WPJA.com HomeWedding Photojournalist Association

Wedding Photos of Light

For Couples / Wedding Photos of Light

The following “Light” 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 “Light” 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.

Enter Keywords:  
At Palazzo Te in Mantova, Italy, a couple shares a romantic dip in an empty room. Captured in black and white, natural window light accentuates their intimacy and creates a timeless, elegant portrait.
Wedding Couple Share Romantic Dip In Empty Room At Palazzo Te
sereneartisticItalyMantovaelegantPalazzo Teromantic dip
At Longwood Gardens in Philadelphia, the couple shares a playful dip in the sunshine amidst shimmering waters, radiating joy and a love that flows endlessly.
Engaged Couple Playful Dip in Sunshine at Longwood Gardens Philadelphia
engaged couplePre WeddingscenicloveLongwood Gardensportrait sessionjoy
Domaine des Plaines, France — The bride and groom share a kiss among horses in an open field, bathed in warm afternoon light, creating a romantic and pastoral wedding portrait at their ceremony location.
Romantic Wedding Kiss Among Horses In Afternoon Light At Domaine Des Plaines France
Domaine des PlainesDomaine des Plaines Francewarm afternoon weddingBertignat Wedding PortraithorsesPuy-de-DômeDomaine des Plaines wedding
Château de Montplaisant, Montagnat (Ain - 01) — The couple poses in a field at sunset, with glowing light from behind creating an intimate and heartfelt wedding portrait filled with warmth and romance.
Intimate Sunset Wedding Portrait With Glowing Light At Château De Montplaisant Montagnat Ain France
heartfeltChâteau de MontplaisantSunset FieldromancebehindChâteau de Montplaisant photographyain
Chenies Manor, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom — The bride and groom stand together in the gardens of Chenies Manor, captured in symmetrical framing with warm light highlighting their loving connection in this romantic wedding portrait.
Romantic Symmetrical Wedding Portrait With Warm Light At Chenies Manor Buckinghamshire United Kingdom
romanticlightChenies Manor BuckinghamshireBuckinghamshire Wedding portraitChenies Manor weddingwarm lightconnection
Taian, Shandong, hotel — The bride stands in profile by a large window for a minimalist solo shot indoors, bathed in soft natural light for an elegant and serene wedding portrait.
Shandong Hotel Window Light Bathes Bride In Profile: Minimalist, Serene, Elegant Portrait
windowTaian hotel weddingTaian Shandong hotelTaianprofilebrideShandong
Double Arrow, Montana — The couple walks hand in hand through the grass at sunset, bathed in the soft, low light of a beautiful Montana evening for a romantic wedding portrait.
Romantic Sunset Wedding Portrait Walking Through Grass At Double Arrow Montana Evening
MontanaDouble ArrowromanceDouble Arrow MontanalightDouble Arrow venueHand in hand
At LongBai 18, Shanghai, China, a minimalistic portrait features the bride standing in profile beside an autumn-hued floral arrangement, dramatically illuminated by bold, artistic light.
Minimalistic Bride Portrait With Autumn Florals At LongBai 18 Shanghai China Wedding
LongBai 18 weddingMinimalisticlightLongBai 18 Shanghaifloralsbold artistic lightLongBai 18
A lovely, intimate portrait taken in Bratenahl, OH, shows the bride smiling warmly while embracing the groom by a window, utilizing the soft available indoor light.
Intimate Bride And Groom Portrait In Soft Window Light At Bratenahl Ohio Wedding
intimate wedding portraitBratenahl OH portraitBratenahl OH weddingBratenahlgroomportraitembrace
In Vendée, a backlit mist spray enhances photos of the bride's preparations. The ethereal light captures intimate moments before the ceremony, highlighting anticipation and delicate details.
Ethereal Backlighting and Mist Capture Intimate Bridal Preparations and Anticipation in Vendée, France
mist sprayintimatePreparationsetherealbridelightbacklit
Outside Santissima Trinità in Ceresara, Mantova, Italy, the couple’s exit, framed by stunning floral arrangements. Bathed in light from the church’s main doorway, the radiant moment beautifully highlights their joy.
Couple’s Radiant Exit Surrounded by Lush Florals and Sunlight Outside Santissima Trinità in Ceresara, Mantova
Mantuajoyradiantweddingfloralhighlightslight
At the bride’s home in Mantua, Italy, a black and white silhouette is captured from behind as she stands by the window.
Bride’s Elegant Silhouette Framed by Window Light in Black and White at Her Home in Mantua, Italy
intimateartisticItalyframedportraitbridelight
At The Club at New Seabury, golden hour light bathes the bride in a warm glow as her flowing lace gown creates a striking and elegant portrait.
Bride Glows in Golden Hour Light With Flowing Lace Gown at The Club at New Seabury, Massachusetts
bridelightThe Club at New Seaburysunsetstrikinggolden hourMassachusetts
In Istanbul's Pera Palace Hotel, the couple shares their first dance alone, illuminated by low light in the royal venue.
Pera Palace First Dance: Royal Solitude in Istanbul
PalacePera Palaceroyal venuehotellow lightPerailluminated
Celebrating their engagement at Jiading Mansion, Shanghai, China, with the woman on his back, joyfully holding two red paper lanterns.
Engaged Couple at Jiading Mansion, Shanghai, with Red Lanterns Symbolizing Happiness
