Wedding Photos of Getting ready

The following “Getting ready” 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 “Getting ready” 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.

Bride preparing for her wedding in Dalyan, Turkey. Professional photo capturing the intimate moment as she fixes her hair in the mirror.

Dalyan Dream: Bride's Intimate Moment Caught on Camera as She Prepares for Wedding

Captured at a wedding at Çıragan Palace İstanbul, this photo shows the bride getting ready with her friend admiring her. The stylist is doing her hair as a cute dog sits on her lap.

Glamorous Bride Prepares with Friend and Pup at Çıragan Palace İstanbul Wedding Venue

friend Istanbul wedding photography Istanbul black and white turkey bride Çıragan Palace Istanbul dog

At a wedding in Bar Harbor, Maine, the bride is captured getting ready with portraits of men observing in the background.

Bridesmaid Preps in Bar Harbor as Groomsmen Look On: Wedding Portrait in Maine

bw images Bar Harbor portraits Bar Harbor wedding photography getting ready bride Maine

Photograph taken at a wedding in Aillas, Gironde, France. The groom and his friends are captured in this wedding photo, as they help him get ready to marry.

French Wedding Bliss: Groom and Friends Gear Up in Aillas, Gironde for Big Day

friends Bliss Gironde Wedding Photography Gironde Aillas French Groom getting ready

A beautiful wedding photo captured in Sainte Livrade, Lot et Garonne, France, showing the bride and her bridesmaids getting ready for the ceremony in a mirror with lights.

Enchanting Sainte Livrade Wedding: Bride and Bridesmaids Prepare in Mirror with Lights, Lot et Garonne

mirror Lights Lot et Garonne Wedding Photography beautiful bride elegant french wedding bridesmaids

Wedding photo taken in a mirror at Xi'an Zhuoke Hotel shows the groom and his friends assisting each other in putting on their suits.

Groom and Friends Suit Up Together in Heartwarming Mirror Photo at Xi'an Zhuoke Hotel

getting ready Xian Zhuoke Hotel groom Xian Groom suits hotel friends

Wedding photo taken at Hyatt Regency Xi 'an with the bride getting ready while her bridesmaids chat in the foreground.

Bride preps at Hyatt Regency Xi'an as bridesmaids chat in luxe surroundings

preparation getting ready elegant Hyatt Regency Xian Hyatt luxury Xi'an

A wedding image captured at Whirlowbrook Hall, Sheffield, showing the Bride getting ready as she puts on her dress, presented in black and white.

Elegant Bride at Whirlowbrook Hall: Captivating Black and White Wedding Beauty Unveiled

Sheffield South Yorkshire captivating getting ready Whirlowbrook Hall Wedding Whirlowbrook Hall black and white

At Valleybrook Country Club, a captivating overhead BW shot captures the bride in the midst of getting ready, delicately slipping her heels on, while her reflection in the nearby mirror adds a touch of elegance and anticipation to the enchanting scene.

A Bride Preparing at Valleybrook Country Club

New Jersey Moment Elegance shoes reflection New Jersey getting ready BW shot

At a private home in Ventura, California, a moment unfolds as the mother and bride collaborate on final touches during the getting ready process. Reflected in multiple mirrors, their bond is echoed in the shared reflection.

Mother and Bride's Collaboration in Ventura, California

Ventura reflections California - Southern bride mirror Ventura wedding photography collaboration

In Manchester, Vermont at the Equinox Resort and Spa, laughter ensues as the bride giggles while her sister attempts to buckle her shoe, capturing a heartwarming moment of sisterly love.

Sisterly Shoe Buckling: Heartwarming Laughter at Equinox Resort Wedding in Manchester, Vermont

Vermont love getting ready sisterly Equinox Resort and Spa buckling moment

In Istanbul, Turkey, the groom's excitement radiates as he gets ready, his smiling reflection captured in the mirror, signaling anticipation for the momentous day ahead.

Groom's Joyful Reflection: Preparing for Wedding Day in Istanbul, Turkey

Turkey Istanbul Wedding Moment groom getting ready excitement Istanbul mirror

A family legacy captured in a heartfelt photo on a wedding day in Biarritz, France. Four generations, from great-grandmother to granddaughter, beautifully getting ready at home for a special occasion. Embracing tradition and love in a timeless setting.

Generations of Love: Family Tradition in Biarritz, France on Wedding Day Preparations at Home

getting ready love legacy tradition Biarritz Wedding Moment Granddaughter special occasion

A beautiful bride, surrounded by friends, is putting on the finishing touches to her attire at Domaine Etxezahar in Bardos, France. The palpable emotion in the air is captured in this stunning wedding day image.

Bardos Bride and Friends at Domaine Etxezahar, France, Embracing the Wedding Day Emotion

wedding veil Bardos Bride stunning beautiful bride Bardos Wedding Moment Bardos

Emotional moment at The Estate at River Run, Maidens VA, as the mother assists the bride with her gown - a tender black and white shot from the wedding day.

