Wedding Photos of Dramatic

The following “Dramatic” 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 “Dramatic” 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.

In a moody and dramatic setting in Cappadocia, Turkey, the couple stands close together, bracing against dark clouds as they exude relaxed and romantic energy in their engagement portrait.

Dramatic Embrace: Moody Cappadocia Engagement Portrait

A mesmerizing wedding photo taken at Samujana, Koh Samui. The couple stands together in a beautiful sunset setting with a colorful sky as their backdrop in this serene and elegant shot.

Elegant Sunset Romance: A Mesmerizing Wedding Moment at Samujana, Koh Samui

Dramatic mesmerizing couple Samujana Wedding Portrait setting sunset wedding photo reception venue

A beautiful scene of a wedding couple sharing a tender kiss against the backdrop of a picturesque sunset in Wädenwil, Switzerland, with the bride holding her bouquet gracefully overhead.

Romantic Sunset Kiss: Bride Gracefully Holding Bouquet Overhead, Wädenwil, Switzerland

scene sunset bouquet bride Dramatic beautiful Wädenswil Wedding Portrait

A beautiful shot of a couple walking away hand in hand on their wedding day at Sage Lodge Montana, surrounded by storm clouds and lush greenery, creating a dramatic and memorable scene.

Dramatic Escape: Lovebirds at Sage Lodge Montana Embrace Stormy Skies in Stunning Wedding Scene

lush Outdoor wedding photo greenery clouds storm Memorable lodge

A unique perspective of the first dance at The Lalit, Udaipur, on a wedding day, captured in a timeless black and white photograph with a low angle shot, evoking nostalgia and elegance.

Elegant First Dance Bliss at The Lalit, Udaipur: Timeless Black and White Romance

The Lalit nostalgia first dance love timeless Udaipur Wedding Moment romance

Picture taken on the wedding day in Wells, Maine, featuring a couple embracing closely under a picturesque sky.

An Intimate Embrace: Wells, Maine Wedding Couple Enveloped by Stunning Sky Backdrop

Wells ME couple embracing Maine wedding portrait celebration happiness Bliss

A breathtaking silhouette portrait of a couple on their wedding day in Blue Hill, Maine. The stunning sunset creates a dramatic sky background behind the couple, adding a touch of romance to the scene.

Graceful Silhouette: A Romantic Sunset Wedding in Blue Hill, Maine

beauty Blue Hill Wedding Portrait wedding photography breathtaking stunning love Sky

A romantic couple stands inside a church in Lugos, France, sharing a tender kiss on their wedding day. The indoor setting features dramatic low lighting, adding to the intimate and romantic atmosphere of the session.

Romantic Couple Embracing Love: A Tender Kiss Inside Lugos Church, France, on Wedding Day

indoor session Dramatic romantic couple kiss intimate indoor church

Beautiful couple portrait taken on their wedding day in Ibiza, featuring a stunning sunset backdrop with dramatic clouds, rocks, and a serene water view.

Stunning Ibiza Sunset: Captivating Wedding Portrait of a Beautiful Couple by Rocks and Water

Ibiza Wedding Portrait sunset Balearic Islands wedding Beautiful couple day portrait

Wedding guests at Meilish Rugby Club practice archery under dramatic gray skies, capturing a unique and memorable scene of celebration.

Archery Fun: Wedding Guests Take Aim Beneath Dramatic Gray Skies at Meilish Rugby Club

black and white wedding guests Nottinghamshire Meilish Rugby Club Dramatic Meilish Rugby Club wedding Meilish photographer

Wedding photo captures a couple on the rooftop of a reception hall in Paris, France, gazing over the city's rooftops, creating a bold and dramatic image against the stunning sky.

