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Wedding Photos of Elegant

For Couples / Wedding Photos of Elegant

The following “Elegant” 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 “Elegant” 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 Fujian bride's portrait appears behind glass at the hotel, using reflections to frame her elegant expression with a soft, dreamy quality before the celebration begins.
Reflections Frame A Fujian Bride's Elegant Portrait Behind Glass At The Hotel Before Celebration
portraitbrideFujian bride photoglassfujian hotelfujian wedding imagereflections
Inside Château de Crazannes in Charente Maritime, a final touch of makeup prepares the bride for the ceremony, highlighting her calm expression and elegant bridal look.
Final Makeup Touches Prepare The Bride Inside Château De Crazannes, Charente Maritime, France
CalmCharente Maritime bride photobrideCharente-MaritimeCharente Maritime weddingChateau de Crazannes weddingelegant
In Ribeirão Preto, the bride poses for a portrait inside a car, her expression poised and elegant as the simple setting draws attention to her presence on her wedding day.
Bride Poses Elegantly Inside A Car In Ribeirão Preto, Brazil On Her Wedding Day
portraitBrazil portraitsimplecarpoisedelegantRibeirao Preto wedding
At a hotel in Budapest, a bride glances over her shoulder with quiet anticipation, her elegance and poise shining just moments before the ceremony begins.
Bride Glances Over Her Shoulder At A Budapest Hotel With Quiet Anticipation
Budapest wedding imageselegantBudapest bride photoBudapest weddingGlancesbrideanticipation
In Cancun, the bride's dress lies on a table, neatly arranged as an elegant detail that hints at the calm before the ceremony and the day's unfolding celebration.
In Cancun, The Bride's Dress Lies Neatly On A Table Before The Ceremony
cancun wedding photographercancun weddingceremonytableCalmCancun detaildress
In Playa del Carmen, the groom's portrait uses architecture as a backdrop, giving the image a strong graphic feel while highlighting his tailored look and composed expression.
In Playa Del Carmen, The Groom Poses Against Architecture With Composed Tailored Elegance
composedPlaya del Carmen portrait imagePlaya del Carmen groomtailoredgroomelegantPlaya del Carmen
A couple poses in the center of the university library during a pre-wedding engagement session at UC Berkeley in California, surrounded by bookshelves.
Bookshelves Surround The Couple During Their Engagement Session At UC Berkeley In California
UC BerkeleytimelessBerkeley engagementCalifornia - Northernacademiclibrary engagement portraitportrait
Black and white pre-wedding engagement portrait of a groom-to-be holding his future bride closely in Jaén, Andalucía, Spain.
Black And White Portrait Highlights The Couple's Close Embrace In Jaén, Andalucía, Spain
Jaen engagementintimateblack whiteromanceSpainelegantportrait
At Villa des Vergers in Rimini, the groom's silhouette kisses his partner inside the villa, closing the day with a softly lit and elegant final image.
At Villa Des Vergers In Rimini, The Groom's Silhouette Kisses His Partner Inside
Rimini couple photoVilla des Vergers weddinglitRiminielegantsilhouettekiss
In Dordogne, France, the newlyweds watch the moonrise above their royal suite, enjoying a quiet romantic pause as evening settles over the elegant setting.
Newlyweds Watch Moonrise Above Their Royal Suite In Dordogne, France, Sharing A Quiet Pause
Dordogne bride photoquietromanticmoonriseCalmeveningDordogne
At Chateau Rossignol in Dordogne, France, the bride, fully ready, casts one last glance toward the castle courtyard before heading into her wedding day with poise.
At Chateau Rossignol In Dordogne, France, The Bride Glances Out The Window Before Entering Her Day
Chateau Rossignol wedding photographerDordogneelegantcastleDordogne bride imagebridecourtyard
Outside from a high view above Shuanglong Lane, China, the bride's main gown is shown from behind, highlighting the elegant sweep of her dress as she stands before the wedding day unfolds.
Above Shuanglong Lane In China, The Bride's Gown Falls Gracefully From A High View
gownsilhouetteShuanglong Lane viewstreetFlowingviewbehind
In Rosario, Argentina, the bride and groom pose together before the ceremony, sharing a composed portrait that reflects the calm before the day's celebration begins.
In Rosario, Argentina, The Bride And Groom Pose Together Before Their Ceremony Begins
poisedelegantcomposedRosarioportraitcoupleceremony
The future bride wraps her arms around her fiancé outside a landmark building during their engagement session at the Bund in Shanghai, China.
The Future Bride Embraces Her Fiancé At The Bund In Shanghai, China
embracingShanghai love storyportraitThe Bundlandmark buildingromanceChina
Beneath the blue doors of Château Lacoste, the bride and groom exchange an elegant glance, framed by soft light and rich wedding colors in a quiet moment before their celebration begins.
Beneath The Blue Doors Of Château Lacoste, Toulouse Bride And Groom Share An Elegant Glance
Chateau Lacoste venuewedding photographyBluebride photographerelegantcolorssoftlight
At Zephyr Palace at Villa Caletas Hotel in Jacó, Costa Rica, the bride and groom share a romantic nighttime portrait surrounded by glowing candlelight, creating an intimate and elegant wedding-day scene.
