Wedding Photos of Dramatic lighting

The following “Dramatic lighting” 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 lighting” 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.

A wedding photographer captured a beautiful moment at a wedding in Haut de la Fregate, Agen, Lot et Garonne. The photo shows the couple's first dance under colorful and dramatic lighting.

Ethereal Moment: Newlyweds' First Dance Illuminated in Haut de la Fregate, Agen, Lot et Garonne

reception dramatic lighting Haut de la Fregate Lot-et-Garonne Agen darkened room first dance

In Oise, Hauts-de-France, a wedding photographer captures the newlyweds embracing on the dance floor, bathed in dramatic lighting, at the reception venue.

Oise's Romantic Glow: Newlyweds Embrace Under Dramatic Lights on the Dance Floor

dance floor Oise Documentary Wedding Photography newlyweds dance purple hues Hauts-de-France Oise dramatic lighting

Engagement portrait of a couple at the Fitler Club, Philadelphia, captured by a top Pennsylvania wedding photographer, showcasing a romantic kiss on the warm, beautifully lit indoor stairway.

Fitler Club, Pennsylvania: A Captivating Engagement Portrait Featuring a Romantic Kiss on a Warmly Lit Indoor Stairway, Crafted by a Top PA Wedding Photographer

Philadelphia dramatic lighting sitting on stairs Philadelphia engagement session Fitler Club Pennsylvania staircase

A couple posed on stone steps in Cazorla, Jaén, Spain, during a pre-wedding photoshoot with dramatic lighting

The couple's romantic engagement portrait captured the beauty of Cazorla, Jaén, Spain, with dramatic lighting on the stone steps

Cazorla Engagement Photography Cazorla dramatic lighting Spain romantic engagement black and white Jaén

At Bordeaux, a photographer used harsh sunlight to create a dramatic and contrasting black-and-white couple portrait

The creative wedding photographer used harsh sunlight to create a dramatic black-and-white couple portrait

Bordeaux harsh sunlight Bordeaux Wedding Portrait dramatic lighting bw portrait

Bride and groom entering the dinner venue of Castello di Bracciano, Rome, Italy

The bride and groom made a grand entrance as they descended the staircase with a spotlight shining exclusively on them

Italy Rome entering reception Castello di Bracciano rome wedding photographer dramatic lighting

Remscheid winning image of the cake cutting from the best documentary style wedding photography contest in the world

cake cutting at this night reception

cake cutting Germany dramatic lighting night reception Remscheid Photographer Remscheid

A Belgium wedding photographer captured an elegantly silhouetted image of the newlyweds' first dance amidst a dreamy fog and lights

Belgium contest award winning documentary wedding photo in black and white of the First dance of the groom and bride

dramatic lighting Belgium first dance bw moment Belgium photographer

Toulouse wedding planner - detail photography as the bride gets her make-up done

Toulouse detail photography as the bride gets her make-up done

applying makeup Toulouse dramatic lighting Toulouse photographer

Best wedding image ideas for the Sao Paulo wedding planner showing suggestions for a dramatic bride portrait in Black and White

black and white dramatic lighting São Paulo bride sao paulo photographer São Paulo

Fort Collins engaged couple picture session with some Dramatic lighting during a sunset shoot overlooking a reservoir

Fort Collins Fort Collins engagement session overlook sunset reservoir dramatic lighting Mark Creery

Fine Art wedding portrait with dramatic light with pure love in the City of Bradford, UK

wedding portrait Bradford Janina Brocklesby UK artistic Bradford UK fine art wedding photo black and white

An engaged couple poses in front of a pyramid with dramatic lighting

dramatic lighting Denver Botanic Gardens poses Denver couple image pyramid Denver engagement Denver couple photo

Engagement Photographer for Maryland at Client's Home with holi powder and dramatic lighting

Maryland engagement session low light dusk lit portrait lighting sunset Breanna Shaw

A bride at Alto da Capela in Porto Alegre, Brazil is photographed looking intently into the camera with dramatic lighting

The bride was photographed dramatically lit at Alto da Capela in Porto Alegre, Brazil

bride Porto Alegre dramatic lighting Brazil intently camera alto da capela bridal Porto Alegre wedding Brazil

A Hunan bride prepares herself to walk down the aisle for this indoor marriage image

changsha Changsha artistic wedding portrait bride dramatic lighting Changsha fine art wedding portrait Changsha fine art wedding photo Andy Ren

California Engagement Photo Session at the Game Room indoors

dramatic lighting game room ANZA foto and film san diego engagement San Diego Kristina Cazares Neri

Rainbow Colors | Couple Dip Engagement Session in MN

Rainbow Colors for a Couple Dip Engagement Session with dramatic lighting effects

couple dip dramatic lighting rainbow colors Minnesota engagement session Minneapolis

Stone arches create dramatic lighting for this Lombardi engagement portrait

stone arches Lombardi dramatic lighting

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.