Wedding Photos of Friends

The following “Friends” 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 “Friends” 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.

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

Paris Reception Venue in Île-de-France: The bride being carried by her friends as they celebrate during the lively party

Paris Celebration: A Joyous Bride and Her Lively Entourage in Île-de-France

joyous bride Paris Reception Venue in France Paris wedding photography Paris lively party Lively Entourage France wedding venue

At Le Boullay-Mivoye, Eure-et-Loir, the newly married couple arrive in a Mustang, cheered on by their friends, with the Fonville turrets nearby

Chasing Forever: Love's Grand Arrival at Le Boullay-Mivoye

Fonville turrets Le Boullay Mivoye friends Eure et Loir Wedding Photography Chasing Forever newly married couple Eure et Loir Weddings

Casale 1890 - Tenuta Tramontana in Reggio Calabria: Friends having a great time playing games during dinner, with two women limboing on the grass under a held napkin

Reggio Calabria Wedding: Friends Bond Through Games and Limbo

limbo Reggio Calabria napkin Reggio Calabria wedding grass friends reggio calabria weddings

In Valencia, the bride and groom enter the banquet to celebrate with friends. The photo captures the couple surrounded by party favors waving overhead as the festivities begin.

Valencia Vows: A Festive Affair of Love and Celebration Begins

festive affair bride and groom Valencia Valencia wedding venue friends celebration begins waving

Wedding photo taken at Moselle reception venue, featuring a group shot of the bride and groom in a low-angle view, accompanied by playful gestures from brothers and witnesses.

Moselle Magnificence: Bridal Bonding with Brothers and Beaming Best Friends

unique wedding photography Moselle Moselle wedding photography Metz friends Moselle event photography Moselle photos Metz group shot

A groom prepares for his wedding day with his friends in Bardos, France. This award-winning photo captures the special moments before the ceremony at the beautiful domaine Etxezahar.

Groom's Pre-Wedding Rituals: Award-Winning Photo in Bardos, France's Stunning Domaine Etxezahar

france weddings groom prepares Bardos Bardos wedding Domaine Etxezahar special moments Pyrénées-Atlantiques

Wedding photo taken at Lantignié Beaujolais, Rhone, capturing a joyful session as the groom is playfully thrown into the air by his friends.

RHONE GROOM SOARS AMIDST FRIENDS IN CAPTIVATING WEDDING SHOT

joyful tossed Lantignié Beaujolais wedding venue Lantignié Beaujolais air captivating Rhône

A friend extends congratulations to the groom at a private residence in Burlington, VT

Cheers to the Newlyweds: A Heartfelt Celebration in Burlington, VT

Burlington Burlington groom friends tented reception Burlington VT Documentary Wedding Photography Private residence Vermont

Two friends of the bride and groom dancing on the floor, with another friend capturing the moment on camera at Chateau-ferme d’Aboncourt, Meurthe-et-Moselle

The Joyful Celebration at Chateau-ferme d'Aboncourt: Friends Dance and Cheers, Capturing Cherished Moments

Chateau-ferme dAboncourt dance floor Meurthe-et-Moselle dancing France wedding photography friends

A friend helps the groom put on his shoes, in a moment of balance and friendship at the home of the groom in Acireale. This image earned the photographer a prestigious WPJA Honor Award.

Eternal Bond: Friendships Unveiled in Acireale - WPJA Honor Award Winner

friends home preparations Acireale Acireale Groom Acireale Documentary Wedding Photography

A group of friends cheerfully and energetically support the groom, providing him with strength and encouragement on his wedding day in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Unstoppable Brotherhood: Friends' heartfelt support fuels groom's Auvergne wedding

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes friends groomsmen France documentary wedding photography supporting groom groom

A loving wedding image was captured in Udine, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy, showing the bride being enveloped by the loving embrace of her friends

Friends embraced the bride in Udine, Italy

Friuli Venezia Giulia embracing friends bride love embraced bride Italy friends loving embrace

At Clos Vougeot, the newlyweds, their family, and friends celebrated a beautiful day with heartwarming speeches that made the groom emotional, resulting in tender hugs for all

