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Wedding Photos of California

For Couples / Wedding Photos of California

The following “California” images were created by documentary wedding photographers from the WPJA, who regularly submit their best candid moments, artistic portraits, details, and scene setters for review by our WPJA competition judges.

WEDDINGS + ELOPEMENTS + ARTISTIC PORTRAITS & DETAILS + ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS

Some of the “California” marriage photography samples below may have come from the getting ready events, the actual wedding ceremony, the reception after-party, an engagement session with the couple, or possibly be artistic portraits or detail shots.

FINE ART WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY: Our Artistic Guild award winners take a more creative approach to wedding day Portraits and use their innovative skills to capture the Details of each couple’s special day. The Artistic Guild’s Scene Setters are some of the most notable and breathtaking from within the artistic WPJA contest categories. Playing with light and shadow, special effects, and post-production editing, these images embrace the artistic component of wedding photography.

PRE-WEDDING ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY: The story of every couple starts long before the wedding day, and the engagement marks one of the most important milestones in their story. Engaged couples often want to celebrate the occasion and announce their upcoming wedding with a photoshoot. Pre-wedding portraits of an engaged couple can be just as moving and compelling as the images taken on the wedding day. Engagement portraits can win a Diamond Award, an exclusive WPJA award whose winner is selected from the best engagement photography in the world.