Tender Motherly Help: Bride's Emotional Gown Prep at The Estate, River Run, Maidens VA

Maidens Bride Estate Maidens VA black and white bw wedding moment

Bride, groom, and bridesmaid with a red umbrella leave bride's childhood home 'Wang Tao House' in Tai Po, Hong Kong, heading to the ceremony venue in sentimental image capturing a traditional moment on the wedding day.

Sentimental Moment: Bride, Groom, and Bridesmaid Leave Childhood Home 'Wang Tao House' in Tai Po

wedding day Wang Tao House memories ceremony venue bride wedding emotional

Wedding day shot at a Private Home in San Francisco, CA: the groom assisting the bride's father in getting ready, with the background wall pictures featuring the father, a photographer.

Groom Assisting Bride's Father: Tender Moment Captured at San Francisco Private Home Wedding

getting ready background California - Northern pictures pre ceremony San Francisco wedding photography serene

A touching moment between a bride and her father as she adjusts her veil in the mirror at Bellevue Club in Oakland, California, on her wedding day.

Bride and Father's Emotional Mirror Moment at Bellevue Club in Oakland, California Wedding

love wedding bride relationships Oakland Wedding Moment hotel room getting ready

In Oxfordshire, UK, a candid moment is caught on camera on wedding day at the venue, as the bride makes a humorous expression while her bridesmaids help adjust her dress.

Oxfordshire Bride's Candid Humorous Moment with Bridesmaids at Wedding Venue in UK

joy venue dress reflection Oxfordshire bride United Kingdom moment

A bride is getting dressed with the help of two assistants on her wedding day at the elegant Château de Caumont, captured in a nostalgic black and white style.

Elegant Bridal Preparations: Château de Caumont, Captured in Nostalgic Black and White Glamour

wedding day Nostalgic bride elegant Château de Caumont Preparations dress

A beautiful composition showcasing a bride getting ready through a barn window at Rumbold's Farm in West Sussex, UK, capturing a unique and artistic reflection.

Bride's Elegance: Glimpse of Beauty at Rumbold's Farm, West Sussex Window, UK Reflection unique

Rumbolds Farm Elegance farm west sussex bride reflection mirror beauty

A beautiful wedding memory: groom getting ready in front of a mirror at Chateau Malromé in Virelade, Gironde.

Groom's Quiet Reflection: Preparing at Chateau Malromé in Virelade, Gironde for Wedding Day Success

success Virelade groom reflection quiet wedding Chateau Malromé

A candid moment captured at Domaine de Messenas in Roissard, Isère, France, featuring the bride and her bridesmaids in a bustling getting ready room, anxiously awaiting their turn with the makeup artist on the wedding day.

Bride and Bridesmaids in Stylish Preparations at Domaine de Messenas in Roissard, Isère, France

makeup artist Roissard Wedding Moment bridesmaids room wedding day bride Wedding candid moment

Groom getting his tie ready with the help of his groomsmen at Chateau-ferme d'Aboncourt venue on the wedding day, showcasing a moment of concentration and camaraderie.

Groom Tying Up with Groomsmen at Chateau-Ferme d'Aboncourt: Moment of Concentration and Camaraderie

venue tie Chateau Meurthe-et-Moselle tying Chateau Ferme dAboncourt assisting

A beautiful bride getting ready with makeup and mirrors at the historic Bastide de Lussan venue, captured in a timeless black and white photograph on her wedding day.

Timeless Elegance: Bride Prepares at Bastide de Lussan in Stunning Black and White Image

photograph day Lussan historic venue mirrors Gard black and white

Bride reflecting in a mirror on her wedding day at Domaine de Verchant in Montpellier, creating a striking and elegant image filled with grace and beauty.

Graceful Reflection: Bride at Domaine de Verchant in Montpellier, Capturing Elegance and Beauty

beauty bride wedding day radiant Elegance Montpellier Bridal Portrait beautiful

A heartwarming moment is frozen in time as the bride gets ready in her childhood home, helped by her loving mother, creating a beautiful memory from the wedding day in Apulia, Italy.

Bride Prepares In Childhood Home, Assisted by Mother, Creating Beautiful Wedding Memory in Apulia

Apulia mother memory bride childhood home getting ready assistance

A serene wedding picture from Lot et Garonne, France as the bride receives a loving touch-up from her sister, with her mother looking on attentively.

Loving Sisterly Touch-Up: Mother Watches Bride Getting Ready in Serene Lot et Garonne, France

wedding day joyful Prep Wedding Photo France getting ready Lot-et-Garonne sister

A beautiful moment captured at Chateau Saint Denis in Lot et Garonne, France; the bride's intimate preparations in soft light, shown in silhouette next to a window on her wedding day.

Silhouette Of Bride's Intimate Preparations At Chateau Saint Denis In Lot Et Garonne

bride loving Lot-et-Garonne window Château Saint Denis getting ready silhouette

A timeless black and white photo of a bride getting her final touch up by a stylist on her wedding day at the charming Borgo Fregnano venue in Faenza, Italy, evoking a sense of nostalgia and elegance.

Nostalgic Elegance: Bride's Final Touch at Borgo Fregnano Venue in Faenza, Italy

stylish nostalgia black and white getting ready romantic timeless classic

Pages

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.