Wedding Photos of Hugs

The following “Hugs” 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 “Hugs” 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.

The happy couple's engagement session at Rilke Path in Duino, Trieste, Italy, with hugs and smiles overlooking the view from the railings

The blissful couple, embracing and beaming with joy, were standing on the balcony surrounded by trees, taking in the breathtaking scenery

The bride's daughter helping with dress fittings in the mirror, while a little boy and girl hug in the foreground of this getting ready image in Enschede, The Netherlands

The bride's daughter, along with a little boy and girl, were all getting ready for the wedding, with the daughter helping with dress fittings in the mirror, and the two children sharing a hug

mirror two children NL Overijssel photographer Netherlands Overijssel dress fitting

The bride was overcome with emotion as her parents gave her heartfelt hugs outside the reception, making the Mas de la Plume Herault the perfect backdrop for their speeches of love and congratulations

The bride was overcome with emotion after being hugged by her parents outside the reception

Mas de la Plume emotion parent hugs outdoor reception speeches hugs Herault

A Slovenia couple hugs and shows their love at sunset

sunset engagement hugs Slovenia photographer Slovenia love at sunset

A Milan photographer captured an outdoor image of a nun sharing hugs with a bride at a convent in Italy, showcasing an expressive face in the photograph

The expressive face of the nun sharing hugs with the bride outdoors of the convent made for a beautiful moment captured in wedding photojournalism

Milan photographer hugs Italy convent nun Milan

In Milan, Italy, a father of the groom was captured in a touching embrace with his son, a beautiful emotional moment immortalised through documentary wedding photography

Good wedding photography captures the emotion of the moment, such as the father of the groom embracing his son

Italy Emotional moment Milan photographer father of groom Milan hugs

Borgo il Poggiaccio, Siena Hugs and happiness after the yes in the beautiful Tuscan Borgo

Couple shares hugs and joy after outdoor ceremony in beautiful villa

Siena photographer Siena Tuscany outdoor Ceremony Borgo il Poggiaccio hugs Tuscany

Château La Hitte, France wedding photo of the couple getting hugs and kisses from family and guests

The bride and groom were congratulated by their family and guests with hugs and kisses

Lavardac Chateau La Hitte congratulations Lavardac Wedding Photographer kisses hugs France

Amalfi Coast lifestyle engagement photography of a couple in Positano, Salerno, Italy capturing their Hug and kiss

Salerno Photographer Salerno Positano hugs amalfi coast Italy

The bride's son squeezes and kisses her after her wedding ceremony at Saint Bernadette's Church, Belfast, Northern Ireland

After her wedding ceremony at church, the bride's son affectionately squeezed and kissed her outside

Northern Ireland hugs son Saint Bernadette's Church outside church Belfast Wedding Photographer Belfast

The bride hugs her step son after giving an emotional speech at The River Cafe, Brooklyn NY

At the wedding reception venue, the bride emotionally embraced her step son after giving a heartfelt speech

Brooklyn hugs son Brooklyn Wedding Photographer New York City - Metro windows The River Cafe

Outside at the Hotel Valley Ho, Scottsdale, AZ, the bride hugs a guest during cocktail hour

At the hotel venue, the bride embraced a guest during the cocktail hour outdoors

Scottsdale hugs Hotel Valley Ho cocktail hour Arizona Scottsdale Outdoor Reception Scottsdale Wedding Photographer

Best Nouvelle Aquitaine wedding venue photography capturing a hug from the daughter of bride

Nouvelle Aquitaine photographer Nouvelle-Aquitaine daughter of bride hugs Damien Dohmen

Best Massachusetts wedding venue photography at the Pierce Farm at Witch Hill capturing the Ketubah signing with a hug

hugs Topsfield ketubah signing Pierce Farm at Witch Hill Massachusetts Massachusetts photographer

A pre wedding photoshoot from Positano, Amalfi Coast, Salerno with some genuine Smiles and hugs

Salerno Positano colorful smiles hugs amalfi coast

A sunny San Francisco Engagement Session showing he hugs her from behind, with a cool background too

Brandon Lai San Francisco photographer San Francisco hugs California - Northern

Longmont, Colorado wedding documentary photographer created this image at the D Barn during A special moment filled with bubbles

group hug D Barn bubbles Longmont weddings hugs colorado wedding photographer D Barn wedding venue

An extraordinary Diepenheim wedding image by a professional Overijssel, Netherlands photographer conveying the greeting hugs between the groom and his brother, and bride and her sister in law, while grandma and others awaits their turn

Netherlands Netherlands photographer hugs Diepenheim Diepenheim wedding image NL bride a Overijssel

An extraordinary Antwerpen wedding picture by a pro Belgium photographer revealing The grooms daughter hugs her father right before entering the outdoor ceremony

Belgium photographer Fille Roulants daughter Antwerpen wedding picture Antwerpen outdoor weddings hugs groom

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

embrace Var bride and groom Var photographer friends Town Hall Vidauban Town Hall Vidauban wedding image France

Scenic Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado engagement image created as the Couple hugs during the sunset next to a river in a valley of the park

scenic park valley hugs river Colorado engagement Colorado couple

World's best creative wedding photography from Debrecen, Hungary showing the Bridal Bouquet on the back of the groom as the couple hugs in the afternoon sunlight

groom hugs bridal bouquet Hungary Hungary couple afternoon sunlight

World's most artistic and best wedding couple portraits from Östringen during a Sundown session by the trees

smiles Östringen bride and groom Germany wedding couple portrait Östringen sunlight Sundown wedding session

Szeged, Hungary pre-wedding engagement photoshoot with a young, playful couple

Szeged wedding photography Szeged HU engagement winter Hungary trees Csongrad

A top Paris wedding photojournalism example from a beautiful French wedding reception outdoors showing Hugs of the bride and groom with their guests

Paris Lea Torrieri france bride and groom Paris wedding photojournalism outdoors guests hugs

This Colorado wedding photojournalism picture is a prime example of what candid, nontraditional Leadville wedding photography looks like, as Bride hugs mom after outdoor ceremony

Colorado Mike Kory Arkansas River candid Leadville wedding photography outdoor ceremony

A Truckee documentary wedding photographer captured this moment as the Father of the bride hugs his daughter upon seeing her on her wedding day

father of the bride FOB Truckee documentary wedding photographer outdoor wedding hugs daughter

This Bulgaria wedding photojournalism picture is a top quality example of what candid, nontraditional Varna wedding photography looks like, as the newlyweds accept warm greetings from family and friends at Euxinograd Palace

Palace greetings bulgaria bride Detelina Krasteva Euxinograd Palace Bulgaria family

Capodimonte pre-wedding portrait-session at Bolsana Lake as The groom-to-be hugs his girlfriend from behind on the rocky coast

Bolsana rocky coast Capodimonte Capodimonte pre wedding portrait hugs Bolsana Lake

Pre-wedding New Jersey couple photo-session at Branch Brook Park while Enjoying the Cherry blossoms

hugs Prewedding New Jersey NJ couple photo Branch Brook Park trees cherry blossoms

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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.