Wedding Photos of Backlit

The following “Backlit” 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 “Backlit” 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.

The couple posed for their save-the-date engagement pre-wedding announcement picture in Kashmir, India, with a backlit, warm-toned shot on the water

Kashmir, India: Pre-wedding announcement photo with backlit, warm tones by water's edge

The beautiful coastal city of Vejer de la Frontera in Cadiz, Spain is home to a grand stone castle, which provided the perfect backdrop for a creative backlit portrait of a couple framed by the castle's doorways

In Vejer de la Frontera, Spain, a grand stone castle frames a romantic backlit portrait of a couple

Spain backlit Vejer de la Frontera Silhouetted couple cadiz engagement photography Cadiz castle

The couple couldn't be happier as they prepare to celebrate their love and begin their new life journey together by posing for their lifestyle photoshoot at Philadelphia's iconic Love Park in an archway at their engagement session

The couple happily posed at Philadelphia's Love Park, celebrating their love and beginning their new life journey together

silhouette Philadelphia engagement session PA Philadelphia backlit archway lifted leg

The engaged couple can be seen embracing, illuminated by the backlit sunset, against the reeds of Holt-Maros sétány, Szeged, Hungary, sharing a happy embrace together

The happy couple embraced on Holt-Maros sétány, Szeged, Hungary, during a backlit sunset

sunset smiles Hungary embrace reeds Holt Maros Sétány Szeged Engagement Photography

A back-lit couple stands nose-to-nose in an intimate pose, capturing a lifestyle engagement portrait in front of Legislature Building in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

In Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, a couple poses for a lifestyle engagement portrait in front of Legislature Building

steps Winnipeg Engagement Photographer backlit Manitoba Winnipeg intimate pose Legislature Building

Coupled with the backlit smoke filling the frame, the romantic atmosphere of a Farmhouse Hotel in Guernsey is enhanced by the presence of rally cars and smoke bombs in the night

The presence of rally cars and smoke bombs illuminated by backlit smoke creates a romantic atmosphere in the night

Guernsey Photographer English Channel rally cars Farmhouse Hotel backlit night portrait Guernsey

The bride was walking through the hotel in Canmore, holding her wedding dress and backlit from behind, creating an ethereal and beautiful scene

In Canmore, the beautiful scene of the bride walking through the hotel, backlit from behind holding her wedding dress

Canmore Alberta bridal gown black and white Canmore Photographer backlit

The couple's picture session was illuminated by the setting sun and a photographer light as they posed on the dock of the lake at the State Park

Couple is backlit on the dock of the lake at Gifford Pinchot State Park at dusk during picture session

Gifford Pinchot State Park dusk portrait York County PA York County Engagement Session backlit lakeside engagement dock

The New Jersey bride is illuminated by the sun as she poses with her bouquet in front of a majestic water fountain

The bride is radiantly lit by the sun against the backdrop of a backlit water fountain

bridal bouquet new jersey photographer NJ bride water fountain backlit New Jersey

Cadiz engagement photography portfolio image with a Spain couple spot lit from behind by a large rock at the beach at dusk

dusk Cadiz Photographer Spain Rocio Sanchez beach engagement Cadiz backlit

Fun Gantry Plaza State Park engagement announcement picture at sunset in NYC with a backlit, silhouette, jumping capture

nyc sunset portrait NYC photographer couple jumping silhouette backlit Gantry Plaza State Park

A backlit couple portrait in a museum hotel in Cappadocia, Turkey, is silhouetted in a bright orange frame, illuminated by the fire of the setting sun to the right

A silhouette couple portrait in Cappadocia, Turkey, is framed by the setting orange sun

Cappadocia orange fire Turkey Cappadocia Photographer silhouetted Museum Hotel

Best wedding image for the Scotland wedding planner showing the backlit couple in front of castle entrance

couple portrait backlit Scotland castle entrance Mike Cook Scotland photographer

portrait photography of backlit bride and groom in front of tree lined path

tree lined path Mike Cook backlit Scotland Scotland photographer couple portrait

Best wedding image for the Scotland wedding planner showing bride and groom in BW and backlit under tree

bw portrait Mike Cook backlit Scotland under tree Scotland photographer

Best wedding venue photography at Château de Saint-Senoch of bride and groom spot backlit oudoors at dusk by building

backlit Silhouette portrait Château de Saint Senoch Meuse Meuse Photographer Jean Baptiste Chauvin dusk portrait

An after the wedding proposal engagement picture session in Washington DC showing the Couple is silhouetted against the backlit water fountains

water fountains backlit Scott Josuweit Washington DC DC photographer Silhouetted couple

Washington DC lifestyle photography at Lincoln Memorial for a Couple backlit against sunrise in between columns at the Lincoln Memorial

DC engagement photography Washington DC sunrise backlit Lincoln Memorial Scott Josuweit columns

A National Gallery of Art lifestyle photo session with a backlit couple on the iconic stairs of the Gallery in Washington DC

DC lifestyle photo session stairs Washington DC backlit Gallery of Art National Gallery of Art

A Rocky Mountain Wedding, Elopement, and Engagement Photographer created this creative, majestic portrait of this Colorado couple at Maroon Bells depicting them backlit in the mountains at dusk

Maroon Bells couple Aspen dusk Colorado mountains Rocky Mountain Engagement Photographer Shea McGrath

An Italian Wedding, Elopement, and Engagement Photographer created this artistic, silhouette portrait of this val d'orcia couple backlit by the golden sunset

italian engagement photographer orange sky backlit Val D orcia sunset silhouette

Arlington, Virginia artistic wedding day portrait at Top of the Town - the backlit couple with the lens flare and city skyline behind them at night

Arlington, Virginia artistic wedding day portrait at Top of the Town showing the backlit couple with the lens flare and city skyline behind them at night

city Virginia wedding arlington couple lens flare Arlington backlit Brittany Diliberto

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

mountain view Colorado portraits Dramatic Colorado wedding couple ranch Milky Way Mountain View Ranch

A beautiful Scotland bride and groom portrait backlit in a lit hallway

hallway scotland bride backlit couple portrait Mike Cook stones Scotland

A spectacular Stirlingshire wedding couple photograph from Scotland showing the Bride and groom backlit under the arbor

stirlingshire weddings Stirlingshire Scotland bride and groom arbor backlit trellis Stirlingshire couple photography

A Pennsylvania Wedding, Elopement, and Engagement Photographer created this artistic, silhouette portrait of this PA couple backlit and framed in the doorway of a tower at The Chimes Tower at Longwood Gardens

John Ryan doorway Chimes Tower tower pennsylvania wedding photographer Longwood Gardens Longwood

An extreme Stonebrook Manor wedding image from a Thornton couple in Colorado showing a Backlit couple posing under alter lit with pink lights

pink lights Colorado posing Stonebrook Manor weddings Stonebrook Manor Thornton CO

A stunning Broomfield CO wedding image at the Chateaux at Fox Meadows showing the Bride getting ready in a photo backlit with hairspray

backlit hairspray Chateaux at Fox Meadows Fox Meadows Colorado photo CO wedding image

A Canadian Wedding, Elopement, and Engagement Photographer created this creative, silhouette portrait of this Alberta couple backlit by the cloudy sky at Minnewanka Lake

Alberta cloudy sky Canadian Engagement Photographer Alberta couple Eliza Slobodzian Silhouette portrait Canada

World's best creative wedding portrait photography from Scotland showing the gazebo backlit during a dance

Scotland bride and groom lit Scotland wedding portrait Scotland Night Mike Cook gazebo

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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.