Wedding Photos of Preparing

The following “Preparing” 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 “Preparing” 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.

A candid moment captured at a French chateau wedding, showcasing the groom getting ready with his witnesses, adjusting their ties under the open sky.

Chateau Chic: Groom and Witnesses Preparing under the French Sky for Wedding Day

A beautiful wedding memory: groom getting ready in front of a mirror at Chateau Malromé in Virelade, Gironde.

Groom's Quiet Reflection: Preparing at Chateau Malromé in Virelade, Gironde for Wedding Day Success

Virelade mirror wedding Virelade Groom Portrait quiet groom success

Bridegroom in Khao Yai National Park, Thailand, preparing for the wedding day with white cheek masks in a white, minimalistic hotel room setting on the bed.

THAI BRIDEGROOM WITH CHEEK MASKS IN MINIMALISTIC HOTEL

THAI BRIDEGROOM bridegroom getting ready thailand weddings Khao Yai Minimalistic Khao Yai National Park

A documentary wedding photographer captures the sweet moment of flower girls preparing for the big day in Atlanta, Georgia. They can be seen checking their makeup in a mirror. This image has won the prestigious WPJA award.

Sweet Moment: Flower Girls Preparing in Mirror for the Big Day in Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia preparing big day Atlanta Georgia wedding kids flower girls documentary wedding photographer

Bridesmaids prepare for a wedding in front of three small mirrors beside a large window at Magny Cours, as captured by a French wedding photographer

Nièvre Magny Cours large window mirrors preparing Nièvre Documentary Wedding Photography bridesmaids

At Domaine de Laplaud, the bride, bridal party, and bridesmaids prepare for the big day with excitement and anticipation

Capturing the Joyful Moments: Behind the Scenes at Domaine de Laplaud

Domaine de Laplaud Oradour sur Glane bride preparing wedding photography Haute Vienne bridal party Haute-Vienne

Nouvelle Aquitaine, France - A bride elegantly descends the stairs, showcasing the details of her dress and shoes, as she prepares to embark on her wedding day

Nouvelle Aquitaine, France - Bride elegantly descends stairs, showcasing dress and shoes, preparing for wedding day

wedding day bride black and white France bride descending stairs preparing showcasing

At Shoreditch, London, England, the groom is captured in a detail shot of the morning table spread at home, leisurely sipping a cup of tea as he prepares for his wedding day.

Wedding in Shoreditch: A Groom's Morning Tea Ritual Unveiled

sipping tea Shoreditch London Artistic Details morning table table spread preparing Detail Shot

A moment of anticipation for the bride's family was captured at Maryborough House in Cork, where a room full of people dressed for the wedding watched as she prepared for her big day

The bride's family experienced anticipation at Maryborough House, Cork on the wedding day

anticipation big day wedding dressed preparing room full of people Cork

In this award-winning photo by a documentary wedding photographer, a bride and groom prepare for their elopement in Yellowstone. The bride is seen putting on her gown while the groom sneakily glances at her from behind a door.

Behind Closed Doors: A Yellowstone Elopement

Montana Yellowstone Documentary Wedding Photography groom dressing Yellowstone elopement auto Yellowstone

Best Boston documentary wedding photography from the Newbury Hotel showing the Groom and ring bearer preparing the rings before ceremony

Boston before ceremony Newbury Hotel Simi Rabinowitz Newbury Hotel venue groom ring bearer

World's best and most unconventional wedding photography from Sichuan showing The brides sister is preparing skirts for the bride These three skirts will be worn for the bride at different times on the wedding day

wedding dress gowns preparing dresses Chengdu getting ready Brides sister

View this imaginative Gemozac image of A guest preparing the wedding decoration which was a featured picture among the best wedding photography in France from the WPJA

Gemozac image of A guest preparing the wedding decoration which was a featured picture among the best wedding photography in France

wedding photography France guest Gemozac wedding image wedding decorations Gemozac photographer preparing

