Wedding Photos of Emotion

The following “Emotion” 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 “Emotion” 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.

At Tunnels Beaches in Devon, England, the groom was filled with emotion as he said his wedding vows during an outdoor garden ceremony

At Tunnels Beaches, Devon, England, the groom was emotional saying his vows during an outdoor ceremony

At the Mas des Oliviers in Ceyras, France, the bride and her friends were filled with emotion upon seeing her after the make-up artist had worked her magic

At Mas des Oliviers in Ceyras, France, the bride and her friends were emotional after the make-up artist had transformed her

Ceyras Wedding Photography makeup artist Hérault Family and Friends Ceyras Mas des Oliviers Herault emotion

At Manoir de Vacheresses in France, a bridesmaid and the groom are full of emotion as they prepare to start the wedding ceremony

At Manoir de Vacheresses in France, the bride and groom are filled with emotion as they begin their wedding

Manoir de Vacheresses France bridesmaid Centre Val de Loire Wedding Photography pre ceremony groom Centre-Val de Loire

The bride's mother was overcome with emotion as she hugged her daughter in the beautiful Manoir de Vacheresses, France

In Manoir de Vacheresses, France, the bride's mother hugged her daughter, overcome with emotion

bride and mother France emotion bouquet window light Centre-Val de Loire Centre Val de Loire Wedding Photography

At a wedding ceremony in Perth, Western Australia, an elderly relative was moved to tears while witnessing the signing of the marriage certificate

In Perth, Western Australia, an elderly relative was moved to tears at a wedding ceremony

perth wedding photography perth bw moment grandmother marriage certificate signing Western Australia emotion

The picture captures a moment of joy and emotion as the bride and bridesmaids laugh and cry while reading a heart-warming card in Buckinghamshire, England

In Buckinghamshire, England, the bride and bridesmaids laughed and cried over a heart-warming card

bw image bridesmaids joy Buckinghamshire Wedding Photography laughing England crying

At the stunning Mont La Salle in Napa, CA, the moment a bridesmaid holding flowers ran to hug the bride was truly a beautiful and emotional one that the wedding photographer was able to capture

At Mont La Salle in Napa, CA, the sight of a bridesmaid running to hug the bride with flowers was an emotional and beautiful moment

Mont La Salle flowers Napa wedding photographer Napa emotion bridesmaid

The photographer captured the beautiful, emotional moment between the bride and groom after they exchanged their rings in Trieste, Italy

In Trieste, Italy, the bride and groom's emotional exchange of rings was beautifully captured in a BW image

black and white Trieste wedding photography bride and groom Trieste post ceremony emotion Italy

The emotion of the proud parents hugging their son, the groom, as he prepared for his wedding day at House of the Groom in Siderno, Reggio Calabria was so beautiful it was captured as a timeless moment by the photographer

At the house of the groom in Siderno, Reggio Calabria, the beautiful image of proud parents hugging their son, the groom, on his wedding day was captured

beautiful moment timeless proud parents Siderno hugs emotion Siderno Wedding Photographer

As the groom and his mother danced near the head table of The Woods at Eisler Farms in Butler, PA, the bride was overcome with emotion

As the groom and his mother danced to the background music, the bride was overcome with emotion

Pennsylvania bride Pennsylvania groom mother dance PA butler Pennsylvania photographer emotion

The bride is overcome with emotion as her bridesmaids hold up her veil outside the beautiful church in Interlaken, Switzerland, moments before the ceremony

The bride's emotion was palpable as her bridesmaids held up her veil outside the church before the ceremony

wiping tears Interlaken Photographer Interlaken emotion veil Switzerland Bern

Emotional moment when someone talked about a father who passed away, at a Bordeaux, France wedding reception

Attending a wedding reception and hearing a speech that mentioned a deceased father was an incredibly emotional moment

bordeaux emotion Bordeaux wedding photography microphone speech Bordeaux family

Emotion gets the better of the groom whilst giving his speech at The Depot N7, Caledonian Road, London

The emotional groom wiped away a tear with a napkin while delivering his speech, microphone in hand

Caledonian Road speech wiping tear The Depot N7 London London wedding photography emotion

