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Wedding Photos of Smiles

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The following “Smiles” 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 “Smiles” 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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Photography of a bride and groom embracing and smiling at Domaine des Plagnes, St Hilaire de Brens, Isère, France. Detailed shot of rings and joyous couple at a wedding.
Joyous Couple Embracing and Smiling at Domaine des Plagnes, Isère, France
Domaine des Plagnessmilesbride and groomringsdetailed shotIseretight shot
Wedding photo taken at The Priests House, Barden, Yorkshire capturing the bride and groom walking through confetti.
Bride and Groom Make Romantic Exit Through Confetti at The Priests House Wedding
North YorkshirecelebrationconfettiThe Priests HousesmilesBarden Wedding PhotographyThrowing confetti
Beautiful wedding photo captured at The Bosphorus Palace in Istanbul, showcasing the bride arriving in a black car and waving to friends. Perfectly encapsulating a special moment from the event.
Bride Embraces Elegance: Stunning Photo of Black Car Arrival at The Bosphorus Palace Wedding
Istanbul wedding photographybride arrivingsmilesbw imageexiting caristanbul brideThe Bosphorus Palace
Wedding photo taken in Budapest, Hungary, with the couple's faces close, smiling, and hands intertwined, capturing the love in the air.
Magical Moment in Budapest: Smiling Couple's Intertwined Hands Capture Love in Wedding Snapshot
lovewedding Budapestwedding photocapture the lovecouple posingsmilesHungary couple
Captured at the Old Town Hall Hotel in London, UK, this wedding photo showcases a joyful bride holding hands with her groom amid confetti on the Town Hall steps.
London Love Story: Bride and Groom Embrace Amongst Confetti on Town Hall Steps
Londonhappyembracelove storysmilesLondon UK Weddinggroom
A couple in Los Gatos, CA, shares a warm embrace and small talk by the lake, radiating big smiles in a romantic setting for their engagement portrait session.
Lake Love: Charismatic Couple's Cozy Connection in Los Gatos
smileslakeside engagementLos GatosCalifornia - Northernromantic settingwarm embraceLos Gatos Engagement Portrait
Venice, Italy provides a romantic backdrop for an engagement photoshoot at sunset. The couple stands embracing by the water’s edge, sharing big smiles in this vertical image.
Engagement Bliss by the Venetian Sunset
smilesvenice engagement portraitwaters edgeromantic backdropvertical formatsunsetVenice
In Cappadocia, Turkey, this pre-wedding photo session captures the couple's vibrant energy with playful hip-check bumping, big smiles, laughter, and joy.
Playful Energy: Engagement Portraits in Cappadocia, Turkey
laughterplayfulCappadocia engagement photographerenergysmilesCappadociahip check
Captured against the stunning backdrop of the Bund in Shanghai, this portrait showcases the couple in a beautiful light, with smiles, laughter, and joyful playfulness.
Joyful Playfulness Along the Bund: A Captivating Engagement Portrait in Shanghai
smilesThe Bund Shanghaijoyfulplayfulnesslaughterbeautiful lightShanghai
At Kerpenhir Point, Morbihan, France, a couple of happy lovers are captured in autumn. Their smiles, laughter, and playful fun shine through the portrait session.
Capturing the Joy: Autumn Love at Kerpenhir Point
smilesMorbihanAutumnKerpenhir PointloversMorbihan Engagement Photographytrees
In Grenoble, France, the bride and groom share a cozy moment inside a cable car at the resort, surrounded by panoramic views of the picturesque mountains.
Cozy Cable Car Moment in Grenoble, France
smilesResortIserecable carGrenoblepanoramic viewscozy
A beautiful image of a bride and groom on their wedding day in Zurich. The couple is side by side, gazing lovingly at each other as they exit the ceremony, with confetti and flower petals falling around them.
Zurich Nuptials: Bride and groom blissfully exit ceremony, surrounded by confetti and flower petals
wedding photonuptialslovebeautifulsmilesSwitzerlandgroom
Beautiful candid moment of newlyweds cutting their wedding cake, captured in black and white at CAV Restaurant in Providence, RI, USA, showcasing the humorous and endearing confusion of the couple as they navigate this traditional task together.
Elegant Cake Cutting Delight: Newlyweds at CAV Restaurant in Providence, RI Show Humorous Confusion
Rhode IslandrestaurantProvidenceCAV RestaurantTraditionalendearingwedding cake
Beautiful moment of sisterly love as the bride's sister embraces her after helping with the final touches of her dress, at Marriott Metrocenter in Bethesda, MD on the wedding day.
Sisterly Embrace: Bride's Sister Helps with Final Touches at Marriott Metrocenter in Bethesda, MD
hugstouchesMarriott MetrocenterbrideembraceBethesda MDdress
A touching moment in black and white captured at Birkby House in Leesburg, VA, as the groom's mother warmly embraces the bride, welcomed into the family after the ceremony on their wedding day.
Groom's Mother Welcomes Bride, Birkby House, Leesburg, VA, Wedding Day Bliss
bwcandidfamilytouchingBirkby HouseVirginiawedding day
A moment captured at Château La Hitte, France on the wedding day, featuring hugs, mirror reflections, and bright smiles in a cozy setting.
