Wedding Photos of Lit portrait

The following “Lit portrait” 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 “Lit portrait” 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.

Romantic portrait of a couple, beautifully captured during their pre-wedding shoot in the enchanting Ulvenhout, the Netherlands. Lit by a talented NL wedding photographer, they stand under towering trees by the serene water.

Enchanting Ulvenhout, the Netherlands: A Captivating Pre-Wedding Shoot Showcasing the Romance of Two Souls, Expertly Immortalized by a Talented NL Wedding Photographer

A couple stands together under a beautifully lit night sky at Hambacher Schloss in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, creating a romantic wedding atmosphere at the castle.

Underneath a Starry Hambacher Schloss: Romance Unveiled at Neustadt an der Weinstrasse Wedding

night sky Hambacher Schloss Neustadt Wedding Portrait castle Rhineland-Palatinate lit portrait Neustadt an der Weinstrasse

A playful portrait of a bride and groom at the beautiful Tourterelle Inn in New Haven, Vermont. They imitate the iconic pose from the "How I Met Your Mother" TV show.

Romantic Recreation: A Charming Couple Channels 'How I Met Your Mother' at the Enchanting Tourterelle Inn in Vermont

Vermont Wedding Portrait umbrella Vermont New Haven VT Tourterelle Inn lamppost playful couple

An engagement portrait taken in Sintra, Lisbon, features the couple illuminated individually, while darkness surrounds them, creating captivating shadows

Captivating Shadows: Illuminated Couple in Engagement Portrait from Sintra, Lisbon

Sintra engagement photography lit portrait darkness Lisbon illuminated couple captivating shadows Sintra

A couple is posing in a snowy forest in Echo Lake, CO, USA for their engagement portrait

Romantic Winter Engagement Portrait in Echo Lake, CO: A Snowy Forest Love Story

snowy forest Colorado Echo Lake Engagement forest engagement Echo Lake lit portrait

The couple pose for engagement portrait in Hatton Park, Watford, England with additional light to make them stand out

Striking Engagement Portrait in Hatton Park, Watford, England

park engagement England Engagement portrait lit portrait England striking portrait Hatton Park Watford

The wedding portrait taken in France at night is beautifully lit, with the couple framed by the romantic silhouette of tree branches overhead

France Night Wedding Portrait Beautifully Lit with Romantic Silhouette of Tree Branches Overhead

portrait wedding beautifully lit romantic silhouette night portrait Night lit portrait

The Swiss couple stood close together in their elegant attire, their portrait taken against a black background while sheltered under a beautifully lit umbrella

Portrait of Swiss couple in elegant attire, sheltered under a beautifully lit umbrella against black background

black background lit portrait black and white portrait Switzerland Switzerland Artistic Wedding Portrait umbrella Swiss couple

The couple shared a romantic kiss in Parque, Ridley Creek State Park during their engagement session

The engaged couple shared a romantic kiss in the beautiful Parque, Ridley Creek State Park, sealing their commitment to each other

Pennsylvania Engagement Photography Ridley Creek State Park lit portrait Parque romantic kiss

At the dancing party at "Le jardin des Acanthes" reception venue, we took a quick portrait outside

A creative wedding photographer captured a portrait outside the reception venue at night near the sign reading LOVE

Plescop Wedding Venue Le Jardin des Acanthes lit portrait umbrella Plescop LOVE sign Plescop Wedding Portrait

The couple had a stunning lifestyle wedding engagement portrait taken in the romantic setting of Cappadocia, Turkey with him in silhouette, her lit by light, hot air balloons in the background, all set against a beautiful black and white image

The couple's romantic engagement portrait captured a stunning black and white image of them in Cappadocia, Turkey, with him in silhouette, her lit by light, and hot air balloons in the background.

Turkey black and white portrait silhouette lit portrait Cappadocia Cappadocia PreWedding Portrait

The Dubai UAE couple drove to the outdoor park in the vintage car belonging to the groom's grandfather

A wedding photographer was present to photograph the couple in a vintage car at an outdoor park

headlights on lit portrait Dubai UAE vintage car night portrait Dubai Wedding Portrait

In Sedona AZ, the bride laughed joyously underneath a dark blue sky during an outdoor lit portrait session

The bride enjoyed a portrait session with the wedding photographer outdoors under a dark blue sky

laughter lit portrait Sedona Wedding Portrait Arizona Sedona blue sky

The couple embrace on an upper walkway of the National Portrait Gallery, DC, with the museum's dark tones and geometric shapes providing warmth and depth to their engagement announcement portrait

National Portrait Gallery, DC: Couple's Engagement Announcement in Dark Tones and Geometric Shapes

dark tones National Portrait Gallery geometric shapes dc engagement portrait Washington DC lit portrait

The couple posed for their save-the-date portrait, kissing in the snow lit by the photographer at Dream Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park

Dream Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado: Couple Kissing in Snowy Wonderland

mountains Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado engagement session Dream Lake Colorado Save the Date Colorado Winter wonderland

