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Wedding Photos of Atmospheric

For Couples / Wedding Photos of Atmospheric

The following “Atmospheric” 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 “Atmospheric” 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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In Santa Cruz, CA, a couple's engagement portrait captures them embracing at dusk in a field. The car's headlights illuminate the scene, contrasting against the deep blue sky, creating a romantic and atmospheric scene.
Couple in Santa Cruz, CA, in Engagement Portrait | Embracing at Dusk in Field | Car Headlights Illuminate Scene Against Deep Blue Sky
atmosphericEngagementintimateBlueSkycarromance
In their engagement session at Rocky Mountain National Park, the photographer's lighting beautifully highlights the couple's embrace. They stand amidst dramatic clouds, creating a captivating and atmospheric setting that adds depth to their romantic sessi
Rocky Mountain National Park Engagement Session | Embrace Amidst Dramatic Clouds | Captivating and Atmospheric Setting Adds Depth to Romantic Session
romanticcoupleembracephotographercloudsColoradolove
In Stow, Scotland, the bride and groom are lit by off-camera flash amidst the hills, with dramatic clouds overhead and vibrant green grass underfoot, in a stunning and atmospheric scene.
Bride and Groom Illuminated by Flash Amidst Dramatic Hills and Vibrant Greenery in Stow, Scotland Scene
vibrant green contrastStow weddingScotlandatmospheric Scottish landscapeStow ScotlandflashScottish hills
In South London, during the reception, the autumnal sun casts a warm glow over the celebration. The bride shields her eyes with her hand.
Bride Shields Eyes from Autumn Sun During Warm Reception Celebration in South London, Creating a Serene
intimate momentShields EyesUK weddingLondon weddingjoyAutumn Sunlove
A newlywed couple stands centered in the foreground of a striking image, captured at the tranquil Garré Vineyard in Livermore, CA during the last light of day. Dramatic skies and skillful use of light by the photographer further emphasizes the romance.
Twilight Romance: Love Illuminated at Garré Vineyard
dramatic skiesGarré VineyardGarré Vineyard Livermore CAstriking imageintimatecenteredforeground
Captured at the Garden of the Magician in Canosa di Puglia, this WPJA Spotlight award-winning photo showcases a couple's intimate dance rehearsal before their cake-cutting, bathed in the warmth of backlit sunlight.
Golden Rehearsal: A Dance of Intimacy in Canosa di Puglia
tenderserenegracefulGarden of the Magician Canosa di Pugliadance rehearsalsunlitbacklit sunlight
A sepia-toned scenic landscape shot showcasing a storm and the view of Gargano in Castelnuovo della Daunia, Foggia, Puglia is the award-winning image with the wedding couple.
Stormy Romance: Sepia Serenity in Castelnuovo della Daunia
vintagesepiaDramaticwarm tonestimeless scenesepia tonedGargano
In this award-winning wedding photo, captured at the enchanting castle of Villersexel in France, the newlyweds beautifully silhouette against a striking stained glass window.
Silhouetted Romance: Stained Glass Elegance at Villersexel Castle
strikingBourgogne-Franche-ComteartisticcaptivatingVillersexel weddingDramaticelegant
In Cabo San Lucas, a stunning black and white image captured the window reflection of men standing on the deck of the wedding venue, overlooking the shimmering waters.
Reflections of Elegance: A Monochrome Moment in Cabo San Lucas
menCabo San Lucasserenewedding venueshimmering watersstandingDramatic
Captured at a Cabo San Lucas wedding venue, an alluring black and white image by WPJA Spotlight award recipient showcases a man walking in silhouette, adorned with a lavish flower arrangement carefully composed in the frame for a striking artistic effect.
Silhouette in Bloom: Artistry in Motion at Cabo San Lucas
artistic effectCabo San Lucas weddingwedding venuesophisticatedstrikingalluringcaptivating
This WPJA Spotlight award-winning wedding image captures a stunning golden hour scene in Cabo San Lucas as the bride receives a makeup touch-up at the venue, with the sun setting in the background.
Golden Glamour: Sunset Preparations in Cabo San Lucas
picturesqueatmosphericWPJA Spotlightbridal preparationCabo San Lucasvenueelegant