Whimsical Wedding Bliss: Hugs, Reflections, and Smiles at Château La Hitte, France
momentcozywomenChateauBlissLavardacsmiles
Captivating wedding day moment at Museum Hülsmann in Bielefeld, filled with genuine emotions and joy as a woman embraces the bride with beaming smiles in an outdoor setting.
Woman Hugs Bride with Beaming Smiles at Museum Hülsmann in Bielefeld
candidBielefeldemotionembracebridecelebrationNorth Rhine-Westphalia
At Penshurst Place, a pair shares a tender embrace against a natural backdrop. The groom lovingly hugs the bride from behind.
Penshurst's Perfect Pair: Before Wedding Day, The Groom Embraces Bride in Enchanting Setting
KentPenshurst Placehugs from behindsmilesnatural backdropTonbridgeTonbridge Engagement Photography
Wedding portrait at First Look in Acadia National Park, showing a couple sharing a joyful kiss against a minimalistic white backdrop, in a timeless black and white photograph.
First Look Romance: Joyful Kiss in Acadia National Park - Timeless Black & White Portrait
intimateromancetouching noseselegantstunning portraitcelebrationSky
Wedding day bliss at Aragosta Deer Isle Maine, as the couple shares a joyous embrace on the rocky Maine shore, wrapped up in each other's arms and beaming with happiness.
Blissful Embrace: A Wedding Day at Aragosta Deer Isle Maine Shore
blissfulshoreromanticMemorableembraceDeer Isle Wedding Portraithappiness
In the picturesque city of Sainte Agnès, Isère, France, a joyful couple plays together in a sweet engagement portrait, with her riding piggyback on him in a grassy area surrounded by trees.
Galloping Through Sainte Agnès: Euphoric Couple's Pre-Wedding Frolic
smilesgrassy areaplayful coupleIsere Engagement PhotographytreesIsereSainte Agnès
Captured in St. Lawrence Old Church, a charming village in Hertfordshire, this pre-wedding photo exudes excitement as the couple eagerly anticipates their upcoming wedding day.
Love Blooms in St. Lawrence Old Church: Pre-Wedding Bliss!
smilescharming villagerock wallsHertfordshire Engagement PhotographyHertfordshireSt Lawrence Old Church
At Château d'Ailly, the couple embrace joyfully in the incredible light for their pre-wedding portraits.
Château Charm: Capturing the Couple's Joyful Embrace in Radiant Light
nice lightRoanneLoireChateau d AillysmilesRoanne Engagement PhotographerCouple embracing
Couple portrait by a Pittsburgh wedding photographer - Highland Park, Pittsburgh, PA, he holds her face in his hands as she smiles during their engagement session
EMBRACING LOVE IN HIGHLAND PARK: PITTSBURGH COUPLE'S ENGAGEMENT PORTRAIT IN PA WOODS
Highland ParksmilesAutumn in Pittsburghholding facePittsburghvertical framePennsylvania
A joyful moment from a wedding day captured in Berkshire, as the bride and groom playfully dodge confetti thrown by guests during the ceremony's finale, showcasing the fun and celebratory atmosphere of a wedding celebration.
Berkshire Bliss: Bride and Groom Dodge Delightful Confetti at Wedding Finale Festivities
happinessEnglandbridecelebratorywedding momentCeremony Photoguests
A picture of a happy couple on their wedding day in Málaga, Spain. The bride and groom are standing under her veil by the sea, with smiles on their faces, against a backdrop of a blue sky.
Sparkling Love: Newlyweds Embracing under Veil by Sea in Málaga, Spain, Against Blue Sky
veilMalagasmilesmarriagewedding lovebridebeautiful
A romantic couple engagement portrait captured by a China wedding photographer on the cobblestone streets of the Bund, Shanghai, filled with artistic smiles embodying Chinese style.
ELEGANT SHANGHAI LOVE: CHINA ENGAGEMENT PORTRAIT ON THE BUND COBBLESTONES
cobblestone streetThe BundShanghai PreWedding Photographerchinese fanShanghaismiles
A couple on their wedding day in Fehérvárcsurgó, sitting in a classic blue convertible with big smiles and a warm embrace. The vintage car adds a touch of elegance to their special day.
Elegant Couple Embracing in Classic Blue Convertible at Fehérvárcsurgó Wedding Celebration
cuddlegroomspecial daysmilesbrideHungaryclassic
A couple engagement portrait captured by a France wedding photographer in Saint Martin de Ré, where the couple is having fun in the afternoon sunlight.
French Riviera Sunlit Engagement Portrait in Saint Martin de Ré
sunlight and shadowsFrancefrance engagement photographerFrench Rivierasmilesafternoon sunlightSaint Martin de Ré
Lovely moment on the wedding day in Land van Es, Strijen, the Netherlands as the bride proudly shows her wedding ring while the groom receives a heartfelt hug.
Embracing Love: Bride Reveals Wedding Ring as Groom Receives Heartfelt Hug in Strijen, Netherlands
groomcelebrationmomenthumoremotionwedding photohappiness

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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.