Wedding Photos of Pre ceremony

The following “Pre ceremony” 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 “Pre ceremony” 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.

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

Emotional bride shedding tears while embracing groom at Woodlands in Cottonwood Canyon Bozeman MT, captured in a timeless black and white photograph on their wedding day.

Tears of Love: Emotional Bride Embracing Groom in Timeless Black and White at Woodlands Bozeman

bride pre ceremony Bozeman groom love timeless emotional

A black and white photo of the bride on the outdoor patio at home in Noord Holland, waiting for her ride to the ceremony.

Bride in BW: Outdoor Patio Charm, Noord Holland Home

pre ceremony black and white photo Waiting Noord Holland bride NL Noord Holland wedding photographer bw

At the couple's home, a heartwarming moment captured as the groom's son helps his father tie his bow tie before the civil ceremony in Chateauroux.

Father-Son Bond: Groom's Son Plays Stylist as Father Gets Ready for Ceremony in Chateauroux

France father son bond child kid father gets ready tie tie bow

Enroute to the ceremony in Worcestershire, West Midlands, a bride is admired by passers-by on the busy city sidewalk

Stolen Sidewalk Glances: A Bride's Journey Through Worcestershire

bride Worcestershire sidewalk Worcestershire Weddings Worcestershire wedding photography bride journey pre ceremony

At Domaine de Laplaud in Haute-Vienne, the bride and a bridesmaid share a funny moment of laughter during the pre-ceremony preparations. This heartwarming photo captures the joy and excitement of the wedding day.

Haute-Vienne: Joy and Laughter at Domaine de Laplaud Wedding

Haute Vienne Documentary Wedding Photography Haute-Vienne pre ceremony laughter bride and bridesmaid Funny moment Domaine de Laplaud

A groom and his witnesses drinking coffee while waiting for the civil ceremony on wedding day in Poitiers

Groom and Witnesses Sip Coffee, Eagerly Awaiting Poitiers' Civil Ceremony on Wedding Day

table Poitiers overhead view Poitiers Wedding Photography coffee pre ceremony

A group of groomsmen getting ready for a wedding at Norwood Park in Nottinghamshire, UK

Behind The Veil: Candid Moments of Groomsmen Prepping for Nuptials

pre ceremony men getting ready Nottinghamshire wedding photography groomsmen Norwood Park United Kingdom Nottinghamshire

At Manoir de Vacheresses in France, a bridesmaid and the groom are full of emotion as they prepare to start the wedding ceremony

At Manoir de Vacheresses in France, the bride and groom are filled with emotion as they begin their wedding

pre ceremony Centre-Val de Loire France Manoir de Vacheresses bridesmaid Centre Val de Loire Wedding Photography groom

The bride and her father shared an emotional moment as he kissed her head in the back of the limo just before the ceremony, captured perfectly in their wedding photo from Trieste, Italy

In Trieste, Italy, a wedding photo captured the emotional moment of a father kissing his daughter's head in the back of the limo just before the ceremony

limo pre ceremony Italy Trieste Trieste wedding photography Emotional moment backseat

The groom and his roommates gathered in the rented home in Paso Robles, CA to join in prayer before the wedding

The groom and his roommates gathered in the rented home to unite in prayerful solidarity before the special day of his wedding

Paso Robles Photographer groom and men Paso Robles California - Central prayer pre ceremony

The grooms and their mothers stood hand-in-hand in the beautiful ceremony venue in France, ready to begin the day's festivities

The grooms and their mothers stood hand-in-hand, brimming with joy, ready to start the day's celebrations

pre ceremony France Hand in hand France wedding venue France photographer

The son of the wedding couple reaches for his mother before the wedding ceremony at Shangri La Farm. Starksboro, VT

The couple's toddler son reached for his mother before their wedding ceremony

Vermont family and friends Shangri La Farm Vermont wedding photography Starksboro Vermont pre ceremony toddler

Getting ready with lots of people

getting ready France busy preparations pre ceremony Chamonix Chamonix Photographer

Bride in a quiet moment writing her vows before the ceremony

Casa Adela San Miguel de Allende photographer San Miguel de Allende pre ceremony quiet moment writing vows

Best Top of the Town wedding venue photography in Arlington, Virginia showing the groom practicing the marimba before the ceremony starts

pre ceremony Top of the Town marimba practice Virginia Arlington-VA Arlington Photographer

Wedding photography from Wychmere Beach Club, Harwich, MA showing The bride gets her makeup done before the ceremony

pre ceremony MA bride makeup getting ready Harwich MA Wychmere Beach Club

A top wedding photographer in Netherlands captured this picture of the bride showing her dress to guests while waiting for the groom to arrive

NL bride Leonard Walpot Netherlands pre ceremony getting ready

A top wedding photographer in Bordeaux, France captured this picture showing The groom irons his shirt before the ceremony

France groom pre ceremony Bordeaux ironing Jeremie Sangare

Tuscany wedding detail picture of the bride putting the finishing touches on pre-ceremony

makeup Tuscany bride Tuscany bride mirror pre ceremony finishing touches

France wedding photography in Paris of pre-ceremony Family prep with the flower girls

family Paris pre ceremony Prep France wedding photo flower girls

Zhejiang China detail image of the groom's wedding shoes being tied

A close-up shot of the groom's shoes being tied before the ceremony at the wedding venu

pre ceremony China wedding venue shoes tied zhejiang wedding photographer getting ready Zhejiang

Prekmurje, Slovenia Girls having a good time with drinks in this wedding photo before the ceremony

Prekmurje bride bride Prekmurje bridal photo Goran Vadlja Kamenjašević Slovenia bridesmaids girls

Wedding image showing The St Oswalds Church, Oswestry, UK vicar waiting for the bride to arrive before her ceremony - She was more than a bit late

St Oswalds Church Oswestry UK COVID Oswestry church ceremony vicar pre ceremony

This couple did things differently and before the ceremony they were just hanging out in the hotel room at the Fernhill House Hotel, Ireland

Ireland pre ceremony Ireland bride and groom Jamie Gillies Ireland bridal Fernhill House Hotel hotel room

The bride's daughter brings the groom a wedding message and gift whilst getting ready before his wedding at The Elms Hotel, Kidderminster, UK

UK Elms Hotel Kidderminster wedding reportage hotel room pre ceremony Kidderminster reportage weddings

Wedding photography from Segrave Barns Ireland of the kids all Getting ready

Ireland wedding Segrave Barns Ireland kids getting ready pre ceremony Ireland wedding photo

The bride's mom and the sisters of the bride are prepping the groom before his wedding ceremony

Antwerpen groom photo Antwerpen Antwerpen groom mother of the bride family groom pre ceremony

Hungary, Budapest, Várkert bazár ceremony artistic wedding photo of the bride from before the church vows

Hungary artistic weddings Várkert bazár veil Gabor Kapuvari artistic bride Budapest Hungary

Dinard, France bride going down the stairs before her town hall civil wedding ceremony

Dinard bride and groom bride Patrick Lombaert stairs pre ceremony France Dinard bridal

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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.