CheerfuljoyplayfulShanghaiTogethernessenergyhappiness
A couple is silhouetted against a wall at a farmer's market in Philadelphia, PA, creating a striking contrast in the vibrant urban scene.
Striking Silhouette of Couple Against Vibrant Farmer's Market Wall in Philadelphia, PA
dynamicboldsilhouettecompositionlightfarmers marketshadow
Intimate engagement portrait of a couple at Tyler Arboretum, as the sunlight gently falls across their faces, casting playful shadows in the serene setting.
Intimate Engagement Portrait with Playful Shadows at Serene Tyler Arboretum
embracesunlightGentlePhiladelphiasereneromancefaces
In the urban streets of the Bund, Shanghai, China, a couple is captured in a tilted frame, she leans back her head while he kisses her neck. The interplay of light and shadow adds depth.
Couple in Bund, Shanghai, China | Tilted Frame Capture | She Leans Back as He Kisses Her Neck | Light and Shadow Interplay Adds Depth
intimateChinaurbanBundcandidShanghairomantic
At Valhalla Estate, South Lake Tahoe, CA, a couple embraces in a vertical frame, surrounded by a frosted field and forest. The silvery winter light adds a touch to this engagement portrait session.
Couple Embraces at Valhalla Estate, South Lake Tahoe, CA | Surrounded by Frosted Field and Forest | Silvery Winter Light Enhances Engagement Portrait
frostedverticalsessionoutdoorsSouth Lake TahoeEngagementfield
At Parco dei Cimini BioResort in Soriano (VT), the couple shares an intimate gaze, silhouetted against a backdrop of tall trees, as the sun peeks through a light layer of clouds, adding a mystical touch to the tranquil forest setting.
Couple Shares Intimate Gaze Silhouetted Against Trees and Sunlight at Parco dei Cimini BioResort, Italy
Sorianotranquilityserenitysilhouetteintimacyenchantmentlight
At Baronesse Tacco in San Floriano del Collio, Gorizia, Italy, a portrait of the bride and groom is set against the warm, golden light of sunset from behind.
Bride and Groom Captured Against Golden Sunset Light in Portrait at Baronesse Tacco, San Floriano del Collio
Gorizia golden glowFriuli-Venezia GiuliaSan Floriano del CollioItaly sunset portraitwarm sunset portraitportraitItaly portrait
At Belpoggio Su Todi in Todi, Umbria, Italy, the newlyweds embrace in a garden, their heads gently touching as they are illuminated by beautiful light and kissed by the wind.
Newlyweds Embrace in Garden, Illuminated by Light and Wind at Belpoggio Su Todi in Umbria, Italy
illuminatednewlywedsUmbrialightTodi romantic gardengardenembraced by light
Elegant wedding shoes, framed by circular mirrors, reflect light in romantic Trieste, Italy
Wedding Shoes Framed by Mirrors in Romantic Trieste, Italy
romantic light reflectionelegant shoe displayTrieste reflectionromanticelegantTriesteshoes
Couple hand-in-hand, walking through Eton College's arched courtyard, bathed in beautiful, soft light.
Couple's Walk Through Eton College Courtyard in Soft, Beautiful Light
soft light walkWindsorlightEton CollegeEton College courtyardEton College archesarches
In Istanbul-Karaköy, a striking composition features the bride bathed in sunlight in the foreground, while the groom stands in the shadows on the stairs behind her, creating a compelling play of light and depth.
Bride Basks in Sunlight as Groom Awaits in Shadows for Dramatic Portrait in Istanbul-Karaköy
TurkishKaraköy striking sceneIstanbul Karaköy couplesunlightKaraköy light playsunlight bathed brideIstanbul dramatic portrait
At Raffles Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey, the bride is elegantly poised while holding flowers, with sunlight casting a striking pattern that shades one half of her face and illuminates the other, creating a captivating interplay of light and shadow.
Bride Poised with Flowers in Captivating Light and Shadow Portrait at Raffles Hotel, Istanbul, Turkey
Raffles Hotel elegancecaptivating light patternpoised light shadowIstanbulshadowelegant bride portraitTurkey
Golden hour bride dances joyfully at Domaine de Gressac, bathed in warm, ethereal light
Bride's Joyful Dance at Golden Hour: An Ethereal Moment at Domaine de Gressac
Domaine de Gressac dancejoyfulgolden hour bridelightdanceDomaine de Gressac lighthour
At Gîte des Fonteneilles in Indre, a captivating shot captures the bride's veil as it is beautifully illuminated by the light, creating a delicate and ethereal effect that enhances the ambiance of the day.
Bride's Veil Illuminated in Captivating Light at Gîte des Fonteneilles, Indre
brideenchanting Indre settingGîte des Fonteneilles Indredelicate veil effectethereal bridal sceneambiancecaptivating
Bride in Manfredonia home, holding Madonna icon, delicate details, intimate wedding preparation, soft natural light
Bride's Delicate Preparation with Madonna Icon in Soft Light at Manfredonia Home
Manfredonia weddinglightApuliasoft natural lightManfredoniaManfredonia preparationicon
At their ceremony location in Breda, the Netherlands, the couple poses in the afternoon light of the city center, captured in a black-and-white photo that highlights their romance in the streets.
Couple Poses in Afternoon Light, Capturing Romance in Black-and-White Photo at Breda City Center Ceremony
streetsafternoon glow Bredalove in lightafternoonlightBredaromance

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.