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.

Amparo woman doing make up while a guest takes a secret picture before the wedding

a woman doing make up while a guest takes a secret picture before the wedding

Amparo SP makeup guest getting ready São Paulo

Sao Paulo bridesmaids and bride talking to each other while getting ready for the wedding

the bridesmaids and bride talking to each other while getting ready for the wedding

bride getting ready Brazil São Paulo bridesmaids

Quito, Ecuador grooms mother helping him get ready with this boutonniere for the wedding

The mother of the groom was aiding him in his preparations for the wedding, ensuring he had the perfect boutonniere

mother getting ready groom Quito Ecuador Ecuador groom boutonniere

Bangkok, Thailand groom getting his hair ready for the wedding ceremony

A black and white image of a groom preparing his hair for the wedding ceremony

Thailand groom groom mirrors Thailand getting ready Bangkok hair

Kildare, Ireland bride looking into the mirror while getting her dress ready before the wedding ceremony in this documentary-style photo

Kildare Ireland getting ready bride Dublin County Kildare mirror

Marche bride has her dress hung up with her father looking at it before the wedding

the bride has her dress hung up with her father looking at it before the wedding

dress Marche father Italy getting ready

Rome bride in a room getting ready before the wedding

a bride in a room getting ready before the wedding

bride getting ready Lazio Rome Italy hotel

Veria, Greece groomsmen shave the grooms beard before the wedding

the groomsmen shave the grooms beard before the wedding

Veria shave groomsmen groom Greece getting ready

the groom receiving help with his tie

groom tie mirror Chelyabinsk getting ready Russia

Abruzzo brides father gives a thumbs up at the bride in her dress

the father of the bride gives a thumbs up at the bride in her dress

dress Abruzzo father Italy getting ready bride

Groom getting ready with help at the St Robert's Catholic Church in San Bruno

Groom getting ready with some help

groom getting ready groomsmen San Bruno St Roberts Catholic Church

Bride getting dressed at Daly City studio

California mirror getting ready silhouette Daly City studio

Bangkok wedding photography - bride getting made up before the ceremony - Black and white photos

the bride getting made up before the ceremony

bride Thailand Bangkok black and white getting ready

Sao Paulo, Brazil bride getting help with her hair and make up before the wedding

a bride getting help with her hair and make up before the wedding

hair bride São Paulo makeup getting ready Brazil

Brazil groom looking at himself in the mirror as he puts a shirt on before the wedding

a groom looking at himself in the mirror as he puts a shirt on before the wedding

mirror groom getting ready Brazil

Excited bridesmaid watches as the bride gets her hair ready for the ceremony in England

an Excited bridesmaid watches as the bride gets her hair ready for the ceremony

bridesmaid bride mirror getting ready England hair

England bride gets excited when everyone sees her in her dress

a bride gets excited when everyone sees her in her dress

UK bride England getting ready United Kingdom dress

Brive la Gaillarde, France groom kisses his cat while he gets dressed for the wedding

the groom kisses his cat while he gets dressed for the wedding

getting ready Brive la Gaillarde France kiss Lights Correze groom

a groom gets dressed while next to his dogs before the wedding

groom Ibague getting ready Colombia dogs

image of the bride getting assistance putting on her dress

NL dress North Holland bride getting ready

Bridesmaids and bride getting ready for the wedding ceremony

Playa del Carmen bride getting ready bridesmaids Thompson Resort Mexico

the silhouettes of the bridal party getting ready against a large glass window

silhouettes Russia getting ready Chelyabinsk bridal party

New South Wales wedding photographer captured this bride getting assistance with her drink as she holds up her veil

a bride getting assistance with her drink as she holds up her veil

New South Wales NSW getting ready Australia bride drink

black and white reflection of a bride getting her hair done while someone watches outside the window

Indonesia Bali reflection black and white bride getting ready hair

The groom puts on a red tie as he gets ready for the ceremony

before wedding ceremony French groom window light preparing getting ready red tie Bourgoin-Jallieu

Peru wedding photographer captured this photo of a groom getting an injection before heading to the wedding ceremony

Peru groom getting an injection before heading to the wedding ceremony

getting ready Peru Lima groom

Saint-Petersburg wedding photographer captured this photo of a bride getting the finishing touches put on her hair

Saint-Petersburg photo of a bride getting the finishing touches put on her hair

Russia getting ready Saint Petersburg bride hair

Lipstick detail photo from a Germany wedding shoot during the getting ready

bw Germany wedding lipstick Germany getting ready germany bride Lower Saxony

Fuzhou wedding photographer captured this black and white image and reflection of the groomsmen assisting the groom in getting ready for the wedding ceremony

reflection China Fuzhou Fuzhou getting ready Wedding Photograph groomsmen Fujian

Black and white photo of groomsmen getting ready before the ceremony by a Detroit, MI wedding photographer.

groomsmen black and white ceremony Detroit getting ready MI

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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.