Wedding Photos of Embraces

The following “Embraces” 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 “Embraces” 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 photographer captured a serene image of the couple sitting on a bench under lush greenery at a wedding in Budapest, Hungary.

Budapest Wedding Couple Embraces Tranquility on Bench Amid Lush Greenery

A picturesque wedding portrait of the bride and groom taken in the historic village of Clisson, with stunning reflections captured in the river as the couple embraces, creating a unique and captivating composition.

Romantic Wedding Portrait in Historic Clisson Village: Bride and Groom Embracing by River Reflections

wedding portrait bride couple Pays de la Loire venue reception Loire-Atlantique castle

A Washington DC wedding couple embraces in front of a vibrant rainbow wall, symbolizing beauty and love on their special day.

Vibrant Rainbow Wall Embrace: Washington DC Wedding Couple Symbolize Beauty and Love On Special Day

embraces wall special day happiness symbolizing married love

Captured at a serene Swiss lake wedding, the couple embraces at the altar by the water, creating a timeless scene of love and tranquility on their special day in Sempachersee, Switzerland.

Swiss Lake Serenity: Couple's Timeless Embrace at Altar by Sempachersee, Switzerland Waterside Wedding

Sempachersee Wedding Portrait embrace scene lake Sempachersee waterside Swiss

A heartwarming wedding scene at a Private Residence in Pomfret, Vermont, where the groom tenderly embraces his father, who also served as the officiant, under the radiant sunshine in a beautiful outdoor setting.

Groom Embraces Officiant Father: A Touching Moment in Pomfret, Vermont's Private Residence Oasis

Private residence embraces officiant outdoor setting groom Pomfret VT radiant

A serene winter wedding portrait captured in Chandolin, Valais, Switzerland, showcasing a couple in a tranquil snowy setting at their outdoor venue.

Winter Wonderland Nuptials: Chandolin, Valais, Switzerland - Breathtaking Portrait of Tranquil Snowy Setting

snowy love Valais Switzerland Chandolin serene embraces

At Adobe Lodge, Santa Clara University, California, the bride lovingly embraces her mother after she delivers a touching speech, leaving the emotional groom visibly moved by her heartfelt words.

MOTHER OF THE BRIDE BRINGS TEARS TO GROOM'S EYES WITH TOUCHING SPEECH

tears California - Northern Santa Clara heartfelt words mother of the bride bride embraces

A heartfelt moment captured at a Saratoga Springs wedding in Saratoga, California as the groom's mother joyfully embraces her son during their dance.

Saratoga Springs Sweetness: Groom's Mom's Love in California Wedding Waltz

embraces Saratoga Springs Wedding California - Northern Saratoga Springs wedding photographer love dance heartfelt moment

A creatively composed lifestyle couple portrait captured in Cappadocia, Turkey. Lost in their affection, the couple embraces amidst a horse stampede within a dry corral, creating a captivating image.

CAPTIVATING COUPLE EMBRACE AMIDST HORSE STAMPEDE IN CAPPADOCIA, TURKEY

couple portrait photography couple portrait session lifestyle portraits Cappadocia engagements embraces Cappadocia Photographer stampede

A couple embraces beside a beautiful stained glass window in a creatively composed indoor shot. The enchanting Château du Haut Barr in Saverne serves as the stunning backdrop for this pre-wedding engagement portrait.

Enchanting Engagement: Stained Glass at Château du Haut Barr

Engagement photography Saverne engagements lifestyle portrait session Saverne photography couple portrait photography Grand Est photographer stained glass

A documentary wedding photographer captured this black and white image at a home in Lodi, Wisconsin. The photo shows the brother of the groom greeting the couple after their ceremony. It won an award from WPJA.

Groom's Brother Embraces Newlyweds after Ceremony in Lodi, Wisconsin

Lodi wedding photography Wisconsin Groom ceremony couple Lodi WI newlyweds embraces

Award-winning wedding photographer captures the sweet moment of embraces between the newlyweds in the garden of their Calvados, Normandy home, right after playing the bouquet game.

