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Wedding Photos of Embracing

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The following “Embracing” 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 “Embracing” 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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At Fairmount Waterworks in Philadelphia, a couple sits embracing outdoors, leaning into each other for a portrait illuminated by on-location lighting.
Photo from a Fairmount Waterworks Engagement Session: Couple Embracing Outdoors with Creative Lighting
Phildelphia Engagement PhotographerFairmount WaterworksPhiladelphiaon location lightingcouple sitingembracingleaning in
Bride and her mother sharing an embrace after the bride puts on her wedding dress in Hilton Head, SC.
Bride And Mother Embrace After Putting On Wedding Dress In Hilton Head SC
Hilton HeadSouth Carolina Wedding Momentbride and motherSouth Carolinaembracingvertical composition
Bride and groom embracing at sunset in Kilkee, Ireland, with a romantic and dramatic sky in the background.
Bride And Groom Embrace At Sunset With Dramatic Sky In Kilkee Ireland
sunsetromanticdramatic skyOceansideKilkee Wedding PortraitIrelandembracing
At Chapelle Saint-Aubin in France, the couple sits close together in tall, dry grass, embracing with eyes closed, conveying intimacy and peaceful connection.
Engaged Couple Embracing in Tall Grass at Chapelle Saint Aubin Portrait Session
Sartheportrait sessionnatural settingcountrysidetall grassengaged couplePre Wedding
A couple is embraced or sharing an intimate interaction within the California wilderness. The expansive green foliage at Santa Cruz provides a sheltered, secluded atmosphere for their quiet display of affection.
California Wilderness Engagement: Sheltered Green Foliage Embraces Quiet Affection in Santa Cruz
green foliageSanta CruzSanta Cruz engagement photographyCalifornia - Northernoff centerembracing
A backlit engagement portrait of a couple embracing on the beach at Les Sables d'Olonne, France. The sunset creates a powerful "ring of fire" effect, dramatically outlining their figures against the sky.
Les Sables d'Olonne Sunset Embrace: Backlit Engagement Portrait, "Ring Of Fire" Effect
Vendee Engagement PortraitembracingBeach PortraitbacklitsunsetRing of firesilhouetted
A vintage car carrying the embracing newlyweds arrives at Domaine de Cap'Bat, Landes, France, marking an artistic opening scene for the wedding celebration.
Arrival Of Embracing Newlyweds In Vintage Car At Domaine De CapBat Landes France
Domaine de Cap'Bat weddingLandes Wedding Photographycarartistic opening sceneartisticLandesembracing newlyweds arrive
Peace Hotel, Shanghai, China. A close-up of a newly-wed couple embracing, viewed through a stair railing.
Shanghai Love Story: A Close-Up Embrace at the Peace Hotel
Chinaclose upPeace HotelembracingShanghai wedding photographystair railingShanghai
A happy couple stands on a pier at Vogel State Park, embracing in their engagement portrait.
Happy Couple Embraces On Pier At Vogel State Park For Engagement Portrait
lakeside engagementVogel State Park Engagementembracingrailingsautumn sessionpierVogel State Park
Wedding portraits of the bride and groom embracing next to a lone, old tree at Heather Farm Park.
Heather Farm Park Wedding: Bride and Groom Embrace a Timeless Love Story
Heather Farm ParkWalnut Creek CAWalnut Creek Wedding Portraitembracingold treesolo tree
Two young adults embrace on a Bangkok roadway, with urban architecture as a backdrop.
Young Couple On Bangkok Roadway With Urban Architecture As Backdrop
roadwayBangkokarchitecture backdropurbanBangkok PreWedding Portraitembracingyoung couple
Tossa de Mar, Catalunya, Spain — A couple embraces on the cliffs as he holds her from behind, capturing a romantic and scenic portrait along the dramatic coastline.
Clifftop Embrace Above the Sea in Tossa de Mar, Catalunya, Spain
embracingTossa de Mardramatic coastlinescenic portraitSpainromanticCatalunya
A couple embraces lovingly by the water near Ortakoy Mosque in Istanbul during their romantic pre-wedding photo session.
An Engagement Embrace By The Water Near Ortakoy Mosque in Istanbul
embracingIstanbul PreWedding PortraitwaterOrtakoy MosqueIstanbulromantic portrait
Key West, Florida hosts a dramatic, late-night wedding portrait of the couple embracing the wild energy of their reception with backlit spray and striking gelled lighting effects in a creatively composed scene.
Dramatic Backlit Wedding Portrait With Gelled Lighting Effects In Key West Florida Reception
striking lighting effectsembracingcreativeDramaticNightKey Westbacklit
Engaged couple stands on staircase in London park, yellow door backdrop, smiling and embracing, modern romantic portrait.
