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.

Ruda wedding documentary photographer created this image at Villa Iachia showing purple Lights add shadows during the first dance

Best France documentary wedding photography from Ferme Inharria during the The first dance under lanterns of light

light first dance Ferme Inharria wedding venue lanterns France Ferme Inharria Audrey Morisson

Best Flanders documentary wedding photojournalism image created during the first dance with parents

Sven Soetens Flanders parents first dance Flanders documentary weddings Belgium

Best Chicago wedding photojournalism picture from the Revolution Brewing Tap Room during an active first dance

IL Revolution Brewing Tap Room Chicago black and white Revolution Brewing active

Chicago wedding documentary photographer created this image at the Adler Planetarium during the bride and father first dance

Chicago Adler Planetarium venue Bride and father Adler Planetarium first dance Illinois

A top featured image from Sonoma, California among the best wedding photography showing the Bride and groom enjoying their first dance on the outdoor landing of a winery

CA winery CA couple California wedding photography Outdoor bride and groom

Gorizia wedding reportage photojournalist created this image at the Castelvecchio Sagrado in Italy of the Bride and groom first dance

IT first dance Gorizia wedding reportage Italy couple Castelvecchio Sagrado weddings Italy Castelvecchio Sagrado

A top Lille wedding photographer captured this picture of the first dance of the bride and groom

Lights bride and groom first dance France Lille wedding photographer Lille fog

Best Handelsbeurs documentary wedding photojournalism image in BW from the first dance by the bride and groom

couple dance floor Handelsbeurs documentary wedding Sanne De Block first dance bride and groom dancing

A top Rupert, Vermont wedding photographer captured this picture at The Old Gray Barn showing the bride is joyfully lifted off the floor during her first dance with her groom during their first dance in a barn as family and guests watch

first dance The Old Gray Barn lifted family bride first dance watch

Danielle Gardner first dance floor lifted family first dance vermont wedding photographer

Best Romania documentary wedding picture from Artist The Barn of the Bride and Groom during the first dance

Romania bride and groom Artist the Barn DJ lights fog first dance

Best UK documentary wedding photography from Cornwell Manor of the the bride and groom having an intimate and fun first dance

fun UK documentary wedding photography Cornwell Manor wedding venue intimate Cornwell Manor Lights UK

Best Bayern documentary wedding picture of the couple enjoying their first dance

Germany DE couple Lights Bayern documentary wedding first dance reception party

Cambridgeshire wedding reportage photographer captured this moment at The Old Bridge Hotel in Huntingdon - some kids during the small wedding's first dance

Huntingdon old bridge Huntingdon wedding venue Cambridgeshire kids hotel

An extraordinary Aheloy wedding picture by a pro Bulgaria photographer at the Marina Cape revealing the theatrical First Dance of the bride and groom

Marina Cape wedding venue Aheloy wedding picture Bulgaria first dance Bulgaria photographer Marina Cape Bulgaria bride and groom

An extraordinary Netherlands wedding image by a professional Noord Holland photographer conveying the Bride and Groom first dance

Netherlands wedding image NL reception venue smiles Netherlands bride and groom North Holland Noord Holland photographer

An extraordinary Oxford wedding picture by a pro UK photographer revealing the bride being lifted by the groom for the first dance

Oxfordshire first dance United Kingdom Oxford wedding picture Oxford bride lifted UK Photographer

Adventurous Gronez Castle, St Ouen pre wedding portrait in the Channel Islands as the couple practice their first dance

St Ouen pre wedding portrait St Ouen first dance practice Gronez Castle Channel Islands couple

An extraordinary Alsace wedding picture by a pro France photographer showing the bride and groom during the first dance on a bed of dj fog

France Alsace wedding picture fog French bride and groom lit France photographer

An extraordinary Oaxaca City wedding image by a professional Mexico photographer at the Jardin Etnobotanico venue during the First dance for the bride and groom

Oaxaca wedding image Mexico first dance Mexico photographer Jardin Etnobotanico Oaxaca City

Tuscany wedding reportage photojournalist created this image from Borgo Sant'Ambrogio showing the outdoor First dance

first dance Italy Tuscany Borgo Sant Ambrogio weddings Julian Kanz Borgo Sant Ambrogio IT wedding photojournalist

A top Italy wedding photojournalism example from a beautiful Sagrado, Gorizia wedding venue, Castelvecchio showing the First bride and groom dance

Gorizia wedding venue Italy wedding photojournalism Castelvecchio bride and groom first dance Gorizia Italy

A Gorizia documentary style wedding image showing a moment at Castelvecchio Sagrado of the First dance for the bride and groom under DJ lights

bride and groom Gorizia documentary weddings Castelvecchio Sagrado first dance Gorizia Gorizia wedding image

This Turkey wedding photojournalism picture is a top quality example of what candid, nontraditional Bodrum wedding photography looks like, as the couple have their first dance in backlight at Değirmen 81 hotel

Southwestern Turkey Muğla Province Backlight Turkey wedding photojournalism Bodrum Peninsula Bodrum wedding photography

View this dramatic Quimper, France wedding image of the First dance under spotlights with a young girl

spotlights France wedding image first dance Patrick Lombaert reception venue Quimper young Girl

A top France wedding photojournalist from Quiberon created this image of the outdoor First dance at night under strings of flags

Patrick Lombaert France wedding photojournalist Quiberon photographer flags Outdoor Quiberon first dance

A Staffordshire wedding reportage photographer captured this moment at The Upper House in Barlaston of The grooms young daughter, dressed for bed, running up to him for a hug during the couples first dance

first dance hug Staffordshire photographer daughter Barlaston Children

View this romantic moment at Crooked Willow Farms wedding picture of a dancing dip during their first dance together at their wedding reception

Crooked Willow Farms romantic wedding reception first dance co wedding picture Colorado photographer

A Romania documentary-style wedding image showing a moment at the Ego Ballroom Mamaia showing the first dance on the fog cloud

Ego Ballroom Mamaia Romania documentary weddings Mihai Zaharia fog cloud first dance Romania Romania venue image

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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.