The newlyweds and their family and friends celebrated a joyous day at Clos Vougeot

heartwarming speeches groom emotional burgundy Clos Vougeot friends tender hugs wedding celebration

At Oaks Farm wedding venue in Croydon, Surrey, England, the newlyweds were elated with joy during the reception speeches

The couple were delighted during the speeches at Oaks Farm, Croydon, Surrey, England

Forever marry Elated guests Togetherness celebration delighted

The happy wedding couple and their friends were captured in a lively moment as they enjoyed a beer run in the grassy lawn of Bovendonk in Hoeven during their reception

The wedding couples' lively celebration was captured as they enjoyed a beer run on Bovendonk's grassy lawn in Hoeven

grassy lawn romantic wedding beer run celebration beer run Happy couple wedding reception friends

Friends gathered in the French Alps for an outdoor wedding ceremony, capturing a special moment together

Friends celebrated with an outdoor wedding ceremony in the French Alps

PACA together French Alps wedding special moment French Alps Outdoor Ceremony friends Wedding Celebrations

The photographer captured a beautiful moment of the bride embracing one of her great friends during the getting ready process at Cote How, The Lake District

At Cote How in The Lake District, the bride showed emotion as she embraced a great friend during the getting ready process

Cumbria friends Ambleside embracing Cote How Lake District Cumbria Wedding Photographer Lake district

The bride-to-be was surrounded by 3 of her closest friends at Château de Maumont, France, as they busily prepared her for her special day with hair styling

Giddy with excitement, the bride-to-be was surrounded by her three closest friends as they beautified her for her momentous occasion with hair styling and makeup

Magnac sur Touvre Château de Maumont France Charente Charente Photographer friends hairstyling

The groom about to fall when his friends lift him up at the Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai

The groom was lifted off his feet when his friends hoisted him onto their shoulders on the dance floor

Mumbai wedding photography groom lifted up Taj Mahal Palace sitting on shoulders Mumbai friends

Bride and groom enjoy a quiet moment during their drinks reception as friends enjoy a drink together at the Crosskeys Inn, Northern Ireland

A couple enjoyed a moment together alone at their drinks reception party while male friends chatted and drank nearby

quiet moment Crosskeys Inn drinks County Antrim Wedding Photographer Northern Ireland County Antrim friends

With an overhead angle, the bride puts on her dress helped by her mother and her friends in Marseille

Friends help the bride put on her dress as the camera captures the scene from a high overhead angle

dressing friends bw overhead angle bride dressing bride overhead shot

The Sevilla Bride and her friends were having a good time, joking around and showing off their legs while they all smiled

The bride and her friends were all smiles as they enjoyed a showing off of legs comp

legs joking showing off legs good times joking around friends smiled

At Bendida Beach Bulgaria, the bride and friends react at the end of the ceremony

The bride and her friends shared warm embraces under the outdoor sunshine at the end of the ceremony

Black Sea sunshine Kavarna Thracian Cliffs End of ceremony Bulgaria wedding photographer Bendida Beach Bulgaria

A Sichuan wedding day detail picture showing Relatives and friends competing for the green balloon, and The person who catches the balloon will get the brides gift

relatives catch Sichuan wedding day friends balloon Cheng Guo brides gift

A top featured image from Green Acres in Minneapolis among the best wedding photography showing a group hug

Minneapolis Green Acres reception venue MN Green Acres group hug Minneapolis wedding photography friends

Mumbai wedding reportage photographer captured this moment showing The bride surprising her groom by dancing with her friends

surprising Mumbai groom Mumbai photographer friends dancing

An extraordinary Harome wedding picture by a pro UK photographer at The Starr Inn in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire revealing The Bride is surrounded by happy guests beckoning her on a packed dance floor

Patrick Mateer North Yorkshire uk bride Ryedale District Harome wedding picture Ryedale women

Best Paris documentary wedding picture of the bride dancing with her friends

DJ lights bride France dance Paris friends dancing

An exceptional Town Hall Vidauban wedding image by a pro Var photographer exhibiting The bride and groom embrace their friends

Ludovic Lieffrig friends embrace Var Town Hall Vidauban outside hugs

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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.