Wedding Photos of Smiles

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.

In Gorizia, Italy, two women guests laugh as a funny moment unfolds during the wedding ceremony, lightening the atmosphere and bringing smiles to faces in this beautiful Italian location.

Laughter Bursts Forth In Gorizia, Italy, As Two Women Enjoy A Funny Team Moment During The Wedding Ceremony.

At Grafton Inn in Grafton, Vermont, the bride and groom raise glasses as they give a cheerful toast during their wedding reception, smiles reflecting their happiness.

Glasses Raised The Bride And Groom Deliver A Joyful Toast At Their Grafton Inn Wedding Reception In Vermont.

Grafton Inn wedding reception cheerful wedding toast glasses smiles Vermont Grafton Inn groom

In Houlton, Maine, the bride and groom share a joyful dance at their wedding while guests watch, smiles and movement filling the room with happiness.

In Houlton, Maine, Joyful Dancing By The Newlyweds Fills The Reception Room With Energy And Smiles.

tent smiles Houlton ME happiness newlyweds energy filled room joy

In Noord Holland, children at the ceremony location peek and hide as the couple shares their official kiss, bringing shy smiles and gentle humor to the special moment.

Children Hide Playfully As The Couple Shares Their Ceremony Kiss In Noord Holland, Adding Humor To The Special Moment.

smiles humor Noord Holland venue playful wedding kiss Children special Noord Holland

Wedding preparations in Gers, France are filled with smiles as the bride gets ready, her aunt and daughter play and laugh nearby, joy infusing every detail of the day.

Smiles Fill Wedding Preparations In Gers, France As The Bride, Her Aunt, And Daughter Play And Laugh Together.

joyful bridal details playful wedding preparation Gers smiles Gers wedding preparation Gers venue

Tucked among the stones in Philadelphia, the couple intertwines hands and exchanges soft smiles, finding stillness and connection, captured from a high view in a tall vertical portrait.

Engaged Couple Intertwining Hands And Sharing Soft Smiles Among Stones In Philadelphia, Captured From Above In Vertical Portrait

high View tall portrait vertical shot connection intertwined hands soft smiles portrait

Domaine des Gaillardoux in Lot, France, sees the couple conclude their ceremony with a dip and kiss, surrounded by friends and family, with smiles reflecting the joy of the occasion.

The Couple Shares A Joyful Dip And Kiss At Domaine Des Gaillardoux, Lot, France, Surrounded By Family And Smiles.

smiles surrounding couple Lot Domaine des Gaillardoux Midi-Pyrénées Domaine des Gaillardoux venue kiss joyful dip kiss

At Ivory Acres Wedding Venue in Frewsburg, NY, the bride playfully flips back her veil for a kiss with the groom. Both smile joyfully under a canopy of trees during their after-ceremony portraits.

Bride Flips Veil For Kiss With Groom At Ivory Acres, Both Smiling Under Tree Canopy

groom after ceremony New York - Upstate New York outdoors Frewsburg flip veil

An engaged couple smiles as they hold their cat for a close-up portrait in Pine Lake, Georgia.

Couple Smiling with Cat in Pine Lake Portrait

Georgia cat smiles Pine Lake close up

At Washington Park in Denver, Colorado, an engaged couple poses with the groom-to-be wrapping his arms around his fiancée from behind as they embrace and smile for the portrait.

Washington Park Engagement Portrait: Groom-to-Be Embracing Fiancée from Behind

wrapped in arms hug from behind Washington Park Denver PreWedding Portrait Colorado smiles Denver

In Grenoble, France, a couple smiles for a wide-angle close-up portrait, holding dead leaves toward the camera.

Smiling Duo with Autumn Leaves—Wide-Angle Grenoble Engagement Portrait

dead leaves smiles close up Grenoble wide angle Grenoble PreWedding Portrait

In Tulum, a woman smiles as she rides on her partner’s back for a playful, black-and-white portrait at the beach, set against a minimal backdrop of open sky.

Beach Laughter in Tulum—Playful Black-and-White Engagement Portrait with Piggyback Ride

bw portrait Tulum PreWedding Portrait beach piggy back ride open sky smiles Minimalistic

Bride reaching for her grandfather’s hand during the signing of the register at Houghton on the Hill Church.

Bride Reaches For Grandfather’s Hand During Register Signing At Houghton On The Hill Church

Houghton on the Hill Church Norfolk UK Wedding Moment Norfolk-UK smiles bride and grandfather black and white signing register

A bride sits in the backseat of a classic red Fiat 500 automobile, photographed at the bride's home before the wedding ceremony.

Bride Sits Inside a Classic Red Fiat 500 Before Ceremony

Fiat 500 smiles backseat red car Italy italian bride italy wedding image

In Budapest, a low camera angle focuses on the couple's held hands overhead, emphasizing their promise under an endless sky, with a shallow depth of field framing their smiles.

