Wedding Photos of Preparation

The following “Preparation” 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 “Preparation” 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 photo taken at Chateau Saint Marcel in Boé, Lot-et-Garonne featuring a bride getting her hair and makeup done simultaneously by professional artists.

Bride at Chateau Saint Marcel in Lot-et-Garonne: Hair & Makeup Session in Full Swing

Wedding photo taken at Hyatt Regency Xi 'an with the bride getting ready while her bridesmaids chat in the foreground.

Bride preps at Hyatt Regency Xi'an as bridesmaids chat in luxe surroundings

Hyatt Xi'an Xian Wedding Photography preparation bridesmaids elegant bride

Wedding day moment: groom patiently being helped with his tie by friends at home in Acireale, Italy.

Groom's Tie-Tying Time in Acireale, Italy: A Discreet Delight

together Sicily Groom Sicily wedding friends help moment

Groom getting his tie ready with the help of his groomsmen at Chateau-ferme d'Aboncourt venue on the wedding day, showcasing a moment of concentration and camaraderie.

Groom Tying Up with Groomsmen at Chateau-Ferme d'Aboncourt: Moment of Concentration and Camaraderie

men Chateau Ferme dAboncourt wedding day assisting Chateau camaraderie groom

A heartwarming moment is frozen in time as the bride gets ready in her childhood home, helped by her loving mother, creating a beautiful memory from the wedding day in Apulia, Italy.

Bride Prepares In Childhood Home, Assisted by Mother, Creating Beautiful Wedding Memory in Apulia

getting ready Apulia wedding photography childhood home beautiful bw Wedding Photo mother bride

In Catford, London, a mesmerizing wedding moment is immortalized at the venue as the bride's sister prepares and descends the stairs, her reflection echoing in multiple mirrors.

Reflections of Elegance: Sister of the Bride Descends Catford Venue Staircase in London Wedding

wedding photo mesmerizing Catford Wedding Photography London stairs mirrors reflection

In a picturesque moment at Chateau de Balarin in Gers, France, the bride gazes out the window, bathed in a cascading stream of warm sunlight as she prepares for her wedding day.

Bathed in Warm Sunlight: Bride's Moment at Chateau de Balarin in Gers, France

beauty bathed Gers picturesque moment Chateau bride warm Elegance

A beautiful moment frozen in time as the bride gets ready with help from her stylist on her wedding day at the venue in Rho, Milan, Italy.

Captivating Bride: Getting Ready with Stylist in Rho, Milan, Italy Wedding Venue

emotional preparation stylist candid romantic getting ready bridal

In a quiet room at the wedding venue Ristorante Al Botto in Almenno San Bartolomeo, Italy, the bride is pictured alone, sitting on a bed, fastening her shoe.

Bride Prepares in Serenity at Ristorante Al Botto: Almenno San Bartolomeo, Italy

room fastening Bergamo Wedding Photography alone serene sitting Bergamo

The bride's floral bouquet being prepared by a stylist in Shanghai, China, adding a touch of elegance to the wedding day.

Elegant Floral Bouquet Preparation in Shanghai, China: A Stylish Touch for the Wedding Day

bride bouquet marriage preparation Shanghai Shanghai wedding photography Elegance

Groom and his family at Oxford College, Oxford, UK, captured in a moment of preparation before the wedding ceremony

Oxford's Spirit of Togetherness: The Groom's Family Embracing Traditions

Oxford wedding photography Oxford College Spirit of Togetherness traditions Oxfordshire Oxford UK preparation

Milpitas wedding photojournalist captures the bride being playfully ambushed by friends and cousins, as they apply turmeric to her face and neck in preparation for her big day

Milpitas Melodies: A Colorful Wedding Ambush

preparation bride neck playfully ambushed California - Northern Milpitas wedding

Groom and his brother share a heartfelt moment during the preparation at Summit County, Colorado, as a shaft of light from a high window illuminates and adds a glow to the scene

Colorado's Illuminated Love: A Tender Brotherhood in Summit County

Colorado heartfelt moment Summit County Summit County Wedding Photography Tender Brotherhood preparation Summit County CO Wedding Venue

A professional wedding photographer in Beaver, PA captures the heartfelt moment when the bride's sister-in-law delicately applies makeup to her daughter, the flower girl, in preparation for the special day. This image was recognized by the WPJA.

