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Wedding Photos of Sunlight and shadows

For Couples / Wedding Photos of Sunlight and shadows

The following “Sunlight and 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 “Sunlight and 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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Photographed by a WPJA professional in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, this image captures the couple in a unique and artistic way, as a palm tree shadow gracefully falls upon them.
Pro Wedding Photographer Captures Unique Cabo San Lucas Engagement Portrait With Tree Shadows
Mexicoartistic engagement imagesunlight and shadowsCabo San LucaspalmCabo San Lucas PreWedding Portraitoff center framed
A unique shot captured by a skilled WPJA photographer at the bustling Rialto Market in Venice, Italy. The soon-to-be-wed couple stands together, him holding red roses, basking in the soft sunlight.
Rialto Market Sunlit Engagement Portrait by a Wedding Photographer
sunlight and shadowsVenicevenice engagement portraitRialto Marketsoft sunlightred roses
This captivating pre-wedding image captures a loving couple framed by dark silhouetted branches, standing in a perfect spot of light at Lipica, Slovenia.
Pre-wedding photo captures couple in scenic Slovenia spot with trees
silhouetted branchesLipica Engagement PhotographySloveniaspot off lightsunlight and shadowsLipica
A couple captured in a picturesque French estate, as the sun sets behind them at the golden hour.
Couple Captured at Golden Hour on Picturesque French Estate
French estateFrancesunlight and shadowsgolden hoursunsetFrance wedding photography
Amidst a serene, backlit forest of twisted redwood trunks, the soon-to-be-wed couple entwines in a timeless bond, captured by a top pre-wedding photographer in enchanting Redwood City, CA.
Timeless Bond: Enchanted Love in Redwood City
sunlight and shadowsRedwood Cityframed in treesbacklitforestCalifornia - NorthernRedwood City PreWedding Portrait
In the coastal town of Capitola, Northern California, a couple shares a kiss of love on the sandy shore. With the pier's pilon shadows framing them, they embrace in a blissful kiss.
Shoreline Bliss: A Kiss Framed by Capitola's Pier
drone shotsharing a kisssandy shoreCalifornia - NorthernCapitola PreWedding Portraitmissinggentle waves
A wedding photographer captures love and protection as a couple embraces under umbrellas in the bright sun at East Somerville Station in Somerville, MA.
Shielded by Love: A Sunny Embrace at East Somerville Station
umbrellassunlight and shadowsbright sunSomerville MASomerville MA PreWedding Portraitconcrete wallEast Somerville Station
Love shines radiantly as the happy couple gazes at the sky, basking in the warmth of the sun and the embrace of their impending forever at Cambrai.
Gazing Toward Forever at Cambrai
sunglassesCambraiCambrai PreWedding Portraitwarm sunsunlight and shadowsNord
Engaged couple poses for a warm and peaceful portrait at Hallwiller Lake, Switzerland, basking in the dappled sunlight and sharing a loving embrace.
Engaged Couple Captured in the Idyllic Setting of Hallwiller Lake
Swiss Engagement PhotographyHallwiller Lakesunlight and shadowsSwitzerlandDappled Light
This wedding photo was captured at Lake Saint Ferréol in Haute-Garonne. The setting sun's rays illuminated the joyful embrace of the newlyweds, capturing the mood of their special day.
Newlyweds Embrace at Lake Saint Ferréol: A Stunning Sunset Wedding Image
sunlight and shadowsSun raysHaute-GaronneLake Saint FerréolHaute Garonne Wedding Portrait
This picture captures a stunning bride at a wedding reception in Biarritz, France. The bride in her dress cast a beautiful play of shadow and light, with striking graphic elements that captivate from all angles.
Stunning French Bride Shines at Biarritz Wedding Reception
Biarritzstrikingsunlight and shadowsBiarritz Wedding Photographygraphic elementsstunning bride
In New York City's Dumbo neighborhood, a couple stands together on a street corner, bathed in the afternoon light, posing for their engagement portrait.