Emotional reaction to father daughter dance by family and friends at the Chatham Bars Inn, Chatham MA

Family and friends displayed smiles and warm looks in reaction to the father daughter dance

Chatham family and friends Chatham Bars Inn Massachusetts emotion father daughter dance Chatham Wedding Photographer smiles

Ardeche Ceremony Image showing tears of mom hugging the groom outside

The heartfelt embrace of the groom by his mother was filled with love and emotion

groom and mother Ardeche wedding photographer mom hugging Ardeche heartfelt embrace emotion

The bride was overcome with emotion as her parents gave her heartfelt hugs outside the reception, making the Mas de la Plume Herault the perfect backdrop for their speeches of love and congratulations

The bride was overcome with emotion after being hugged by her parents outside the reception

outdoor reception bride Hérault photographer heartfelt hugs outside reception parents ongratulations

A crying bride and father dancing at The Madison in New Jersey, full of emotion, in this wedding picture

This tight shot of the crying bride and her father dancing, full of emotion, perfectly captures a tender moment at this wedding

bride and father dance Crying bride emotion New Jersey new jersey photographer The Madison

At the home of the bride and groom in Occitanie, the bride tenderly kisses her best friend, watched by her granddaughter

At the home of the bride and groom, the bride tenderly kisses her best friend

France photographer at home preparations emotion France hugs and kisses Ludovic Lieffrig

Virginia groom watching bride walk down the aisle during an Ashburn ceremony

The groom was overwhelmed with emotion as he watched the bride walk down the aisle at the outdoor ceremony

Virginia emotion virginia wedding photographer Virginia Groom Virginia outdoor ceremony Ashburn VA

Bride's dad discovers his daughter in a pre wedding Photo

The bride's father saw her for the first time in her wedding gown

France emotion father of bride wedding gown france wedding photographer father first look

showing tears and emotion during the speeches

emotion tears bordeaux Bordeaux photographer France speeches

Bride reacts when father enters room at Carriage Hall, Nottingham, UK

The bride was overcome with emotion when her father entered the room and saw her dressed in her wedding gown

father of bride Carriage Hall Nottingham bride emotion Nottingham Wedding Photographer Nottinghamshire Nottingham

The woman's emotions ran high as she embraced the bride in a tearful hug, her face hidden behind her hand

Ohio candid documentary wedding photography capturing the moment the emotions set in

hug emotion Ohio photographer ohio

A heartfelt display of emotion is captured in this wedding day moment by a Milan, Italy documentary wedding photographer showing the bride as she caresses her dad before leaving the house

Lombardy emotion Italy documentary weddings at home heartfelt Milan photographer

A heartfelt display of emotion is captured in this Black Mountain Lodge, Arapahoe Basin, Keystone wedding day moment by a Colorado documentary wedding photographer showing the brides mom embracing her during their mother daughter dance in the mountains

Arapahoe Basin wedding reception moment emotion brides mom Colorado Arapahoe Basin heartfelt

A heartfelt display of emotion is captured in this Rivarennes wedding day moment by a Indre, France documentary wedding photographer showing the bride and her grandmother moved after the secular ceremony

Rivarennes photographer grandmother Centre-Val de Loire France documentary weddings Rivarennes Indre Indre bride

A top Long Island, NY wedding photographer captured this picture of the Groom getting overwhelmed with emotion during the ceremony A top Long Island, NY wedding photographer captured this picture of the Groom getting overwhelmed with emotion during the

garden groom Long Island ny wedding photographer overwhelmed New York - Long Island outdoor wedding

A top Occitanie wedding photographer captured this picture of Groom and his mother waiting for the bride with emotion

bride Occitanie wedding photographer Waiting Occitanie emotion ceremony groom

Occitanie wedding reportage photojournalist created this image showing bride and her mother with emotion just after wearing the dress for first time

Marion Pomes Occitanie France bride dress emotion Occitanie wedding photojournalist

Best Chambon documentary wedding photography from the South of France - The bride hugging her mom with a lot of emotion

Chambon documentary wedding South of France French photography France bride hugging France Chambon Ludovic Lieffrig

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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.