Wedding Photos of Shadows

The following “Shadows” 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 “Shadows” 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.

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In Istanbul-Karaköy, a striking composition features the bride bathed in sunlight in the foreground, while the groom stands in the shadows on the stairs behind her, creating a compelling play of light and depth.
Bride Basks in Sunlight as Groom Awaits in Shadows for Dramatic Portrait in Istanbul-Karaköy
In Hamilton, Montana, guests wearing cowboy hats are casting shadows and making silhouettes on a rustic wooden wall.
Montana Wedding: Cowboy Hats Cast Shadows on Rustic Wooden Wall
Outside the National Gallery of Art, an engaged couple strikes a pose against a large tiled wall. Bathed in sunlight and shadows, they each raise a hand to shield their eyes from the bright sun.
Couple Shields Eyes From Sun, Poses at National Gallery of Art After Engagement
At Arapahoe Basin Ski Resort, the wedding couple pose amidst the mountain shadows as the alpenglow beautifully illuminates the East Wall. Behind them, the mountaintops are bathed in soft sunlight, creating a stunning contrast between light and shadow.
Couple Poses Amidst Mountain Shadows with Stunning Light Contrast at Arapahoe Basin Ski Resort Wedding
In a Cleveland, Ohio hotel, the bride stands against a red brick wall backdrop, beautifully illuminated by the interplay of sun and shadows. She holds her dress train in one hand and looks over her shoulder, her gaze directed downward.
Bride Holds Dress Train, Looks Over Shoulder Against Brick Wall in Cleveland Hotel Wedding Portrait
At a family garden wedding in Hampshire, UK, the dancing revelers cast lively shadows on the ceiling. The reflections capture the joyous energy of the celebration, adding a unique and festive ambiance to the occasion.
Lively Shadows Enhance Joyous Energy at Hampshire Garden Wedding, Adding a Unique Festive Ambiance to the Celebration.
Sun-kissed wedding details in Toronto captured in this photo - see the bride's elegant shoes, sparkling rings, and delicate perfume in perfect lighting and shadows.
Sunlit Elegance: Bride's Shoes, Rings, and Perfume in Toronto Wedding Detail
The WPJA Spotlight award-winning wedding image captures the beauty of a couple standing on a narrow dirt path through grass, portrayed from an aerial perspective with the elongated shadows casting at Huis te Eerbeek.
Captivating Aerial Shot: WPJA Spotlight Winner's Wedding Drone Image at Huis te Eerbeek
In the enchanting setting of Kilkea Castle, an Irish dancer enchants the crowd, skillfully moving in the shadows, with the radiant sunlight casting an ethereal glow on the guests.
Irish Dancer Captivates Crowd in Radiant Sunlight at Kilkea Castle
A captivating black and white silhouette captured by a WPJA photographer in Grenoble, France. The loving embrace of an engaged couple is framed by the delicate shadows of trees, evoking a romantic and intimate mood.
Romantic Grenoble Wedding Photograph: Silhouette of Engaged Couple, Embraced by Trees
Newlyweds in Geneva, Switzerland share a moment cutting their wedding cake, bathed in a spotlight that makes them look like dancers on a grand theater stage.
Newlyweds Cut Wedding Cake in Geneva, Switzerland, Bathed in Spotlight Like Dancers on a Grand Stage
A stunning black and white photo captures a couple in a romantic embrace, their shadows creating a dramatic backdrop against the walls of Arbonne, France on their wedding day.
Captivating Monochromatic Moment: Newlyweds Embrace in Historic Arbonne, France
At Mountain Shadows Resort, Arizona, an engagement portrait beautifully showcases a couple amidst the stunning resort landscape, with shadows cast on the wall by the couple and surrounding foliage, adding a touch of natural elegance and romance.
Romantic Engagement Portrait: Lovebirds Captured amidst the Stunning Sunset Shadows at Mountain Shadows Resort, Arizona
Wedding day portrait at Hambacher schloss, featuring dynamic composition of light, shadows, and graphic architecture as the groom tenderly holds his bride.
HAMBACHER SCHLOSS | Groom Tenderly Holds Bride in Dynamic Wedding Portrait
A beautiful wedding day portrait in Germany showcasing the couple's profile faces illuminated by the warm sun.
GERMANY | Couple’s Profile Faces Illuminated by Warm Sun
Strasbourg, France - The couple gazes in opposite directions, the car roof creating a reflection underneath them.
Strasbourg, France - Couple Gazes in Opposite Directions - Car Roof Reflection
The newlywed couple exits the iconic Abbazia di san Benedetto in Polirone, located in San Benedetto Po in Mantova, Italy, and joyfully releases a dove into the warm sunlight, surrounded by the shadows of the historic old world building.
Love Takes Flight: Wedding Photo Captures Joyful Dove Release at Historic Church
A romantic garden portrait at Castle Oud-Zuylen, where the bride's dress shimmered in the sunlight as the groom gazed adoringly at her from the tree shadows.
CASTLE OUD-ZUYLEN | A Romantic Garden Portrait at the Enchanting Castle Grounds
Captivating bride portrait in a rustic building interior in Sao Paulo, with shadows cast by tall windows, captured at a wedding event.
Stunning Sao Paulo Bride: Rustic elegance captured in captivating portrait at exclusive wedding
A newlywed couple strolling the streets of Orléans in the sunshine and shadows after their civil ceremony, capturing love and joy on their wedding day.
Sun-Kissed Love: Newlyweds in Orléans Embrace Shadows and Sunshine on Wedding Day Stroll
Beautiful outdoor wedding portrait taken at Borgo Tre Rose Hotel in Montepulciano, showing a groom waiting for his bride as she refreshes, capturing a serene scene at the venue.
Groom Awaits Bride at Borgo Tre Rose: Serene Outdoor Wedding Portrait in Montepulciano
Before the bride's grand departure at Château St Roch, Martres-Tolosane, France - a serene moment captured in diagonal sunlight and shadows.
Ethereal Elegance: The Bride's Tranquil Morning at Château St Roch
A captivating pre-wedding engagement portrait taken at Finca Vikingos, Santa Barbara, Heredia, Costa Rica. The couple embraces amidst a scenic coffee plantation, with his silhouette profile against a backdrop of light and shadows on her.
A pre-wedding portrait | Finca Vikingos, Santa Barbara, Costa Rica
A captivating wedding shot at the beautiful Domaine de La Roulière in Chemillé, France. The photo captures the elegance of the event, with silhouettes of guests and the bride enjoying champagne.
Elegance Unveiled: French Soirée at Domaine de La Roulière in Chemillé
A wedding photographer captured the bride and groom sharing a romantic kiss in front of the symmetrical windows at Feriye Palace Istanbul. The venue provided the wonderful backdrop for this award-winning artistic portrait.
Symmetrical Windows: An Artistic Wedding Kiss at Feriye Palace Istanbul

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