink glow casts a distinctive hue over the rock formations, emphasizing their calm and intimate connection.
A romantic portrait showcasing a couple's dance viewed through the heavy, stone pillars. The classic architecture of Northern California creates a dramatic, structured backdrop for the fluid motion of the pair.
Couple portrait from Bangkok, Thailand, showing the pair seated close together on a boardwalk bench, holding hands with the water visible right behind them.
A pre-wedding couple is standing side-by-side in Baeza, Spain. The male subject faces the camera, while the female subject's back is toward the lens, creating a contrasting view of their parallel stance.
A couple is embraced or sharing an intimate interaction within the California wilderness. The expansive green foliage at Santa Cruz provides a sheltered, secluded atmosphere for their quiet display of affection.
Minimalist portrait at Lac du Pontet, France, showing an engaged couple positioned at the bottom of the frame beneath vast blue sky, wispy clouds, and towering mountains.
NYC engagement photography: Candid portrait in Central Park under scaffolding. Couple is the focus, with pedestrians adding a dynamic urban background.

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 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 bride and her father shared an emotional moment as he kissed her head in the back of the limo just before the ceremony, captured perfectly in their wedding photo from Trieste, Italy
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 tender loving moment of the bride caressing her groom's face during their wedding ceremony at Duino, Trieste, Italy was captured perfectly in the wedding photo
The photographer captured a beautiful moment of the bride embracing one of her great friends during the getting ready process at Cote How, The Lake District
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 photographer captured the emotional moment of the bride picking up her friend in a foggy embrace on the dance floor of her Montpellier wedding
The wedding photojournalist captured the tender moment of the bride being embraced by her friend during the outdoor patio reception at Le fou Gascon in Prechac, Gers, France