Sweet Embrace: A Garden Wedding Hug Moment in Calvados

Calvados home newlyweds wedding moments garden wedding Normandy Calvados bouquet game

A couple embraces in a cozy hammock at grateful Woods in Kerhonkson, New York, while their adorable little dog beams for the camera

Love Unwind: A Serene Journey at Grateful Woods

Grateful Woods New York NY couple cozy hammock embraces NY Engagement Portrait little dog

In a portrait at TPC Colorado Golf Course in Berthoud, Colorado, a couple affectionately embraces on the golf course, bathed in the glow of a stunning sunset.

Bathed in Sunset Romance: A Captivating Wedding Portrait at TPC Colorado Golf Course

Golf Course Weddings Sunset wedding photography Berthoud Berthoud wedding TPC Colorado Golf Course romantic portrait embraces

In Chartres, a couple embraces during the golden hour for their engagement portrait

Capturing Love in Chartres: Enchanting Engagement Portrait Embraces the Golden Hour

Chartres Engagement Portrait Chartres sunset golden hour romantic love embraces

Colorado Springs: A couple lovingly embraces in a field of tall grass as the sun sets above them at Younger Ranch, creating a picturesque scene

Younger Ranch in Colorado Springs: A picturesque scene of a loving couple embracing in tall grass at sunset

sunset above low angle tall grass embraces sun loving couple

A couple embraces on a rooftop garden in Roswell, Georgia for a creative wedding portrait, with green foliage providing a scenic backdrop

Romantic Rooftop Garden Wedding Portrait in Roswell, Georgia - Green Foliage Scenic Backdrop

scenic backdrop wedding portrait Georgia Roswell creative embraces rooftop garden

Kananaskis Country, Canada: A couple embraces against a dramatic backdrop of the Canadian Rockies, holding hands and gazing into each other's eyes in this artistic wedding portrait

Kananaskis Country, Canada: Artistic wedding portrait showcases couple embracing against stunning Canadian Rockies backdrop

moody sky couple Canada embraces artistic Kananaskis Country dramatic backdrop

The bride and groom in a documentary-style black and white photo in Istanbul, Turkey, are embracing their loved ones in a loving embrace

In Istanbul, Turkey, the bride and groom lovingly embrace their family

loved ones Turkey Istanbul black and white moment Istanbul wedding photography embraces

A beautiful Alexandria, VA engagement photo created as a couple embraces and celebrates their love

Johnny Shryock love VA couple leaves VA engagement virginia engagement photographer celebrates

Scenic Shenandoah National Park engagement image created as a couple embraces in the mountains

VA couple mountains VA Johnny Shryock VA engagement Shenandoah National Park embraces

Scenic Colorado Springs engagement photography at the Garden of the Gods created as the couple embraces for a kiss in front red rock formations

Colorado engagement photography rock formations Garden of the Gods Colorado couple embraces Red rocks

World's best and most unconventional Rehoboth Beach, DE couple wedding portraits from Rehoboth Beach Country Club as the couple embraces the wind on their wedding day

wind Delaware couple Brittany Diliberto Rehoboth Beach embraces Delaware Rehoboth Beach Country Club

This Spain wedding photojournalism picture is a prime example of what candid, nontraditional Segovia wedding photography looks like, as the couple embraces and cheers with parents in the Castile and León region

Segovia wedding photography embraces Spain cheers Castile and León bride and groom Spain couple

On location São Miguel dos Milagres, Alagoas couple engagement portrait shoot showing a man embraces his bride and beside them, a point of light illuminates them

embraces São MIguel dos Milagres darkness illuminates Night portrait shoot alagoas couple

NV True Love Engagement Picture Session in Lake Tahoe, Nevada showing a couple embraces overlooking the water and views at sunset

water views Nevada couple embraces NV Engagement Picture sunset

True Love Engagement Posed Portrait in Lake Tahoe, NV capturing a couple embraces while sitting on a rock with the expanse of the water in the background

background NV engagement NV Posed Portrait sitting water lake embraces

A Nevada True Love Pre-Wedding Portrait Session in Lake Tahoe showing a couple below a large pine tree by the water at embraces overlooking Lake Tahoe at sunset

NV couple Lake Tahoe Nevada Nevada couple Session overlooking tree

Arette, Pyrénées, France wedding ceremony moment created as The groom embraces his bride with emotion

groom France France photographer Pyrenees moment Arette weddings

Colorado wedding photography from The Woodlands, Morrison as the bride embraces her new family right after the ceremony

family Lucy Schultz Morrison wedding image Morrison bride Colorado wedding photo The Woodlands

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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.