Candlelight Surrounds The Bride And Groom At Zephyr Palace In Jacó, Costa Rica After Dark
portraitJaco weddingglowingCosta RicaZephyr Palace venueCosta Rica bride photographyCosta Rica wedding photographer
At The Priests House in Yorkshire, UK, the bride steps from a vintage Rolls-Royce before the ceremony, making an elegant arrival.
Vintage Elegance Arrives At The Priests House In Yorkshire As The Bride Steps Out
brideceremonyThe Priests House venuevintageYorkshire bride photoYorkshire weddingarrival
An engaged couple shares a quiet moment in the driveway of Rhinefield House in Hampshire, England, ahead of their upcoming wedding.
Quiet Romance Fills The Driveway At Rhinefield House In Hampshire, England Before The Wedding
EnglandHampshire engagementromanceEstateHampshire Englandquietmanor house romance
Soft window light illuminates an engaged couple beside a stained glass window at Rhinefield House in Hampshire, England, during their pre-wedding portrait session.
Soft Window Light Frames The Couple Beside Stained Glass At Rhinefield House In Hampshire
window light portraitromanceHampshire EnglandHampshire engagementRhinefield Houseportraitwindowlight
An engaged couple embraces beneath a tree-lined walkway during a pre-wedding portrait session at Rhinefield House in Hampshire, England.
Tree-Lined Paths Surround The Couple At Rhinefield House In Hampshire, England Engagement Portrait
embraceEngland romantic sessionwoodland estate portraitelegantEnglandtree-lined walkwayHampshire England
At Villa Maçakızı Hotel in Bodrum, Türkiye, the bride’s shoes and wedding ring rest on a reflective surface, creating an elegant detail photograph with striking symmetry and mirrored reflections.
Reflections Highlight The Bride's Shoes And Ring At Villa Maçakızı Hotel In Bodrum, Türkiye
Bodrum wedding photographyVilla Macakizi Hotel venueBodrum weddingmirroredshoessymmetryBodrum
At Château de Vesvres in France, the bride and groom are photographed as elegant silhouettes beneath the bride’s veil, creating a romantic and artistic wedding portrait.
Elegant Silhouettes Beneath The Veil Define The Couple At Château De Vesvres In France
Chateau de Vesvres venueportraitFrance couple photographerNièvresilhouettesFrance wedding photographyromantic
At Galata Bridge in Karaköy, Istanbul, Türkiye, the groom is photographed on the bridge, creating a striking urban portrait rooted in the city’s waterfront character.
Urban Character Defines The Groom's Portrait On Galata Bridge In Karaköy, Istanbul, Türkiye
groomGalata Bridge Istanbul weddingDramaticportraitcharacterelegantGalata Bridge wedding photography
At the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Türkiye, the bride is photographed in an elegant portrait, with the iconic architecture providing a timeless backdrop to the wedding-day image.
Elegant Architecture Frames The Bride At The Blue Mosque In Istanbul, Türkiye With Timeless Grace
elegantclassicportraitBlue Mosque Istanbul weddingBlue Mosque Istanbul bride photoTurkeyGrace
At Domaine des Saints Pères in Montagnole, Savoie, France, the groom is photographed in an elegant portrait, highlighting his composed expression and refined wedding-day style.
Refined Style Defines The Groom At Domaine Des Saints Pères In Montagnole, Savoie, France
presenceDomaine des Saints Peres groom photostyleDomaine des Saints Peres weddingportraitelegantDomaine des Saints Pères venue
At Lake Annecy in Haute-Savoie, France, following their hotel ceremony, the bride and groom stand at the water’s edge surrounded by alpine scenery as the bride glances back toward the camera during their portrait session.
Alpine Scenery Frames The Couple Beside Lake Annecy In Haute-Savoie, France After Their Ceremony
Lake Annecy venueLake Annecy wedding photosportraitHaute-SavoieceremonyLakesidereflection
At The Libertine London in England, a young child stands in front of the wedding banquet, creating a charming moment that contrasts youthful curiosity with the elegant reception setting.
A Curious Child Stands Before The Banquet At The Libertine London In England
Libertine weddingelegantstandingreceptionYouthfulcuriositybanquet
In Twickenham, London, England, the bride and groom walk together in soft backlight, while a car on one side of the frame adds an urban element to the elegant wedding-day portrait.
Soft Backlight Follows The Couple Walking Together In Twickenham, London, England With Urban Charm
London weddingcarTwickenhamglowstrollportraitTwickenham couple photographer
At Tenuta Cambiaga near Milan, Italy, a detail of the bride’s hand highlights her wedding ring as she and the groom stand face to face, sharing a quiet and intimate moment together.
The Bride's Wedding Ring Takes Focus At Tenuta Cambiaga Near Milan, Italy In Quiet Detail
Milan weddingringTenuta Cambiaga venueSymboliccloseuphandlove
At Baronesse Tacco in San Floriano del Collio, Gorizia, Italy, the newlyweds laugh together during a black-and-white portrait session, creating a timeless image filled with genuine joy and connection.
Black And White Laughter Fills Baronesse Tacco In San Floriano Del Collio, Gorizia, Italy
timelessFriuli-Venezia GiuliaGorizia WeddingBaronesse Tacco venueelegantGorizia wedding photographynewlyweds

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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.