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.

Newlywed couple sitting under crystal chandeliers at their wedding reception in Gelderland, Netherlands. The bride and groom are enjoying a romantic minute together at the elegant restaurant.

Romantic Newlyweds Under Crystal Chandeliers: Wedding Bliss in Gelderland, Netherlands

A rustic wedding portrait at The Barn at Pioneer Acres in Richfield, Wisconsin. The groom poses against a vintage truck, gazing lovingly at his beautiful bride with a reflection captured in the side view mirror. Rustic charm meets modern love.

Capturing Modern Love: Groom Admires Bride at The Barn at Pioneer Acres, Richfield, Wisconsin

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Groom receiving assistance in an elegant hotel room with rich turquoise teal walls, in Bristol, UK.

Tying the Knot with Help: Grooms Prepare in Style for Bristol Wedding Festivities

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In the elegant Guarda Golf Hotel in Switzerland, the bride's getting ready chaos is beautifully captured as everything falls into place in her room.

Swiss Elegance: The Bride's Getting Ready Chaos

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Bride's veil caught by the wind as she exits the church in Lyon.

Whispers of Lyon: The Unforgettable Windblown Bride

Rhône city Lyon Bride romantic wedding bw bride

A bride gets dressed for her wedding at Flagstaff Ranch Golf Club in Arizona, United States, surrounded by elegant bridal attire and soft natural light.

A Bride's Journey at Flagstaff Ranch Golf Club

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A beautiful moment captured as the bride dresses up in her home in Rhône, raising her arm to slip into her wedding dress.

Rhône Reflections: The Bride's Elegance Unveiled

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Bride in elegant white dress walks out of her Treviso, Italy home, with sun shining down on her, headed towards a waiting car for her wedding day.

Sunlit Serenade: A Bride's Journey in Treviso

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Bride, groom, and wedding witnesses seated at the luxurious imperial table inside Zemono Castle during the elegant wedding reception in Slovenia.

Royal Revelry: Wedding Feast at Zemono Castle

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Bride dancing and laughing joyfully, twirling her elegant wedding dress, at Wrightsville Manor in Wilmington, NC.

Elegant Twirls of Joy: A Wedding at Wrightsville Manor

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A creative pre-wedding engagement portrait in Lyon, France, featuring a face to face silhouetted couple hugging indoors. The intimate pose beautifully captured by the photographer in their Lyon flat.

GLAMOROUS ENGAGEMENT PORTRAIT | LYON, FRANCE | A SEDUCTIVE SILHOUETTE

France intimate Lyon romantic Lyon flat stylish engagement photoshoot Lyon love story

Lifestyle couple portrait with a breathtaking Colorado Mountain and serene waters of Bear Lake, RMNP CO, as a backdrop. Shot from a high angle, the couple is elegantly posed, beautifully lit by the photographer.

COLORADO MOUNTAIN MAJESTY | A Romantic Engagement Session at Bear Lake

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A lifestyle couple portrait taken at Gastlosen showcases the future bride and groom walking arm in arm in the snow on the side of a mountain, beautifully highlighted by the photographer.

ENGAGEMENT WEDDING PORTRAIT SESSION AT GASTLOSEN | THE COUPLE'S LOVE IN WINTER WONDERLAND

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Albi, France: Lifestyle couple portrait featuring a graphic location with warm tones, curving lines, and minimalist decor. Tea-type lights beautifully highlight the scene and couple as they pose for the photographer.

ALBI, FRANCE | Warm Tones, Curving Lines: Intimate Wedding Portrait Glam

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Lifestyle couple portrait showcasing a creative and artistically shot pre-wedding engagement in Albi, France. The image features a couple posing indoors, with golden tones and the man walking past a window.

GLAMOROUS ALBI AFFAIR | Artistically Captured Engagement Shoot Showcasing a Stylish Couple

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A pre-wedding engagement portrait at Alsancak, Izmir, Turkey, beautifully composed by the photographer. The image depicts a couple holding hands against a backdrop of a blue sky, below a statue tower showcasing horses with riders preparing for battle.

Engagement Bliss at Alsancak: A Captivating Couple Unveiled beneath Historic Horses Statue

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Capturing the essence of love and reflection, this award-winning portrait highlights a silhouetted couple in Noord Brabant, Netherlands, with the bride elegantly visible in a mirror.

Noord Brabant's Reflection: A Silhouetted Couple's Elegant Wedding Moment

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Capturing the timeless beauty of a couple's special day, this award-winning photograph showcases their elegance as they gracefully descend the stairs at the enchanting Frensham Hall in Surrey.

Elegant Descent: A Timeless Wedding at Frensham Hall in Surrey

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Outdoor Wedding at Frensham Hall, Surrey. The bride elegantly holds a beautiful bridal bouquet, while basking in the sunshine and surrounded by confetti.

FRENCHAM HALL WEDDING: A Captivating Bouquet in Sunlit Splendor

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A London couple portrait captured in a vertical composition, showcasing the couple standing amidst three towering white round columns. The photograph is beautifully composed by the photographer, showcasing the couple's style.

London Couple Portrait: Standing Amidst Three Towering White Columns

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Lifestyle couple portrait in Taormina, Sicily. The lovely couple is seen in elegant earth tones, leaning against each other and a natural rock wall formation.

Elevated Elegance: A Stunning Engagement Portrayed in Sicily's Timeless Beauty

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Elevated Elegance: A Stunning Engagement Portrayed in Sicily's Timeless Beauty

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An artistic wedding photographer captured a stunning minimalist detail shot at Chateau de la Sebrandière, showcasing beautiful soft light on the bride's chest, highlighting her dress and jewelry.

Soft Light Embrace: A Minimalist Detail Shot at Chateau Sebrandière

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In a room at Mocrone Massa, Tuscany, Italy, a captivating wedding photo captures the bride's serene anticipation as she sits on a bed, clutching her beautiful bouquet.

Captivating Toscana Bride's Serene Anticipation Transcends Through a Stunning Capture

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Wedding photo captured in Florence, showcasing an intimate black and white detail shot from above. The groom is seen fastening the final button of his vest.

Florence Groom's Vest Finale Exudes Sublime Sophistication

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An award-winning wedding photographer captures the romantic essence of the bride and groom at The Gatsby in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England.

Captured Romance: The Gatsby Love Story in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England

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Embracing Love: In the heart of Túnel Verde, Rio Grande do Sul, a couple shares a passionate kiss in the middle of a car roadway, encapsulating the essence of love and togetherness on their wedding day.

Tunnel of Love: A Fiery Kiss in Rio Grande do Sul

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A wedding photograph taken during a nighttime couple portrait session at a reception venue in Normandy. The couple poses with a classic convertible car behind him and their embrace.

Midnight Romance: Normandy's Elegant Couple Embrace by a Vintage Convertible Car

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The award-winning wedding photographer captured this stunning black and white symmetrical portrait of the bride and groom during their wedding reception at a restaurant terrace in Paris, France.

Parisian Harmony: A Breathtaking Black and White Wedding Portrait

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The Lodges at Gettysburg sets the scene for a wedding photo where the couple, framed by backlit wine glasses, exude a colorful and vibrant aura.

Romantic Radiance: A Captivating Wedding Portrait in Blue at The Lodges of Gettysburg

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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.