Wedding Photos of Stairway

The following “Stairway” 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 “Stairway” 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.

The couple shares a joyful and loving pose together on an ornate outdoor stairway at Red Rocks Trading Post in Morrison, Colorado, their affection highlighted by the beautiful setting.

Newlyweds Pose On An Ornate Outdoor Stairway At Red Rocks Trading Post In Morrison

At Abbazia di San Giusto in Tuscania, as the bride descends from her suite and the groom walks down a corridor toward the ceremony, they narrowly miss seeing each other, capturing a moment of anticipation and excitement before their wedding.

Bride And Groom Nearly Cross Paths At Abbazia Di San Giusto In Tuscania

stairway Abbazia di San Giusto Tuscany vertical format Tuscany Wedding Moment

Aerial view of bride and groom cutting their wedding cake at Thicket Priory, North Yorkshire.

Aerial View: Bride and Groom Cutting Wedding Cake at Thicket Priory, Yorkshire

stairway guests watching North Yorkshire Wedding Photography cutting cake North Yorkshire England overhead view

Couple stands on outdoor San Francisco stairway, surrounded by tall trees, embracing in natural light.

Golden Gate Glow: Couple Embraces Amidst San Francisco's Lush Urban Stairs

Couple standing on hill tall trees natural light San Francisco San Francisco engagement stairway

Alternative portrait in Portopiccolo: bride-to-be stands above groom-to-be on stairway, layered composition.

Alternative Portopiccolo Engagement Portrait: Bride-to-Be Above Groom-to-Be on Stairway.

Portopiccolo stairway Trieste Portopiccolo PreWedding Photography ivy layered composition

In Mont Brouilly, Beaujolais, a couple embraces atop a staircase, surrounded by lush foliage and glowing backlight, forming a romantic silhouette.

Romantic Silhouette: Couple Embraces Atop Mont Brouilly Staircase, Surrounded by Foliage and Glowing Backlight

Mont Brouilly Engagement Beaujolais France silhouettes glowing backlight lush foliage stairway

Portrait of an engaged couple gazing at each other on the steps of a historic building in Maceió, Brazil, captured by a wedding photographer.

Timeless Glances: Love on the Steps of History in Maceió

stairway Maceió Maceio Engagement Portrait sitting on steps Brazil

A charming display of the newlyweds captured against the backdrop of Baan Dusit, Bangkok with fun standee cutouts at the bottom of the stairs.

Charming newlyweds pose creatively with standee cutouts at Baan Dusit, Bangkok.

Bangkok wedding photography Baan Dusit bottom of stairs cutouts stairway Bangkok

Photographed in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, this engagement session captured the rustic beauty of a couple as he sat on the stairs while she stood below.

Isla Mujeres Engagement: Rustic Beauty & A Couple - Stairs and Shadows

stairway Isla Mujeres Couple Photos Isla Mujeres Pre Weddings rustic Isla Mujeres Engagement Photo

Wedding couple exits church in France, surrounded by applauding guests. The bride radiates in her white gown while the groom stands out in a bold red suit.

Traditional French Nuptials: Newlyweds Leave Church, Bride Glows in White, Groom Dons Red Suit

stairway France wedding photography France exiting church vertical composition red suit applauding guests

Bride welcomed by father at bottom of stairs in BW. Photo captured at East Yorkshire home by WPJA photographer.

Bride Welcomed at Staircase by Father in Charming East Yorkshire Home Wedding

at home black and white Bride and father East Yorkshire wedding photography stairway East Yorkshire

A romantic stairway portrait at No 4 Hamilton in London, captured from a top-down perspective.

A LONDON WEDDING IMAGE | A Beautiful Stairway Portrait at No 4 Hamilton

stairway London wedding venue romantic London bride portrait wedding London London photographer

The bride gracefully descended the historic stairs at the Ardeche reception venue in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, bathed in dramatic natural light.

Ardeche Venue: A Stunning Backdrop for a Bride's Descent at an Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Wedding

graceful descend Ardeche bride stairway Ardeche Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Ardeche wedding photography dramatic natural light

A romantic embrace is captured at Château Saint Denis in Lot-et-Garonne, France, as the bride and groom share a loving kiss at the bottom of the stairs. The high-angle shot adds depth and charm to the patterned scene.

