Wedding Photos of First look

The following “First look” 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 look” 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.

This authentic and emotional France wedding day moment from Domaine de Grand Maison in Oyster Saint Oblas was recorded by a documentary wedding photographer showing The excited groom seeing the bride for the first time

A beautiful France bridal portrait at Chateau Giscoursg during the first look

France Chateau Giscoursg first look Chateau Giscoursg wedding venue France bridal portrait

Best Baltimore documentary wedding photojournalism image showing the first look surprise for the bride and groom

bride and groom Baltimore MD Kenneth Clapp surprise Baltimore wedding photojournalism Baltimore Maryland

Colorado Springs wedding documentary photographer created this image at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort showing a Surprise first look between bride and her grandmother

colorado springs wedding photographer bride first look Colorado Bonnie Sizer grandmother Cheyenne Mountain Resort venue

Stylish Lyon documentary wedding photography from France from the First look in the mirror

France Lyon wedding photography first look France Bride mirror Lyon

World's most visionary and best wedding portrait image from Chateau Giscours, Bordeaux of the couple first look in the vineyard

first look vineyard Chateau Giscours wedding venue Bordeaux French wedding portrait France

World's top and most original Cortona wedding portrait photography with a generation in comparison, on the first floor the father of the bride waiting for his daughter for the first look, while inside the house, the groom looking out waiting

Waiting inside daughter first look Italy portrait photography Italy house

A top Netherlands wedding photojournalist from North Brabant created this image of a funny first look joke

Freek Nagtzaam humor joke funny groom North Brabant wedding image best men

This Massachusetts wedding photojournalism picture is a first rate example of what candid, nontraditional Boston wedding photography looks like, as the bridal party watch the bride and her dad have their first look at the Fairmont Copley Plaza

Fairmont Fairmont Copley Plaza first look Massachusetts wedding photojournalism bridal party Copley

View this pivotal moment wedding picture at the church as the groom discovers his future wife in wedding attire first look

church emotions France discovers Dordogne French Groom future wife

Omni Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods New Hampshire marriage ceremony award-winning image showing The couple seeing each other for the first time at their Hindu wedding

couple Mount Washington photographer Hindu wedding marriage ceremony image Bretton Woods Omni Mount Washington Resort New Hampshire

France marriage preparation time award-winning picture capturing the First look by mother after the bride got ready

getting ready first look France Bride bride hugs france weddings Jean Baptiste Chauvin

View this picturesque Raiski Zaliv Bride and Groom portrait during the First Look, which was a featured picture among the best wedding photography in Goliama Zheliazna, Bulgaria from the WPJA

clouds blue sky Goliama Zheliazna weddings Bulgaria Raiski Zaliv Bulgaria bride and groom

Roedermark marriage preparation time award-winning picture capturing the Dad first look

first look father Roedermark photographer at home Dad marriage preparation time

Ventanas, Atlanta, Georgia wedding couple artistic image session resulting in a Rooftop Portrait during the First Look

first look Georgia weddings Ventanas couple Atlanta Atlanta creative portrait artistic image session

Lionsgate Event Center artful style wedding detail picture showing the bride pulls her dress into the jeep before heading to first look before the ceremony

Lafayette CO first look jeep artful style dress before ceremony

A top wedding photographer at the Kennedy Lodge in Istanbul captured this picture of the first look of the besties

Istanbul Kennedy Lodge istanbul bride Nilufer Nalbantoglu bestie first look istanbul wedding photographer

A top wedding photographer in Maryland captured this picture of the first look between dad and bride

Dad Maryland wedding Kenneth Clapp picture Maryland wedding photographer first look

Best wedding photography from Lavender Ridge, Nevada showing a pic of a Beautiful moment during a first touch moment, Like a first look but did not see each other, they Just held hands and said special words

Nevada wedding photography Lavender Ridge first look Nevada holding hands Nevada wedding

West Dennis, Massachusetts wedding photography contest award winning candid moment at Lighthouse Inn from the Bridal room showing The first look for the bridesmaids

bridesmaids Lighthouse Inn first look MA bride Massachusetts Massachusetts Wedding Photography

A top wedding photographer in Spring, Texas captured this picture at the Addison Woods Wedding and Event Venue of the brides first look with bridesmaids and ring bearer

Addison Woods first look spring bride Texas wedding picture Event Venue bw weddings

A Cleveland wedding photographer in Ohio created this image of the First look reaction of the bridesmaid of bride in her gown

Cleveland wedding photography bridesmaid first look bride Ohio wedding image reaction gown

Lugano (CH) wedding reportage moment of a first look for the bride and groom

first look moment bride and groom Lugano couple bw at home

Early Mountain Vineyards, Charlottesville real love wedding picture of a VA Father daughter first look

Virginia vineyards real love United States Charlottesville weddings Charlottesville Early Mountain Vineyards

Oaxaca City fine art wedding portrait of the bride and groom after their first look

The bride and groom's wedding portrait after their first look was taken with the bride's veil flying in the air

Mexico photographer Oaxaca Oaxaca City edding portrait Oaxaca City first look Oaxaca bride and groom

Virginia Farm wedding photography of bridesmaid holding the mirror up so the bride can get a good look at herself before she goes off for the first look.

wedding photo mirror first look bridesmaid Virginia Farm the Bride

Antwerpen wedding photo of the bride leaving her home right before meeting her husband for the first look.

home first look Bride leaving Antwerpen wedding photo husband Fille Roelants

Sofia wedding photography from Esterra Vini showing First look between the newlyweds before the wedding

Esterra Vini first look newlyweds Sofia Lubomir Jiponov before the wedding Sofia wedding photography

Wedding photograpy from Yarmouth, MA (Bride's parents house) -The first look for the brides friends

first look Wedding photo Yarmouth parents house MA bride brides friends

Wedding photography from Noord Brabant with an overhead angle of the first look

Freek Nagtzaam first look overhead angle North Brabant NB Wedding photo

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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.