Wedding Photos of Friend

The following “Friend” 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 “Friend” 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 unique moment captured during wedding preparations at the venue in Colima, Mexico, where the bride is getting her makeup touched up, featuring a playful pictogram subbing in for her friend applying the makeup.

Enchanting Bride at Colima Venue: Fun Pictogram Assisting Makeup Touch-Up in Mexico Wedding

In Oud-Beijerland, the Netherlands, an intimate moment unfolds as the bride is helped into her dress by a friend, captured in a behind-the-scenes shot on the wedding day at the venue.

Capturing the Bride: A Tender Moment in Oud-Beijerland, Netherlands on Wedding Day Behind-the-Scenes

bridal Oud Beijerland Oud Beijerland Wedding Photographer getting ready Netherlands BW shot bride

A candid moment from a wedding at Esseborne Manor Hotel in Andover, Hampshire, UK, where the bride attentively checks on arriving guests as her friend helps her with her shoe, captured in a behind-the-scenes documentary style.

The Bride's Thoughtful Act: A Candid Wedding Moment at Esseborne Manor Hotel, Andover, Hampshire

bride candid wedding photography guests arriving bridal bw Wedding wedding day documentary documentary style

At Menton City Hall in Alpes-Maritimes, a beautiful bride shares a sweet kiss with her witnesses, while her friend looks on with a warm and loving gaze.

In Menton: Alpes-Maritimes Wedding Witnesses Share Sweet Smooch

Menton marriage image Alpes-Maritimes witnesses Menton weddings beautiful bride friend Menton City Hall

At Villa Grabau in Lucca, the bride shares a heartfelt hug with a friend during the intimate dinner, captured in a striking black and white image.

BRIDE'S BUDDY: HUG MOMENT AT VILLA GRABAU, LUCCA, A STRIKING BLACK & WHITE CAPTURE

Villa Grabau Lucca weddings Lucca Lucca Photographer Villa Grabau Lucca heartfelt black and white

Friends of the bride and groom jump and rejoice while dancing at Baronesse Tacco in San Floriano del Collio, Gorizia, Italy

San Floriano del Collio: Joyful Friends Dancing at Baronesse Tacco

friends Gorizia Weddings Baronesse Tacco wedding friend joyful Gorizia wedding photography Italy wedding

A charming wedding image was created at Mairie de Saint-Just Chaleyssin, south of Lyon, showing a young girl giving her friend advice on the amount of lip color to apply

The bride created a charming moment at Mairie de Saint-Just Chaleyssin, Lyon, with her friend giving makeup tips

makeup advice Lyon wedding photo lip color charming moment young Girl Mairie de Saint Just Chaleyssin friend

Philadelphia wedding reportage photojournalist created this image at The Notary Hotel in Pennsylvania as the bride reacts to seeing a friend on facetime just as she gets into her wedding dress for her philly wedding

philly wedding The Notary Hotel Philadelphia wedding photojournalist reacts Notary Pennsylvania bride

Best Paris documentary wedding picture of The Groom and his friend getting ready

France friend getting ready Paris documentary wedding Paris groom

A wedding photojournalist in Philadelphia captured this moment showing a friend of the groom watching the couples dog while the cocktail hour party goes down in the background

cocktail hour groom party background PA wedding photojournalist friend dog

Urbino, Italy nuptial day award-winning image of the groom and friend hugging outside

groom outside Urbino photographer hugging friend Urbino Italy nuptial day

Amsterdam nuptial day award-winning image of the mom showing her self-made flower bouquet to friend in a videocall

videocall mom bouquet Teun Bakker Amsterdam video chat

The Colorado WPJA is proud to award this non traditional, rainy day Estes Park wedding picture showing the CO bride and groom listen to a friend reading a poem while they get married in the rain with umbrellas

Rainy day CO bride and groom umbrellas listen Colorado Estes Park wedding picture

Rhodes Hall, Atlanta marriage preparation time award-winning picture capturing the Bride and her aunt helping brides daughter get ready for the wedding while a friend looks on

GA daughter wedding Atlanta marriage Rhodes Hall Atlanta

A top wedding reportage photographer in Dublin City, Ireland captured this picture of Friends waiting outside at ceremony to congratulate the bride

outside ceremony bouquet Ireland wedding Ireland friend Ireland picture bride

Arette, Pyrénées, France photography of a wedding moment showing A friend and her child embrace the bride with emotion

France photographer bride Pyrénées bride child Pyrenees Arette outdoor wedding embrace

Flanders Reception wedding photography created as A friend of the groom is telling a joke

groom Fille Roelants wedding photography friend Flanders Reception joke

Antwerpen wedding photographer captured this image from town hall showing Friend's of bride and groom (who are restricted tos tay outside) follow the ceremony in the town hall through a live stream, and cheer through the window

Town Hall mask coronavirus Social Distancing live stream ceremony Antwerpen wedding photo

Outdoor wedding photography from Casa dos Noivos, Xangri-lá, Brazil showing the Bride entering with both parents while friend tidies up her veil

tidies veil nature weddings Casa dos Noivos parents Xangri lá open air wedding

Granlibakken Resort wedding image of the groom, perched on his friend's shoulders, dances as the Ohio State mascot kicks a leg up in the air in Tahoe City, CA

leg Nicky Byrnes perched air CA Granlibakken Resort wedding kicks

Italian wedding image of the Groom greeting a friend after the ceremony at Chiesa di San Giulio in Vizzola Ticino

groom greeting ceremony Chiesa di San Giulio Vizzola Ticino Italian wedding image friend

Viterbo wedding photo from In the restaurant, during the banquet as The bride hugs a friend

Viterbo wedding photo friend restaurant banquet hugs bride

A Quebec wedding photo from Montreal of an Excited bride being congratulated by friend after wedding ceremony in park

Montreal friend park Quebec outdoor weddings congratulated wedding ceremony

Italy garden wedding photo from Maccagno-Varese showing a Happy friend gets the bouquet from the bride

Italy Maccagno Varese happy Francesca Zambrini friend Maccagno outside weddings

China wedding photographer: Guangdong Home, My friend, how does it taste?

Guangdon friend groom Guangdon bride with groom China wedding photo: Guangdon Home kiss

Wedding photography from Marco Luigi as the Bride Throws the Bouquet straight at her friend during the reception party

Marco Luigi friend throws bouquet Marco Luigi wedding venues Marco Luigi reception venue

The bride, groom, mother of the bride and a friend chats with guests during a virtual Zoom receiving line at the Cornelius V. Kelly Community Center

coronavirus chats New Jersey guests Spring Lake COVID New Jersey marriage

Eremo della Maddalena, Cinque Terre wedding venue photography | The bride getting ready while best friend checks the ongoing procedures

The bride getting ready while friend checks the procedures

Cinque Terre wedding venue photography Eremo della Maddalena getting ready friend the Bride

A friend kisses the bride with emotion

bride friend Jonathan Sylvoz emotion kisses Savoie wedding photography

A friend watching bride getting her makeup fixed

Istanbul bridal image Istanbul Erkin Agsaran makeup istanbul bride bride Istanbul wedding photography

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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.