Promises Under the Budapest Sky Couple Portrait Session

engaged urban love romance Pre Wedding holding hands Hungary

A couple smiles broadly during their sunset wedding day photoshoot in Strijen, the Netherlands, as dramatic, elongated shadows and sunlight cut diagonally across the frame.

Sunset Wedding Portrait With Dramatic Shadows In Strijen The Netherlands Photoshoot

diagonal sunlight frame Strijen the Netherlands sunset Strijen Wedding Portrait shadows Strijen photoshoot

At the Bund in Shanghai, China, a couple shares laughter beside the door of a vintage flower shop, surrounded by lush greenery. Their joyful expressions capture a romantic session in an elegant urban setting.

Romantic Laughter at The Bund: Shanghai Couple Amid Vintage Flowers and Greenery

flower shop lush greenery Shanghai The Bund Shanghai PreWedding Portrait urban setting vintage shop

A couple poses at the Marbella Club, with him embracing her from behind. Both wear big smiles, surrounded by lush green foliage during their engagement session.

Marbella Embrace: A Portrait of Love and Lush Gardens

hug from behind Marbella Club Malaga Malaga PreWedding Photography smiles couple posing pink flowers

Santa Cruz, CA — He embraces her from behind as they share soft smiles on the beach near sunset, creating a warm and romantic engagement portrait.

Santa Cruz Engagement: A Warm, Romantic Embrace On The Beach At Sunset

embrace from behind beach engagement Santa Cruz e session smiles California - Northern sunset Santa Cruz

Smiling couple poses by the waterway with boats behind them during a pre-wedding photo session in Eminönü, Istanbul, Turkey.

An Engaged Couple Smiles By The Water With Boats Behind Them In Eminönü, Istanbul

waterway smiles Eminönü PreWedding Photography graffiti boats Eminonu Istanbul

Engaged couple in Wardown Park, Luton, UK: surrounded by vibrant summer flowers, enjoying the colorful and romantic outdoors.

Wardown Park Engagement: Couple Enjoys a Colorful and Romantic Summer Day Among Flowers

vibrant flowers summer session London e session smiles Luton Wardown Park London

At Gloster House in Ireland, the photographer captures the joyful entrance of the newlyweds for dinner, expertly highlighting radiant smiles and the celebratory energy of their shared moment.

Newlyweds Make Joyful Dinner Entrance At Gloster House Ireland Highlighting Radiant Smiles And Celebration

energy dinner newlyweds wedding dinner celebration celebration smiles reception

At Greystone at Piedmont Park in Atlanta, a dancing couple exits their Hindu wedding ceremony with hands in the air, beaming with huge smiles. The photo captures the pure joy and celebration of the occasion.

Dancing Couple Celebrates Exiting Hindu Wedding Ceremony At Greystone Piedmont Park Atlanta With Joyful Smiles

Greystone exit joyful celebration Hindu joy smiles Piedmont Park

From Halbinsel Au, Zürich, a sensual outdoor portrait captures the couple head-to-head with their eyes closed, sharing warm smiles as his hand rests gently on her back.

Sensual Outdoor Couple Portrait With Warm Smiles At Halbinsel Au Zürich Switzerland

warm smiles shared portrait gently smiles Zürich portrait Zurich wedding portrait Outdoor

A portrait of the bride and her bridesmaids is taken in Auvergne. The photo reflects the shared joy and support among them.

Bride and Bridesmaids Radiate Joy and Support in a Heartwarming Group Photo Taken in Auvergne, France

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes emotion women Auvergne bridesmaids group Unity

In Bragança, Portugal, the bride and her mum have a blast with the girls. The joyous scene captures their fun and lively celebration together.

Bride and Her Mum Celebrate Joyfully With Friends During a Fun-Filled Gathering in Bragança, Portugal

group women family mum Bragança emotion Portugal

At a church in S.J. Madeira, Portugal, the newlyweds celebrate, clearly thrilled to finally be married. Their joyous expressions convey deep happiness.

Newlyweds Beam With Joyful Elation After Ceremony at Church in S.J. Madeira, Portugal

married expressions joyous emotion wedding celebrate ceremony

Outside Toulouse’s city hall, the newlyweds emerge playful after their civil ceremony.

Newlyweds Emerge Playful and Joyful After Their Civil Ceremony Outside Toulouse City Hall

urban civil ceremony emerge wedding candid celebration smiles

Outside the town hall in Léojac near Montauban, the newlyweds are celebrated as they exit after their civil ceremony.

Newlyweds Joyfully Celebrated as They Exit Town Hall After Civil Ceremony in Léojac Near Montauban

festive Léojac guests exit celebration newlyweds Montauban

Engaged couple romantically pose in Münsterland, Germany, for an engagement portrait.

Münsterland's Romantic Engagement: German Couple Captures Love in Scenic Portrait

Munsterland Engagement Photography close up portrait smiles Münsterland in nature romantic North Rhine-Westphalia

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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.