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Wedding Photos of Emotion

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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.

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In this black and white image captured by a Samui wedding photographer in Thailand, the bride can be seen tearfully embracing the groom, expressing pure happiness on their special day.
Thailand's Blissful Embrace: A Tearful Wedding Day Embrace Filled with Pure Happiness Captured by Samui Wedding Photographer
happinessemotionThailandtearful embraceThailand Documentary Wedding PhotographySamuiblack and white
During a wedding at Château des Vierres in Lantignié, the bride is visibly moved as she hugs her mother tightly while trying to control her tears
Emotional Bride Shares Heartfelt Moment with Mother at Château des Vierres Wedding
Lantignie Wedding PhotographyLantigniémother of brideRhone BrideChâteau des VierresRhônecontrolling tears
The bride is seen tearfully embracing her father in the cool shade of the trees during her wedding at Domaine de Rennepont
Emotion-filled Wedding Moment: Bride and Father Embrace at Domaine de Rennepont
Domaine de RennepontHaute-MarneRennepont Wedding Photographyemotionfather of bridetreestears
At a church in Haute-Marne, the bride and a witness hold hands after a reading, capturing the profound connection between them
The Sacred Bond: A Captivating Moment Between Bride and Witness at a Church in Haute-Marne
witnessceremony readingchurchemotionHaute-Marneholding handsHaute Marne Wedding Photography
In this Purple award-winning picture, the mother of the Isere Bride is seen speaking emotionally on behalf of her daughter at a park near City Hall, with tears streaming down her face
Tears of Love: A Mother's Emotional Speech for the Isere Bride
emotionIsere Wedding Photographymother of brideIsereIsere Bridepark weddingtears
In this candid shot taken at the bride's home during a celebrant-led wedding in Berkhamsted, the bride is overcome with emotion as a tear escapes her eye while reading her personalized vows to her groom, who is unseen in the photo
A Tearful Moment: Bride's Candid Emotion Captured in Emotional Wedding Vows
black and whitevowsBerkhamstedHertfordshire wedding photographyreadingtearsHertfordshire
Mia, the bride's sister, becomes emotional as she sees Kyah in her wedding dress at an AirBnB in Leetsdale, PA. The bride tenderly wipes away her sister's tear, during a touching moment before the ceremony begins
Tears of Joy: A Sister's Love on Wedding Day
wiping tearsPennsylvaniaLeetsdaleLeetsdale Documentary Wedding Photographytouching momentemotionBrides sister
At a reception venue in Noord Brabant, Netherlands, a poignant moment unfolds as a family member is taken away by an ambulance, capturing the vulnerability and emotion that can arise on such special occasions
Capturing the Bittersweet Reality: A Documentary Wedding Photo Unveils a Powerfully Poignant Moment of Vulnerability and Emotion at a Reception Venue in Noord Brabant, Netherlands
Noord BrabantNetherlandsambulanceNoord Brabant wedding photographyemotionunexpected moment
In an emotional moment, a father embraces the bride, moved to tears, at an outdoor reception venue in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Captured Emotion: Tearful Father's Touching Embrace at Amsterdam Wedding
AmsterdamBride and fatherNoord HollandAmsterdam Documentary Wedding PhotographytearsemotionFOB
A touching moment captured behind the church during a documentary wedding in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, as the bride's father is moved to tears
Emotional Father's Tears Steal the Spotlight at Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Documentary Wedding
emotiontouching momentFrance wedding photographytearsbrides fatherAuvergne-Rhône-Alpeshug
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
Englandgarden CeremonyTunnels BeachesvowsemotionDevonDevon wedding photography
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
Heraultmakeup artistCeyras Wedding PhotographyemotionCeyrasMas des OliviersFrance
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
emotionCentre-Val de Loirebridesmaidpre ceremonyFranceCentre Val de Loire Wedding PhotographyManoir de Vacheresses
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
window lightCentre Val de Loire Wedding PhotographybouquetManoir de VacheressesCentre-Val de LoireemotionFrance
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 photographyWestern Australiaemotionmarriage certificate signingbw momentgrandmotherperth
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
joyBuckinghamshirelaughingemotionbridesmaidsBuckinghamshire Wedding PhotographyEngland
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
bridesmaidNapa wedding photographeremotionNapaMont La Salleflowers
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 whitebride and groomemotionpost ceremonyTriesteTrieste wedding photographyItaly
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 momentSiderno Wedding Photographerproud parentsemotionSidernotimelesshugs
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
emotionPennsylvania photographerPennsylvania bridegroom mother danceThe Woods at Eisler FarmsPAPennsylvania
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
veilemotionwiping tearsInterlakenInterlaken PhotographerBernSwitzerland
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
emotionBordeaux wedding photographyBordeauxBordeaux familyspeechmicrophone
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
napkinemotionwiping tearCaledonian RoadThe Depot N7speechLondon wedding photography
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 MAfather daughter dancesmilesChatham Bars InnMassachusettsemotionChatham family and friends
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 motherArdeche wedding photographerArdecheheartfelt embracemom huggingemotion
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
brideMas de la PlumeHérault photographeroutside receptionemotionspeechesHerault
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
emotionbride and father danceNew Jerseynew jersey photographerCrying brideThe 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
Francehugs and kissesFrance photographeremotionLudovic Lieffrigat home preparations
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
Ashburn VAVirginiaVirginia GroomVirginia outdoor ceremonyemotionvirginia wedding photographer
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
father first lookfather of brideFrancefrance wedding photographeremotionwedding gown

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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.