WPJA Accolade showcases tender familial bond as flower girl prepares for wedding

familial bond tender preparation wedding photographer in Beaver PA applies makeup heartfelt moment special day

An image of the groom getting ready for his wedding with his bestmen, putting on his cufflinks and shirt buttons and using an electric razor, was created at Domaine de Mauvoisin, France

A photo of the groom getting ready with his groomsmen was taken at Domaine de Mauvoisin, France

bestmen wedding morning France electric razor Yvelines wedding day Groom getting ready

A Stresa wedding day detail picture at the Grand Hotel des Borromes in Italy showing the Groomsmen preparation with a toast shot from below

italy weddings Northern Italy Stresa Verbano Cusio Ossola Piedmont Grand Hotel des Borromes weddings Julian Kanz

Best Vicenza documentary wedding photography at home showing a Cheerful moment between the bride and the bridesmaids during the preparation

bridesmaid Cheerful Italy at home Vincenza preparation bridesmaids

A top featured image from Occitanie among the best wedding photography showing Bride and her sister during preparation at home in BW

Gard Occitanie preparation France Marion Pomes black and white sister

Vigliano Biellese wedding picture from Biella in the Italian region of Piedmont from the grooms home showing the brothers during the preparation by a large window

Piedmont Brothers Biella Vigliano Biellese preparation grooms home Vigliano Biellese wedding picture

An Italian top documentary wedding photographer at Conti di San Bonifacio Gavorrano in Tuscany created this image showing The preparation of the bride, mother, grandmother, father and her dog

Maurizio Gjivovich IT wedding photographer Conti di San Bonifacio Gavorrano Tuscany wedding image FOB preparation Italian documentary weddings

A top France wedding photojournalism example from an elegant Isere bridal preparation

french bride Isere elegant France wedding photojournalism window light Isere bridal Anne Russocki

Amsterdam marriage preparation time award-winning picture capturing the dog walking on bride's dress during preparation

brides dress Amsterdam wedding picture preparation time preparation dog NL wedding photographer NL

Chateau de cas fine art wedding detail pic of preparation of the boys

preparation the boys Chateau de cas getting ready wedding detail pic fine art weddings

Mogilovo, Bulgaria wedding photography showing The groom's friends throw the best man in the pool before the preparation

preparation friends Mogilovo Bulgaria wedding photo pool The groom

Wedding photograph of the groom working on tying his tie while his bride puts on her earrings in their bathroom. They were getting ready together in preparation to head out into the mountains for their elopement with just the two of them and an officiant.

PA groom earrings mountain elopement getting ready preparation JD Land tying his tie

Lille wedding image of a moment between the groom and his son during the preparation in the morning

Lille wedding image groom preparation son morning

Nevada outdoor wedding photography from Incline Village, NV as the Immediate family members pull a wagon of items up to a mountain lookout in preparation for a covid elopement at Lake Tahoe, NV

wagon Nevada outdoor wedding covid elopement family members Incline Village preparation NV

French wedding photography from Gîte de Fonteneilles, Indre showing the The preparation of the bride's dress by her beautiful mother

french Wedding photo brides dress preparation France France bride image France bridal photo Indre

The groom with his groomsmen all put on their ties in preparation for the wedding ceremony

Limoges groom groom Limoges ties groomsmen Limoges groom photo

Barton Hall, Kettering preparationg image of a bridesmaid getting a last minute hairspray moment

preparation hairspray bridesmaid Barton Hall wedding reportage Kettering Barton Hall reportage weddings

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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.