Yellow Door: London Love on a Grand Staircase, Embracing in a Modern Romance
yellow doorstanding on stepsembracingLondonLondon PreWedding Portraitromantic portraitpark engagement
A couple stands center-framed at Rattray Marsh, embracing, with a scenic water and cloudy sky backdrop behind them.
Rattray Marsh Engagement: A Couple Embraces by the Water and Cloudy Sky
Rattray Marsh EngagementOntarioembracingcloudy skiesRattray Marshcenter framedMississauga
SANTORINI, Greece — A couple embraces above a village, with the groom-to-be hugging his fiancée from behind. This romantic engagement portrait captures their affection in Greece.
Santorini Embrace: An Affectionate Portrait of a Couple in Greece
huggingvillage engagementembracingGreece PreWedding PortraitSantoriniromantic
BOSTON — Surrounded by vibrant pink and red blooms, a couple embraces at the Arnold Arboretum. This engagement portrait captures their affection within the colorful floral landscape.
Boston Arnold Arboretum: An Engagement Portrait Amidst Vibrant Blooms
Arnold ArboretumBoston Engagement Portraitpink blossomsred blossomsembracingBostonfloral landscape
SAINT-EMILION, France — A couple embraces in a tranquil vineyard as the sun sets. Their tender connection is beautifully captured in a black-and-white portrait session.
Sunset Embrace in a Vineyard, Saint-Emilion, France
Saint Emilion Engagement Portraitbw portraitSaint Emilionafternoon Lightvineyardembracing
UC Berkeley, CA — Couple embraces on campus grounds with university tower in background.
Berkeley Embrace: Couple's Portrait Captures Campus Love with Iconic Bell Tower Backdrop
California - NorthernUC BerkeleyBerkeley engagement photographyhug from behindcampus groundsuniversity towerembracing
Engaged couple hugging in windy Portopiccolo, Sistiana, Trieste, Italy, with sea and hills.
Engaged Couple Hugging in Windy Portopiccolo, Sistiana, Italy, with Sea and Hills
Ocean viewPortopiccoloembracingSistianaseaside engagementwindyTrieste
Couple embraces with heads touching in morning fog at Highland Park, Pittsburgh, wrapped in romantic atmosphere.
Engaged Couple Embraces with Foreheads Touching in Highland Park’s Foggy, Romantic Morning Atmosphere
romanticembracingHighland ParkPittsburghPittsburgh Engagement Sessionmorning fogheads touting
Couple embraces and shares a kiss in Brookside Gardens, surrounded by lush greenery.
Engaged Couple Shares a Kiss Embraced in Brookside Gardens’ Lush Greenery, Tender Portrait
embracingMarylandlush greenerygarden engagementBrookside GardensMaryland engagement sessionsmiling
Indian boy and Australian girl in kurta and saree, exploring Maharashtra temple, celebrating cultural heritage.
United in Love: Indian Boy, Australian Girl Embrace Heritage at Maharashtra Temple
sareeembracingindian templeancient buildingkurtaMaharashtra PreWedding Photographycultural heritage
Engaged couple smiles, embracing at Kennedy Center in Washington DC.
Engaged Couple Smiles, Embracing at Kennedy Center in Washington DC, Radiating Joy
black and whiteWashington DC engagementKennedy CenterembracingsmilesWashington DC
A couple kisses center frame in Philadelphia, surrounded by vibrant, colorful lights on both sides.
Philadelphia Romance: Couple Kisses Surrounded by Vibrant, Colorful Lights in Center Frame
colorful lightsPhiladelphiaembracingkissingPhiladelphia Engagement Portraitcenter framed
Couple kissing and embracing at Biggesee lake, sunset glow reflecting on water, Sauerland, Germany.
Romantic Sunset Embrace: Couple Kisses at Biggesee Lake, Sauerland, Germany Waterfront Glow
Sauerlandlake engagementBiggesee Lakewater backdrophillsembracingSauerland Engagement Portrait
In Santa Catarina's Vila Gomes, a couple leans in for a kiss, their closeness beautifully captured by a talented WPJA photographer during their pre-wedding engagement session.
Romantic Embrace: A Couple’s Tender Kiss in Vila Gomes, Santa Catarina
green doorVila GomesSanta Catarinaembracingstring of lightsclosenessSanta Catarina PreWedding Photography
Engaged couple embracing and kissing in lush lavender fields at Maison Lavande, Sainte-Eustache, Quebec, vertical portrait shot.
Lavender Love: Engaged Couple Kissing Embraced in Maison Lavande Fields, Quebec, Portrait
vertical formatkissingembracinglavender fieldsMaison LavandeQuebecQuebec PreWedding Photography
A loving couple embraces warmly before a brightly lit merry-go-round at Grenoble’s Foire des Rameaux.
Loving Couple Embraces Warmly Before Brightly Lit Merry-Go-Round at Grenoble Fair
Grenoble Engagement PhotographyembracingGrenobleloving couplebrightly litmerry go roundnight sky

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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.