High-angle shot captures intimate portrait at picturesque French wedding venue

Lot et Garonne Wedding Portrait loving kiss patterned scene stairway Château Saint Denis high angle shot Lot-et-Garonne

A WPJA wedding photographer captures a couple in Palo Alto, Northern California, embracing in a back hug against a vibrant blue urban wall

Embracing Love: An Intimate Portrait in Vibrant Palo Alto

stairway hug from behind California - Northern urban setting blue wall Palo Alto Engagement Session Palo Alto

In this playful engagement session at Abbaye des Prémontrés, the couple joyfully leaps off the stairs, captured by a skilled WPJA wedding photographer

Leaps of Love: Capturing Joy at Abbaye des Prémontrés

Meurthe-et-Moselle stairway jumping Abbaye des Prémontrés stair landing leaping couple

In Hasselt, Limburg, this artistic wedding photo captures a couple at their ceremony location. The image highlights the simplicity and geometric shapes of the stairway with clean and minimalistic lines.

Limburg Love: An Artistic Wedding Photo that Puts Geometry in Focus

geometric shapes Limburg Love Limburg portrait portrait session Limburg clean lines bride and groom

Merrion Square, Dublin couple captured in their engagement portrait as they elegantly descend the stairs together, symbolizing the beginning of their new chapter in life

Romantic Merrion Square Engagement Portrait: A Stunning Dublin Couple Descending the Stairs to Begin Their New Chapter in Life

stairway Merrion Square Dublin descending stairs Dublin Engagement Photography

The engagement portrait was taken at Chateau de Valmy in Argelès-sur-Mer, with the couple's silhouette standing far away, on top of the white stairs

Romantic Engagement Portrait at Chateau de Valmy in Argelès-sur-Mer: Couple's Silhouette on White Stairs

silhouette Pyrénées Orientales symmetrical France engagement photography stairwell low angle stairway

During the engagement shoot at Atlantic Station in Atlanta, the couple shared a romantic moment by exchanging a kiss in the parking deck

Romantic Atlantic Station Engagement: Couple Shares a Kiss in Atlanta Parking Deck

romantic portrait Atlanta Atlantic Station exchange a kiss Atlanta Engagement Portrait parking deck stairway

The groom and bride in her dress were beautifully captured in a portrait from above at the Villa Acquaroli in Carvico, Italy

A wedding photographer captured a beautiful portrait of the groom and bride from above on the stairs at a Villa

couple posing Carvico Wedding Portrait Carvico overhead view Villa Acquaroli stairway

The loving couple danced along the cobblestone dock at Ile Saint-Louis, Paris, France, and made beautiful memories of their lifestyle engagement portrait session

The pro photographer captured the joy of the couple's engagement in a stunning portrait

arched bridge cobblestone dock waters edge Paris engagement session stairway Ile Saint Louis Paris

The couple strolled together down the stairs with a glowing sun radiating from behind them in their lifestyle engagement portrait session in Verona, Italy

In Verona, Italy, the sun radiated behind the couple walking down the stairs for their lifestyle portrait session

descending stairs brick wall Verona stairway Italy radiating sun Verona Lifestyle Engagement Portrait

Couple sitting at the top of some stairs in Denver, CO during engagement photoshoot

An engaged couple had a lifestyle session indoors with fancy chandeliers overhead while sitting at the top of the stairs

stairway Denver engagement photography sitting on stairs chandeliers Denver

The golden hue of the warm fall foliage provided the perfect backdrop for this intimate picture session of the embracing engaged couple

In Milan, an intimate picture session of the engaged couple was set against the golden hue of the warm fall foliage

stairway Milan Engagement Portrait Milan sitting on steps warm fall foliage golden hue

A North Cadbury, England wedding photographer has captured an idyllic scene of a bride and groom on a stairway, with reflections, illuminated by window lighting

North Cadbury Court stairways and reflections wedding photo of the bride

reflections stairway uk bride North Cadbury Court UK Photographer England

Before the ceremony in Pont Scorff, France, the bride and the groom are preparing together

The bride, seated on the couch, and the groom, coming down the stairs, shared a moment of anticipation before their wedding ceremony

Morbihan bride Pont Scorff France stairway Morbihan photographer Patrick Lombaert Brittany

Artistic London outdoor portrait shows a unique way this newly engaged couple is announcing their engagement in a picture of them looking at each other on a bridge of stairs

bridge of stairs London stairway London photographer

The bride and groom are illuminated by off-camera flash on the outdoor stairway of Airth Castle in Falkirk, Scotland

At Airth Castle in Falkirk, Scotland, the bride and groom are lit by off-camera flash on the outdoor stairway

Falkirk stairway Falkirk Photographer Airth Castle Scotland Couple Scotland off camera flash

After the wedding proposal engagement picture session at Mont Saint Helene in Normandy for a Couple kissing at top of the stairs in nature

Mont Saint Helene France top of stairs couple kissing Normandy Photographer Normandy stairway

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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.