A WPJA Spotlight award-winning wedding image features musicians playing the violin and harp in Cabo San Lucas, expertly captured in a blissful moment where a beam of sunlight illuminates the face of the harpist against a serene blue sky.
Moment in Harmony: Sunlit Serenade in Cabo San Lucas
violinArtistic Capturesunlightfacebeammusical performanceCabo San Lucas wedding
A bride and groom share a romantic kiss at Domaine de Lucain Pau, completely lost in their own little world and oblivious to the presence of onlooking guests, in a captivating wedding image that earned the WPJA Spotlight award.
Worlds Apart: Intimate Kiss at Domaine de Lucain Pau
Domaine de Lucainbride and groomintimateenchantingonlooking guestsheartfelt momentoblivious
A picturesque golden sunset bathes the joyful wedding party in a warm, romantic glow at Basque country's Col de Gamia, as they dance and revel in the celebration, their silhouettes lightly kissed by the sun and rimmed with light.
A picturesque golden sunset bathes the joyful wedding party in a warm, romantic glow at Basque country's Col de Gamia, as they dance and revel in the celebration, their silhouettes lightly kissed by the sun and rimmed with light.
rimmed with lightsilhouettespicturesquewarmCol de Gamia weddingsdancegolden sunset
Capturing the essence of rustic charm and symbolic of the preparations for the big day, a WPJA Spotlight award-winning image showcases a wedding dress adorned in front of a picturesque house in Béarn, France.
Wedding Dress Displayed Beautifully at Picturesque House in Béarn, France
Béarn Francebridaladornedidyllic settingenchantingelegantSymbolic
A WPJA Spotlight award-winning image captures the newlyweds in a romantic embrace under a vibrant rainbow at Jacob's Berry Farm in Minden, Nevada during their reception.
Newlyweds' Embrace Under Rainbow at Jacob's Berry Farm, Minden, Nevada Wedding Reception
rainbowenchantingatmosphericromanticJacobs Berry Farm Mindenpicturesqueembrace
An image captured at the Castle in the Clouds in Moultonborough, New Hampshire shows a groom being meticulously groomed with a spray of hair product before his ceremony.
An image captured at the Castle in the Clouds in Moultonborough, New Hampshire shows a groom being meticulously groomed with a spray of hair product before his ceremony.
elegantblack and whiteCastle in the Clouds venuefocusedMoultonborough wedding preparationrefinedmeticulously
A captivating night portrait capturing the essence of a wedding at Catalpa Grove in Barnesville, PA. Witness artistry and beauty come to life through the lens of a WPJA photographer.
Nighttime Elegance: Captivating Wedding Portrait at Catalpa Grove, Barnesville, PA
night weddingnight portraitDramaticnighttimeWPJA Photographerlovescenic
A WPJA talented photographer captures the intimacy of a bride and groom's affection in an alluring night portrait at La Médicée in Haute-Savoie, France.
Intimate Bride and Groom Portrait at La Médicée, Haute-Savoie
wedding celebrationnighttimenight portraitromanticintimateatmosphericintimacy
A bird's eye view of the intimate and romantic wedding dinner at Belpoggio Su Todi in Umbria, Italy, set in the atmospheric courtyard glowing under the dusky sky.
Capturing the Intimate Wedding Dinner in Umbria's Belpoggio Su Todi Courtyard
Umbria based photographersUmbriaBelpoggio Su TodiUmbria marriage picturedrone shotspecial occasionwedding venue
A beautiful wedding couple portrait captured under the Milky Way in the garden of Chateau Saint Denis in Lot et Garonne, France.
Romantic Wedding Couple Embracing Beneath Milky Way at Chateau Saint Denis in Lot et Garonne
stunningdreamyradiantcaptivatingintimateenchantingLot-et-Garonne
A picturesque wedding photograph of a glowing mist enveloping newlyweds in Dorsoduro, Venice, evoking an artistic painting-like ambiance on their special day.
Enveloped in Glowing Mist: A Romantic Wedding Portrait in Dorsoduro, Venice, Capturing Timeless Beauty
sophisticatedhazepicturesqueintimatemistromanticmystical
A wedding photograph taken in Ellsworth, Maine, showing the couple stealing a quiet session together by the lake just before a rain shower arrives.
Stealing a Quiet Moment: Idyllic Ellsworth Lakeside Wedding Before Rainstorm arrives
showercandidauthentic coupleblissfulemotionalromanticMaine

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.