Stunning Parisian Rooftop Romance: A Bold and Dramatic Wedding Session

Sky romantic couple photography creative wedding poses city Europe romantic France portraits Rooftop

A Maceio lifestyle couple black and white photo session at Praia de Guaxuma with some dancing among coconut trees with a different record, with movement

dancing Praia de Guaxuma bw Sky Gustavo Sarmento Dramatic Maceió photo session

Dramatic South Lake Tahoe wedding image of these Northern California men posing for a Portrait of the groom and groomsmen in the dark in the mirror at home

Dramatic Northern California weddings groomsmen mirror men posing at home

Dramatic Beijing wedding image of this China bride and groom on an outdoor lawn

lawn beijing wedding image China China bride and groom Beijing bw

Dramatic Dockmaster's Building wedding image of this Washington DC bride and groom as they embrace in front of city scenery at night

Dockmaster lit building Night Dramatic wedding image Washington city scenery

Dramatic Earle Brown Event Center wedding image of this Minnesota bride with bridesmaids Bride with their crew pose on the grass lawn against a glass building

Minnesota bride Event Center wedding Dramatic brides crew glass building lawn

Great wedding photography of the bride and groom from Edmonton, Alberta in the Brewery District as they stand in dramatic window light

Edmonton couple Brewery District wedding portrait Brewery District Canada wedding photography Dramatic window light standing

Pine, Colorado dramatic actual wedding day couple image at Mountain View Ranch resulting in A backlit night portrait of the bride and groom below the Milky Way

bride and groom night portrait Colorado portraits mountain view Colorado wedding couple backlit Dramatic

Dramatic Cueva los Majuelos wedding image of this Pegalajar, Jaen bride and groom in Spain in a cave lit with red lighting

red lighting Dramatic Pegalajar wedding portrait Spain Jaén Cueva los Majuelos weddings

Dramatic 1C Barn wedding image of this Colorado Springs bride and groom using a Long exposure and a light bar to silhouette the couple and a Tripod and remote were also used

Colorado 1C Barn weddings Dramatic Colorado Springs bride and groom Tripod remote

Dramatic Farley Estate Milner wedding image of this Georgia bride and groom shot at mirror in bathroom with reflection of couple posed in the room outside and framed by the doorway to the bathroom

Georgia Farley Estate mirror bathroom bathroom The Farley Estate

Dramatic Colorado wedding image of this Vail bride and groom during a champagne spray at night in the urban setting

Dramatic Colorado wedding image Night urban setting bottle Colorado spraying

A dramatic Sedona, Arizona documentary wedding photography example from Sky Ranch Lodge showing the Groom checks time while getting ready

Sedona Arizona documentary wedding Arizona AZ photography Dramatic getting ready

A spectacular San Francisco wedding couple photograph from Northern California following heavy rain, then at dusk the bride and groom ventured down to the pond and a little off camera flash really made this scene dramatic

dusk CA bride and groom heavy rain scene off camera flash Dramatic

A dramatic Toulouse documentary wedding photography example from Aucamville - the bride and groom surrounded by their guests

trees Toulouse Aucamville sunlight France Toulouse photography

Dramatic Zurich wedding image of this Switzerland bride and groom at the Ceremony Location during Sunset picture session with a dip

Ceremony Location portraits Zurich Switzerland Zurich wedding image Mischa Baettig ZH picture session Dramatic

Dramatic Palazzo Vecchio, Galleria Uffizi wedding image of this Florence bride and groom under the arches of the gallery of the uffizi, the couple is in a point of light, a ray that illuminates the two lovers like a beacon, while the look of her is lost

Florence bride and groom two lovers beacon of light Galleria Uffizi wedding image Italy point of light Palazzo Vecchio bride and groom

Adventurous Salt Flats of Kutch pre wedding portrait resulting in A dramatic portrait of the soon-to-be married couple

Great Rann Kutch couple Dramatic blue sky The Rann of Kutch formal Joseph Radhik

Dramatic Villa La Favorita wedding image of this Mantua bride and groom created a few seconds before the lights for cutting the cake come on

Fabrizio Demasi Villa La Favorita La Favorita venue image Villa La Favorita wedding cutting the cake Lights Mantua bride and groom

Dramatic Matriz de Santo André wedding image of this São Paulo bride and groom with floor mirror reflections and many flowers

reflections São Paulo parish flowers Dramatic São Paulo bride and groom

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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.