A DU Chamberlin Observatory-inspired portrait of a couple holding a globe while looking at the camera captures their vibe for a save-the-date engagement announcement

DU Chamberlin Observatory: Engaged Couple Hold Globe, Announcement Vibe Captured

lit portrait globe University of Denver Chamberlin Observatory Denver engagement photography

The happy couple posed for a wedding announcement in Ridley Creek State Park, framed within a blue arch of a historic building lit by a photographer's blue light

Ridley Creek State Park: Happy couple posed for wedding announcement, framed by historic building's blue arch lit by blue light

Delaware County Engagement Photography Delaware County Pennsylvania Ridley Creek State Park framed in archway lit portrait Media PA

The couple posed for a formal, lit portrait-style save-the-date wedding announcement in Fells Point, MD at sunset

Fells Point, MD sunset:, Couple posed for formal, lit portrait-style wedding announcement

Maryland Engagement Photography Maryland Save the Date sunset Fells Point lit portrait Maryland

In Granada, Spain, a pre-wedding color lit portrait session for a couple, sitting on a concrete bench in a tropical garden setting, was captured in a stunningly beautiful way

Granada's tropical garden provided a stunningly beautiful backdrop for a pre-wedding color lit portrait session of a couple on a concrete bench

garden engagement tropical garden La Alhambra Granada garden setting Granada Engagement Session lit portrait

At La Alhambra in Granada, Spain, the couple had a creative pre-wedding portrait taken, lit in a round courtyard

In Granada's La Alhambra, a romantic pre-wedding portrait was taken, bathed in courtyard light

Granada lit portrait courtyard La Alhambra Granada Engagement Photography

The stunning rooftop engagement photoshoot of the couple at Nineteen Restaurant in Center City, Philadelphia was a beautiful way to capture their love story

The Nineteen Restaurant rooftop provided a romantic backdrop for the PA engaged couple in love

Philadelphia engagement photography Center City PA Philadelphia sunset portrait lit portrait Nineteen Restaurant

The couple's engagement was celebrated with a sunrise portrait, hot air balloons flying over the valleys and Goreme Village in Nevsehir, Turkey, her face lit from the side

At Goreme Village in Nevsehir, the couple's engagement was celebrated with hot air balloons and a sunrise portrait

Goreme Village lit portrait flying balloons Turkey Hot air balloons sunrise portrait Nevsehir Lifestyle Engagement Photography

The engaged couple pose for a pre-wedding portrait atop a rock peak in the foggy Rocky Mountain National Park, with the photographer's light illuminating them from behind

Rocky Mountain National Park: Engaged couple pose for lifestyle portrait illuminated by photographer's light

Rocky Mountain National Park standing on rocks Colorado lit portrait mountain engagement Colorado engagement photography foggy

The photographer captures the couple's lifestyle engagement portrait at dusk, with the Virginia Skyline Drive as a backdrop, glowing with the sunset

Virginia Skyline Drive sunset: A couple's lit lifestyle engagement portrait at sunset

Virginia Skyline Drive sunset portrait Virginia virginia engagement photographer dusk lit portrait

A Lost Gulch Overlook, Boulder CO couple enjoying a moment as the sun sets over the winter night scene

The couple, illuminated by photographer's light, basked in the beauty of the winter sunset as they prepared to tie the knot

Lost Gulch Overlook boulder boulder engagement photography snow sun setting winter engagement Night

The bride and groom celebrated their love with a romantic portrait session in the streets of downtown Chicago, followed by a lively champagne toast with lit spray

The bride and groom joyfully celebrated their union with a champagne toast amidst the streets of downtown

Champagne Spray Downtown Chicago lit portrait Champagne toast Chicago photographer IL

The couple stood together for a lit portrait in front of a snowy winter mountain background in Denver, Colorado, with the peak hit by sunlight at their ceremony location

At dusk in Denver, Colorado, the bride and groom posed for a lit portrait in front of a snowy mountain peak illuminated by sunlight

snowy mountain peak lit portrait sunlight Colorado denver photographer Denver

The bride and groom are embracing under the stars at Telluride Ski Resort in Colorado, lit up from behind by the photographer

The bride and groom are romantically illuminated by the photographer's flash under the starry night sky

stars Colorado Telluride Ski Resort Telluride lit portrait Telluride Photographer night sky

The bride and groom embraced at the snowy Donovan Pavilion in Vail, CO, lit by the photographer and symmetrically framed

Vail, CO's Donovan Pavilion was lit by the photographer, with the bride and groom embracing symmetrically framed by overhead lights

Donovan Pavilion Vail photographer symmetrically framed lit portrait Vail overhead lights CO

The couple stand indoors in front of a large window, illuminated by photographer's flash, savoring a peaceful few minutes alone before their wedding reception in San Francisco, California

The couple are posed in a Black and White portrait in front of a grand window, prior to their celebratory reception

black and white lit portrait San Francisco San Francisco photographer California window

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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.