Wedding Photos of First dance

The following “First dance” 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 “First dance” 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.

A Montreal wedding photographer captures a joyful scene at La Toundra wedding venue in Quebec. The image shows the newlywed couple sharing their first dance.

A Flanders wedding photographer captures the first dance at an East Flanders reception venue, showing a couple deeply in love.

Capturing Love in Motion: The First Dance at an East Flanders Reception Venue

East Flanders dance floor Flanders Documentary Wedding Photography Flanders first dance

In the reception venue in London, England, the couple shares their first dance in a dreamlike atmosphere of heavenly lighting and fog

A Dreamlike First Dance: Heavenly Lighting and Fog Engulf the London Reception Venue

dance floor fog dream like London England United Kingdom lighting and fog London wedding photography

In Pontecorvo, Italy, a couple shares their first dance on a dance floor illuminated by blue lights and enveloped in DJ fog. The magical ambiance adds a touch of romance to the festivities.

Romantic Rhapsody: Capturing the Enchanting Glow of Love in Pontecorvo's Dance of Dreams

dance floor first dance Pontecorvo Documentary Wedding Photography Pontecorvo dj fog blue lights Frosinone

A professional wedding photographer captured a special dance at the Chateau Marquis de Terme Margaux. The image shows the bride and groom's first dance on the dancefloor, with beautiful lights twinkling in the background.

Romantic Dance Under DJ Lights: Bride and Groom's First Dance at Chateau Marquis de Terme Margaux

special dance Bordeaux Lights dance floor first dance Chateau Marquis de Terme Margaux Bordeaux Documentary Wedding Photography

A romantic portrait of a couple at an enchanting waterfall in Deming, WA, where they shared their first dance. The waterfall cascades powerfully behind them, creating a stunning backdrop.

First Dance by the Falls: A Captivating Portrait of Love in Deming, WA

stunning backdrop waterfall romantic portrait first dance cascading waterfall Deming Wedding Portrait Washington

In this stunning photo captured at a wedding reception in Lorient, Morbihan, France, the groom lifts his bride high into the air during their first dance on a fog-filled dance floor, creating an ethereal atmosphere

Foggy Fairytale: Groom Carries Bride to Magical Heights in Wedding Dance

groom lifts bride Morbihan Documentary Wedding Photography Morbihan Lorient ethereal atmosphere fog filled dance floor first dance

At Château de la Barbelinière in Thuré, the newlyweds perform their first dance as a married couple under purple and blue lights

Enchanting First Dance: Newlyweds Embrace in Romantic Glow at Château

blue lights romantic glow first dance Château de la Barbelinière Thuré dipping purple lights

A couple practices their first dance at Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey

Enchanting Embrace: Captivating Moments of the First Dance in Istanbul

Turkey reception hall Pera Palace Hotel first dance dance practice Istanbul Istanbul Documentary wedding photography

Guests at the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok Wedding Reception gather around the bride and groom as they dance, creating a joyous and lively atmosphere filled with celebration and love

Wedding Bliss: Capturing the Vibrant Love at Four Seasons Bangkok

first dance Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok dancing Thailand Bangkok Bangkok Documentary Wedding Photography

The bride and groom in Belgium rehearsing their first dance one final time at the reception venue

Belgium: Bride and Groom Rehearse their First Dance at Reception Venue in a Final Rehearsal

Belgium wedding photography Belgium Belgium groom black and white rehearse reception venue first dance

In Southwell, Nottingham, UK, a wedding photojournalist captured this joyful moment as the bride and groom shared their first dance under a marquee. Guests watched with smiles, creating a heartwarming atmosphere. This image received a WPJA Honor Award.

Dancing Hearts: A Joyful Wedding Moment in Southwell, Nottingham, UK

Southwell Southwell Documentary Wedding. Photography Nottinghamshire first dance tented reception marquee United Kingdom

At a wedding reception held in West Pomeranian, Poland, the bride and groom were photographed from the outside during their first dance

The bride and groom were captured by an artistic wedding photographer during their first dance at the reception

Poland wedding photography Poland Poland wedding venue West Pomeranian first dance

The bride and groom's dachshund puppy looked up adoringly at them during their first dance at the Tunnels Beaches wedding venue in Devon, England

The dachshund puppy was captured adoringly on camera during the couples first dance by a talented wedding photojournalist

puppy Tunnels Beaches Devon wedding photography first dance Devon United Kingdom dachshund

The bride and groom's romantic kiss during their first dance at Victoria Warehouse in Manchester, England was captured in a beautiful wedding photo