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A California couple silhoutted against the blue rippled water
The peacefulness of the picture session, with the couple silhoutted against the blue rippled water, reflects the serenity of the rotunda state-like building above
blue rippled watersilhouetted engagementRotundaCaliforniaCalifornia engagement photography
The California couple's embraced silhouettes are visible through the translucent white umbrella
The engaged couple's embraced silhouettes, visible through the translucent white umbrella, are captured from a low camera angle, lending a sense of intimacy and vulnerability to the scene
white umbrellaCalifornia engagement photographysilhouettesCalifornialow camera angle
A stunning CA wedding portrait captures the groom, resplendent in traditional attire, the ethereal glow of his embroidered details accentuated by the gleam of the sword resting gently at his feet
Enchanting CA Groom: A Wedding Portrait in Traditional Attire with Gleaming Sword
Traditionalattiregroom portraittraditional weddingembroideredglowenchanting
In this high-angle portrait, the groom stands regally, donning traditional attire that gracefully accentuates his vibrant turban, adding a touch of vibrant grandeur to the celebrated wedding day in CA
Regal Groom in Vibrant Turban: A High-Angle Portrait from CA Wedding Day
groom detailsTraditionalornamentalCulturalmajesticstylishhandsome
June Lake, California Wedding Photography of the bride getting ready in black and white
June Lake, California Wedding Photography of the bride getting ready in black and white
bwCaliforniaJune LakeCalifornia weddingNicky ByrnesJune Lake brideblack and white
A sunset atmosphere for the embracing couple in California
The vibrant hue of the red and orange photographer light creates a romantic atmosphere for the embracing couple in the bottom right of the frame
red and orangeCaliforniaCalifornia engagement photographyromantic atmospheresunset portrait
The California couple with the fiery emotion of the kiss
The dazzling bokeh light effects capture the passionate, loving energy of the couple's engagement, amplifying the fiery emotion of the kiss
CaliforniaCalifornia engagement photographykissingdazzling bokeh
Courtland, Ca wedding reception photography of outdoor dancing with good light
wedding reception photography of outdoor dancing with good light
laughterembracingcouplewedding memoriesWedding Danceoutdoor dancingfather daughter dance
A California couple standing and lit before the orange sunset
The romantic engagement portrait session captures a beautiful couple standing in photographer's light, illuminated by the orange sunset
sunset portraitlit portraitCalifornia engagement sessionorange sunsetCalifornia
The California couple pictured against a lunar moon background
The couple's engagement portrait session proposal is a symbolic 'one small step for man' highlighting their romantic connection against a stunning moon background
California engagement photographysilhouettesCaliforniamoon background
A playful California couple dancing and dipping against a pale sky
The couple's romance was illuminated against a pale sky, captured in a gently silhouetted dip during their engagement portrait session
dancing and dippingcouple dancingCalifornia engagement sessionCaliforniasilhouettespale sky
The California couple is jumping and celebrating their love near two majestic trees
This jumping portrait captures the joy of two people celebrating their love and commitment, framed with two majestic trees
California engagement photographyCaliforniacelebrating lovesilhouettesminimalistic portraitTwo treescouple jumping
A California couple with a Gatsby-style engagement portrait session of dancing and dipping
The city lights illuminated the couple's romantic Gatsby-style engagement portrait session of dancing and dipping
city lightsCaliforniadancing and dippingCalifornia engagement sessionGatsby Style engagementred dress
This California couple has their joy illuminated in an engagement portrait within a timeless subway car
The couple's radiant joy illuminates their engagement portrait, captured within a timeless subway car doorway
California engagement photographyframed in doorwayCaliforniasubway car
A California couple against a dazzling backdrop of lit up buildings
The glow of the cityscape in a couple's engagement portrait session provides a dazzling backdrop of illuminated buildings
dazzling backdropLos AngelescityscapeLos Angeles e shootCaliforniailluminated buildings
The California couple pictured with night architecture lit with blue lights
The romantic interplay of light and shadow in this couple's engagement portrait session highlights the stark beauty of night architecture lit with blue lights
California e sessionlight and shadowsnight portraitCalifornialit architectureblue lights
In California, the cityscape creates an urban backdrop for a couple picture
The vibrant cityscape creates an enchanting backdrop for a romantic couple engagement portrait session
romantic sessionLos Angeles engagement sessionenchanting backdropvibrant cityscapeCalifornia
A California couple portrait lovingly highlights the soft, warm light on the pair
In this intimate couple engagement portrait, a gentle touch to her face is lovingly highlighted by the soft, warm light and close framing
soft warm lighttight framingCalifornia engagement photographygentle touchCalifornia
A California couple is pictured by water against a dark boulder
The romantic couple's tender embrace in their engagement portrait, by water against a dark boulder-strewn background, is a timeless image
bouldersCalifornia engagement shootdarkened backgroundCalifornia
This California couple was dwarfed in the dense forest
The couple's tender embrace was dwarfed in the dense forest, the pine canopy overhead adding to the intimacy of their engagement portrait
dense forestCalifornia engagement shootCaliforniapine canopyforest engagement
The young California engaged couple has a pictured kiss set against a bright red wall
The engaged couple's kiss is set against a bright red painted wall with a solo stark, bold tree in the center, symbolizing their love and connection amidst the boldness and simplicity of their surroundings
red wallframed through treeCaliforniaCalifornia engagement shootsolo tree
Catalina Island Wedding Hug | California Wedding Photography
Catalina Island Wedding image of a Hug in California
California - Southernhuggetting huggedmomCatalina wedding photoscalifornia brideCA
The California couple is standing and woven into driftwood at the water's edge near sunset time
The couple's bold composition, standing woven into driftwood at the water's edge with a golden sunset glow, symbolizes their love and connection amidst the beauty and magic of the natural world
sunset glowCaliforniawaters edgeCalifornia engagement photographydriftwoodgolden sunset
San Jose wedding photo of bride's veil getting steam | CA wedding photography
San Jose wedding photo of bride's veil getting steam in CA
San Jose wedding photoCAsteambrideBW photographybw WeddingSan Jose
Maid of Honor Speech in California | Padua Hills wedding photography
Padua Hills wedding photography of the Maid of Honor Speech in California
Padua Hills marriage venueCACaliforniawedding photographybride and groomweddingbride
An urban California newly-engaged couple embrace and kiss over the water puddle
This portrait captures an intimate connection of love between the newly-engaged couple, their passionate embrace and kiss reflected back in the shimmering water puddle
couple kissreflection in puddleCaliforniasilhouettedwater puddleCalifornia engagement session
This California couple is posing stand back to back against the red grid of the building
This portrait session captures the unique connection between the couple as they stand back to back against the red grid of the building, yet share a meaningful gaze
red grideye contactback to backCalifornia engagement sessionCalifornia
A California portrait session captures the joy of an engaged couple in the Sacramento woods
This portrait session captures the joy of an engaged couple in a beautiful forest setting, with warm tones, enhanced by the tree bark texture and dappled light
CaliforniaSacramentoSacramento Engagement Portraitwarm tonesforest settingDappled Lighttree bark texture
California couple illuminated by the repeating pattern of warm toned lights overhead
A happy couple shares an intimate embrace in a pre-marriage portrait session, illuminated by the repeating pattern of warm toned light fixtures overhead
CaliforniaCalifornia engagement photographywarm toned lightintimate embracerepeating patternslight fixtures
California BW portrait of a couple, their profiles facing each other
Black and white pre-marriage portrait of a couple, their profiles facing each other in different focal planes
bw portraitdifferent focal planesCalifornia engagement photographyCaliforniaprofiles

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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.