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 France wedding photographer at Chateau Montus captured the Bride and Groom first dance under blue lights on the dance floor

A wedding reportage photographer captured the romantic moment of a bride and groom's first dance, which was illuminated by blue lights on the dance floor

Documentary style photography from a New York wedding at The Barn at Lord Howe Valley of Ticonderoga created as The couple dances to their first dance

A Ticonderoga wedding photographer captured the couple's first dance at The Barn from above the dancefloor

The Barn at Lord Howe Valley New York - Upstate first dance New York photographer Ticonderoga

The newlyweds made a stunning entrance to their first dance, with the groom lifting the bride and the guests in the background illuminated as silhouettes, captured by a Denver wedding photographer

Denver editorial style wedding photography at Blanc, The Venue created as the groom lifts the bride into the air during their first dance

Denver first dance groom lifts bride denver photographer Blanc The Venue

A Belgium wedding photographer captured an elegantly silhouetted image of the newlyweds' first dance amidst a dreamy fog and lights

Belgium contest award winning documentary wedding photo in black and white of the First dance of the groom and bride

Belgium dramatic lighting bw moment Belgium photographer first dance

Wedding photo from Istanbul, at Legacy Ottoman Hotel of the couples first dance

The couples first dance beneath the large skylights, revealing a beautiful blue sky above, was captured in their wedding photo

Istanbul istanbul wedding photographer skylights first dance Legacy Ottoman Hotel

Best documentary wedding photo from the Restaurant Balcon del Mundo at the Kaliakria Resort showing the Bulgaria couples First Dance

The romantic dip on a fog-filled floor, accompanied by a saxophone player and lights, set the perfect backdrop for restaurant couples' First Dance

Kaliakria Resort first dance Bulgaria photographer dance floor fog Restaurant Balcon del Mundo

Bulgaria creative documentary wedding photography at St Sofia Golf Club that has captured the bride and groom First Dance on a bed of fog

The bride and groom shared their First Dance on a bed of fog at a Golf Club reception venue

Bulgaria dance floor fog first dance Bulgaria photographer St Sofia Golf Club

The newlyweds experienced a dreamy first dance in a bubble with fog and multi-colored lights, immortalized in a photograph

A wedding photographer in Vendée created this image at Domaine de la Corbe of the bride and groom during the first dance inside a bubble

Vendee Vendee Photographer Jeremy Fiori first dance Domaine de la Corbe dance in bubble

Arjona, Jaen editorial style wedding photography at Salones Mayestic of the bride and groom during the first dance with heart confetti flying

The newlyweds shared a romantic first dance, surrounded by love and joy from the cheering guests and falling heart confetti

confetti flying heart confetti Spain first dance Salones Mayestic Arjona Jaén

A wedding photo from Castello Borghese, Nettuno Italy of the First dance

The First Dance at the wedding was magical, with strings of lights overhead appearing like stars in the night sky

Castello Borghese Lazio night sky first dance Italy lights strung overhead Rome

Top wedding venue photography from Seven Generations Winery Hotel, Ruse, Bulgaria from the First Dance

first dance Seven Generations Winery Hotel Ruse Reception Hall Ruse Bulgaria ruse photographer

Top wedding venue photography from Blackstone Rivers Ranch of bride and groom as they share their first dance under the reception tent outdoors at dusk

Blackstone Rivers Ranch dusk Colorado first dance reception tent Denver

River Vale, NJ best wedding photography from The Estate at Florentine Gardens during bride and grooms first dance amongst the fog

NJ wedding venue New Jersey River Vale The Estate at Florentine Gardens first dance new jersey photographer

Best wedding image for the Isere, France wedding planner showing The couple is dancing in the park of the venue, just before their first dance

Isere Photographer Isere France night wedding Florian Maguin couple dancing first dance

Best wedding image ideas for the Tuscany wedding planner at Reception venues of The first dance

reception venue Tuscany photographer first dance Tuscany Italy

The first dance with the bride and groom at their outdoor reception at the Cafe Cortina, Farmington, MI

The bride and groom are shown dancing at their outdoor reception, illuminated by the lights wrapped around the trees at dusk

Cafe Cortina Michigan Michigan Wedding Photographer outdoor lights Farmington MI first dance dusk dance

Best Vermont wedding venue photography at The Barn at Boyden Farm in Cambridge showing The couple dancing together during their first dance

first dance Cambridge VT Vermont Vermont photographer barn reception The Barn at Boyden Farm

India first dance photo of the bride and groom sharing a light hearted laugh during their first dance in Goa

A wedding picture of the bride and groom sharing a light-hearted laugh during their first dance captures the joy of the moment

Goa Wedding Photographer first dance India laughing goa

The bride and groom having their first dance with festively-dressed wedding guest surround the couple at Loft Diplomat

The bride and groom are surrounded by festively-dressed wedding guests as they share their first dance

Loft Diplomat guests watching Bucharest first dance Bucharest wedding photographer

River Roast wedding venue photography in Chicago from the first dance through a window

Chicago photographer window view River Roast Chicago first dance

At Succotash Restaurant, Washington DC, the couple are looking out over all the guests right during the first dance

The couple are captured in a romantic moment, looking out over all the guests as they share their first dance

dc wedding venue first dance Washington DC Succotash Restaurant dc wedding photographer

Macclesfield wedding venue photography at the Heaton House in Cheshire, UK showing Bride and groom during first dance

Heaton House Cheshire photographer name in lights Cheshire United Kingdom Macclesfield Andy Griffiths

Key West based wedding and event photography in Florida capturing the brides nephew wanted to be like mom and fix the brides dress during first dance

Key West first dance Florida Key West photographer fixing brides dress

The couple during their first dance with color lights at the Clos du Tuilier, Lubéron, France

The couple danced their first dance with color lights flashing behind them

PACA Clos du Tuilier first dance Luberon France colorful lights Oppedette

Le Méridien Taipei wedding venue photography in Taiwan of The couple having their first dance on the dance floor

Taipei Photographer Will Tee first dance Taiwan Le Méridien Taipei dance floor

Estes Park scene setter wedding venue photography at Black Canyon Inn in Colorado showing the First dance under the moonlit night

moonlit first dance Colorado couple Black Canyon Inn weddings scene setter Black Canyon Inn Estes Park weddings

Best UK documentary wedding picture from the Hampton Court House during the Bride and Groom, First Dance

UK Hampton Court House first dance UK documentary wedding bride and groom Hampton Court House

Colorado wedding reportage photojournalist created this image at the brewery reception location showing couples first dance with a rainbow

Colorado Colorado wedding photojournalist first dance reception location Denver Shea McGrath rainbow

A top featured image from Colorado among the best wedding photography showing the Couples first dance during their at-home wedding reception party

first dance reception party Shea McGrath at home wedding Colorado co couple Colorado wedding photography

Best Kona, Hawaii documentary wedding photography showing Kids watching the bride and groom during first dance

Ilana Bar av watching kids Kona Kona weddings first dance Hawaii documentary wedding

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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.