At Victoria Warehouse in Manchester, England, the bride and groom shared a romantic first dance kiss

first dance kiss Greater Manchester Victoria Warehouse England England wedding photography romantic dance

The couple's energetic first dance at Tunnels Beaches wedding venue in Devon, England was captured in a picture, showing their overflowing joy and happiness

At Tunnels Beaches in Devon, England, a picture captured the couple's joyous first dance

first dance Lights Tunnels Beaches Devon wedding reportage United Kingdom joy Devon

The first dance at Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur with fireworks was a truly special scene captured in the documentary-style wedding photo

At Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur, the first dance with fireworks was magical

Umaid Bhawan Palace Jodhpur first dance Night fireworks Jodhpur Wedding Photography

The bride and groom's first dance with DJ fog was captured in a wedding picture at the dancefloor in Fribourg, Switzerland

A wedding picture of the bride and groom's first dance with DJ fog was taken at the dancefloor in Fribourg, Switzerland

silhouettes Fribourg Wedding Photography dance floor first dance Fribourg dj fog

The graceful first dance of the newlyweds is framed by the sweeping drapes of the glamorous Axnoller Farm setting

The captivating first dance of the newlyweds amidst the grandiosity of their venue

first dance sweeping drapes West Dorset England dorset photographer Axnoller House Dorset

At the Olin Park Pavilion in Madison, WI, the couple shared a special moment as they danced their first dance together in the indoor reception venue during the daytime

The couple danced around the reception venue in the daylight hours, savouring their first dance together

Madison Wisconsin Olin Park Pavilion first dance Wisconsin Photographer WI Madison wedding

The bride and groom started their special night with a romantic first dance at Dinolfo's indoor reception venue

The bride and groom shared their first romantic dance in the indoor reception venue, creating a memorable moment

DiNolfos Homer Glen chicago wedding venue first dance IL purple light Chicago photographer

The bride and groom's first dance at Domaine de la Gerberie in Vendée, France was captured in a dramatic silhouette shot with theatre DJ lighting

The bride and groom's first dance was illuminated in a dramatic silhouette, captured with theatre DJ lighting for the perfect keepsake

Vendee DJ lighting Vendee Photographer Domaine de la Gerberie first dance dramatic silhouette France

At a private house in Bel Air, California, the bride and groom dance for the first time as a married couple while family and friends watch them

On the checkered dance floor at a private house, the bride and groom danced for the first time

Bel Air Bel Air Wedding Photographer Bel Air family and friends checkered floor first dance California - Southern

The bride and groom gracefully shared their first dance on the dance floor under the tent at the Southern Vermont Arts Center in Manchester, VT

The bride and groom gleefully share their lively first dance under the tent's canopy

dance floor Manchester Southern Vermont Arts Center VT first dance Vermont Vermont photographer

First dance in the stage lights for the couple at İstanbul Çırağan Kempinsky

The bride and groom had their first dance on the stage floor under the stage lights

İstanbul Çırağan Kempinsky stage lights first dance chandeliers Istanbul wedding photography kneeling

The bride and groom during their first dance at Fratelli Beach Club

The bride and groom shared a romantic first dance under the dramatic purple stage lighting at the venue

Fratelli Beach Club first dance Romania wedding photography Romania purple stage lights Constanta

Under a tent at Zabola Castle, the bride and groom during their first dance

The bride and groom shared a romantic first dance, with a dramatic dip under a tent

Covasna County tented reception first dance dancing and dipping Romania Romania photographer Zabola Castle

Page boys do the wave from the venue balcony as couple does their first dance outside at the Tunnels Beaches wedding venue in Devon, England

Page boys wave in synchrony from the venue balcony as the couple dances their first dance below them

first dance page Tunnels Beaches England Devon Devon wedding photographer the wave

The bride and groom are in the midst of their first dance as newlyweds, twirling and swaying to the romantic music as confetti rains down upon them at Hotel HO Ciudad de Jaén, Jaén, Spain

The bride and groom are celebrating their first dance as newlyweds amidst a confetti blizzard on the dance floor

couple kissing first dance confetti rain Spain Jaén Hotel HO Ciudad de Jaen Jaen Wedding Photographer

The first dance of the bride and groom in the atmospheric interiors of the palace Reception Venue of Lasotów Palace

The bride and groom had their first dance on the reception venue's dance floor, like a cloud

Warsaw wedding photographer dance floor fog Warsaw Wedding Venue Warsaw first dance Poland Lasotow Palace

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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.