Wedding Photos of Shade

The following “Shade” 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 “Shade” 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 WPJA award-winning image captured by a documentary wedding photographer at the Hulbert Outdoor Center in Fairlee, VT. The bride and her dad enjoy a drink together under the shade of trees before the ceremony.

TREES, DRINKS, AND BONDS: Bride and Father's Cherished Moment at Hulbert Outdoor Center

Fort Collins, Colorado: A serene moment captured as a new father soothes his baby during the wedding ceremony, strolling beneath the shade of the majestic pine trees

Fort Collins: A Serene Soothing Stroll Beneath Majestic Pines

stroll soothes Fort Collins wedding photography walking Fort Collins weddings forest Fort Collins

A wedding photographer artistically capture a beautiful portrait of a couple in Bar le Duc, Meuse. The captivating black and white silhouette showcases their love, surrounded by enchanting Chinese shadows.

Enchanting Shadows: Bar le Duc's Captivating Black and White Silhouette

bw Artsy contrast newlyweds profiles wedding couple artistic portrait sessions

At Tours, a couple stands in the shade of trees. Dappled sunlight filters through the branches, illuminating their skin. They pose for a portrait on their wedding day.

The Idyllic Embrace: A Captivating Wedding Portrait Amidst Tree-Enveloped Tours

Tours sunlight and shadows filtered light Tours Wedding Portrait shade dappled sunlight

Outside in the shade of the trees at Reception Venue Clos du Fort, France, a little girl is hugging the groom at the ceremony

At the ceremony under shade trees, a little girl is outside at the venue hugging the groom

Puy-de-Dôme shade hugging Issoire groom Clos du Fort Issoire Outdoor Ceremony

Florida couples lifestyle outdoor photography in St Petersburg with some yellow umbrellas, a yellow dress with some Sunlight and Shade

Florida couple umbrellas sunlight dancing dress Outdoor St. Petersburg

A La Romieu couple poses during a Les Jardins de Coursiana lifestyle portrait photography session in the park on a blanket for a shaded picnic under the trees

La Romieu couple Coursiana portrait blanket shade Les Jardins de Coursiana picnic pose

An Italian Wedding, Elopement, and Engagement Photographer created this creative, romantic portrait of this Gianicolo couple in the shade of some trees in Rome

italian engagement photographer Rome Gianicolo shade Gianicolo couple romantic trees

Siracusa pre-wedding portrait-session in the trees during Spring in Sicily

sitting trees Siracusa shade spring Sicily

An eccentric Mantua wedding portrait of the San Benedetto Po groom in Italy smoking in the library near a lamp with a shade

Italy Mantua lampshade lamp smoking San Benedetto Po venue library

Namibia wedding art detail picture at the Wolwedans Dunes Lodge in Africa of the grooms suit hanging in the desert shade

Namib Rand Africa weddings Wolwedans Dunes Lodge sand hanging desert grooms suit

Désert Agafay Maroc engagement picture | Couple sitting in the shade under a tree.

engagement picture of a Couple sitting in the shade under a tree

tree Engagement Picture shade Désert Agafay Maroc couple sitting desert couple photo desert couple image

The newlyweds, a bride and groom, stood in silhouette against the backdrop of the Atlanta city skyline at nightfall, their contours illuminated by the contrast of the red inner city lights and the darkness of the night at the Upstairs Atlanta

The bride and groom, newly married, were framed by the Atlanta skyline at night, lit up by the red city lights against the dark sky

evening silhouette Lights bride and groom metropolis Night newlyweds

Union League Club, NYC wedding venue photography | A Bride & Groom portrait using light and shadows

Capture the special day at the Union League Club in NYC with a bride and groom portrait featuring light and shadows

silhouette light of day light and shadows shape sunshine daytime Union League Club

The beautiful silhouette of the bride and groom at the DUMBO Loft in Brooklyn made for a perfect wedding portrait

The joyous union of the bride and groom, beautifully captured in the magical skyline of the DUMBO Loft in Brooklyn, created a romantic portrait on their special day

horizon Back lit NY shadow city portrait of bride and groom high angle

Riu Palace Costa Mujeres Hotel outdoor wedding photography - A hot day shows the Perspiration of the groomsmen under the shade of palm trees.

outdoor wedding photography on A hot day shows the Perspiration of the groomsmen under the shade of palm trees.

shade Cancun beach bride palm trees hotel cancun Cancun beach weddings groomsmen

The Great Barn, Ruislip Wedding Photography | bridesmaids walking through the sun and shade of the trees.

Wedding Photography of bridesmaids walking through the sun and shade of the trees

Ruislip shade bridesmaids wedding photography trees The Great Barn

SOHO NYC pre-wedding engagement session - Silhouette of couple in the shade

The engaged couple posed in silhouette in the shade below the towering red building for their pre-wedding engagement session, the unique setting adding character to their photos

NYC pre wedding engagement towering building SoHo shade silhouette nyc SoHo Engagement Photography

Boston, Massachusetts engagement session under a canopy of trees in the shade

The engaged couple posed for a beautiful engagement session in the shade of a canopy of trees, with their silhouettes and trees adding a dramatic and romantic touch to the image as they celebrated their love and commitment to each other

canopy of trees Massachusetts engagement session MA shade Boston trees

Chicago, Illinois photography of bride and groom walking out after outdoor ceremony under the trees

Chicago walking out shade IL wedding photography Chicago Illinois IL photographer trees

Wedding photographer in Murcia for Spain engagement photography

The happy couple stands in the shadows of a tall tree, the blue sky providing a stunning contrast to the shade

Murcia blue sky shade Murcia engagement photography shadows tall tree

Phuket wedding shoot with a couple and umbrellas for the sun at the outdoor ceremony

Outdoor Wedding: Sunshine & Love Under Phuket Umbrellas

Outdoor Asia photographer wedding ceremony sunny love hot

Enjoying a sunny day on the lush green lawn, surrounded by chairs, a sleeping baby in a stroller is captured by a wedding photographer from Málaga Spain

From Málaga Spain, a wedding photographer captures a sleeping baby in a stroller surrounded by chairs on a lush green lawn enjoying a sunny day

lawn grass baby green spain wedding photography child Napping

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.