Chateau Laplaud - Oradour sur Glane marriage preparation time award-winning picture capturing the Witnesses preparing the dress as the bride's daughter slips into her mom's shoes

marriage daughter Indre photographer Children Gaelle Caré dress witnesses

Sichuan artful style wedding detail picture showing The bride and groom are preparing to feed each other dumplings with The light forming a large light shadow ratio and They pick up the spoon at the same time

light shadow bride and groom light forming Sichuan feed each other spoon Cheng Guo

Backyard wedding photo from a Home ceremony venue in Chambery of the bridesmaids preparing the meal service

Backyard Wedding photo Home Ceremony Chambéry meal service preparing bridesmaids venue

Paris wedding photo of the bride getting ready near her hanging gown in the window

A picture of the bride preparing for her wedding near her gown, which is down the hall, hung up in the window

hall wedding bride picture bride preparing for wedding bride gown Paris preparing

A Bulgarian bride is preparing to put on her dress at her parent's Ruse home

Ruse Detelina Krasteva Bulgaria Ruse bridal photo Ruse bride image preparing Ruse home

Milano wedding photo from the bride's home during the preparing of the bride

preparing Milano wedding photo Milano bridal photo bride Milano bride brides home Milano

Home of the bride and groom wedding photo of bridesmaids preparing in mirrors

Occitanie bride image Occitanie bridal photo Occitanie wedding photo bridesmaids Ludovic Lieffrig mirrors bride and groom

Wedding image from the Bridesmaid's home, Christchurch New Zealand showing the Preparing the flower girls

preparing flower girls Christchurch wedding kids Christchurch wedding children Liz Robson New Zealand Christchurch Wedding image

Fujian Home Wedding Photographer: The dog looked at the bride preparing for the wedding.

Fujian Home Photo of The dog looking at the bride preparing for the wedding

Fujian Vinci Wang getting ready bride wedding Fujian getting ready preparing

Groom preparing for his wedding

National Mall DC Johnny Shryock DC getting ready Bee Two Sweet Washington DC dc weddings

bride outside church preparing to walk in

church Italy Wedding Reportage Photographer San Galgano Tuscany outside walk

Mersin, Hilton Hotel/Turkey Wedding Photos of bride's grandmother preparing her on the mirror and the groom is making the last checks in the next room

bride's grandmother preparing her on the mirror and the groom is making the last checks in the next room

Mersin Mersin wedding photography bride Mersin bride The groom mirror

The groomsman at Big Sky Resort in Montana was getting ready for the wedding by putting on his shoes

The groomsman at Big Sky Resort in Montana was prepping for the wedding with his shoes

Wedding Preparing Groomsman Shoes groom Big Sky Resort Groom Putting On Shoes Groom Prepping wedding shoes

Photo of the bride sitting in the Make Up Artists chair as she is prepared for her Cotswolds wedding.

Photo of the bride sitting in the Make Up Artists chair as she is prepared for her wedding

preparing painting sitting getting ready Cotswolds bride Linus Moran

Melbourne wedding photographer - preparing the long red carpet on the grass for the outdoor ceremony - Bride on the way

wedding photography showing the preparing of the long red carpet on the grass for the outdoor ceremony with the Bride on the way

Jiake Yang outdoor ceremony Melbourne preparing Australia aus grass

Phuket, Thailand wedding photograph of the Groomsmen preparing their shirts for the ceremony

wedding image of the Groomsmen preparing their shirts for the ceremony

preparing Phuket groom Phuket before ceremony bw Thailand wedding image groomsmen

Fairmont Copley Plaza, Boston reception - the bride is preparing for ceremony entrance at Goddard Chapel, Medford

Fairmont Copley Plaza, Boston reception photo as the bride is preparing for ceremony entrance at Goddard Chapel, Medford

Medford Fairmont Fairmont Copley Plaza Copley Boston reception photo ma venue

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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.