Engaged Couple Poses in Dumbo, NYC for Picture-Perfect Portrait on City Corner
afternoon LightNew York City - Metrostreet cornerDUMBO Engagement PortraitDUMBO neighborhoodDappled Lightsunlight and shadows
In Boston, a couple had their portraits taken while standing in the afternoon light, casting shadows on the red brick wall behind them.
Boston Couple's Elegant Afternoon Engagement Portrait Against Red Brick Wall in Soft Sunlight
sunlight and shadowsred brick wallBostonBoston Engagement Portraitafternoon Lightlooking off
At Philadelphia City Hall, a couple poses for their engagement portraits in the afternoon light, creating a stunning silhouette against the ancient stone columns, showcasing their love in the city.
Philadelphia City Hall Engagement: Romantic Silhouette Portraits Against Ancient Stone Columns at Sunset
sunlight and shadowsPhiladelphiaPhiladelphia Engagement PortraitPhiladelphia City Hallprofilesafternoon Lightvertical frame
A bride, dressed in a white lace gown, prepares for her wedding day in Tiel, the Netherlands. As the sun beats down on her face, an assistant carefully applies her lipstick - a dramatic black-and-white image with high contrast.
Striking Black-and-White Photo Captures Bride's Pre-Wedding Beauty Routine in the Netherlands
Tiel Wedding Photographyhigh contrastsunshinelace gownTielblack and whiteGelderland
During their love session at Lyon Confluence Quai de Saone, the couple's affection and joy radiated through each photo, capturing the anticipation of their upcoming marriage.
Radiant Love: A Joyful Engagement Portrait at Lyon Confluence Quai de Saone
La ConfluenceLyonurban portraitQuai de Saonesunlight and shadowslyon engagement portrait
At the private courtyard in Milano, a couple in love shares a tender kiss, captured in stunning black and white during their engagement portrait session.
A Tender Kiss in Milano - Black & White Engagement Portrait
sunlight and shadowsMilan engagement photographytender kissblack and white portraitMilanprivate courtyard
Professional wedding photo taken at Domaine de Messenas in Roissard, Isère, France. Features bride's ring and glasses illuminated by a ray of light.
Elegant Bride's Ring Sparkling in Sunlight at Domaine de Messenas Wedding in France
Domaine de Messenasringray of lightsunlight and shadowsIsereIsere Wedding Detailsbrides details
During their engagement portrait session at Istanbul Galata Port, the couple shared a tender and warm embrace in front of the elaborate architectural patterns of the tall background, foreshadowing the love that would soon be celebrated at their wedding.
A Romantic Engagement Portrait at Istanbul's Galata Port with Stunning Architecture
Galata PortIstanbulIstanbul engagement photographerarchitectural patternswarm embracesunlightsunlight and shadows
Photographer captured a stunning photo of a bride and groom at Domaine Etxe Zahar, Pyrénées Atlantiques, France. Bride basks in sunlight, groom's profile shadow is brilliantly captured.
Ethereal Romance: Bride Glows in Sunlight at Domaine Etxe Zahar, Pyrénées Atlantiques, France
shadowPyrénées-Atlantiquessunlightsunlight and shadowsgroom profilePyrénées Atlantiques wedding photographyDomaine Etxe Zahar
At a Cape Town couple portrait session, the pair were expertly captured with half of the frame in shadows and the other half bathed in sunlight, creating a striking and minimalistic image that perfectly showcased their love.
Cape Town Love: Sunlit Romance in Shadows - A Minimalistic Engagement Portrait Session
half framesunlight and shadowsCape Town engagement photographyCape TownMinimalisticwestern capeSouth Africa
Captured in San Francisco, a couple lovingly embraces on a city street in a black and white urban shot, with a garage door framing their romantic hug.
BW City Romance: Embracing Love in Urban San Fran Portraits
framing in doorgarage doorsunlight and shadowsSF E Shooturban portraitSan Franciscocity street
Beautiful engagement portrait taken at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. A woman in a mini kilt fixes her hair in the sun with her fiance's silhouette in the foreground shadows.
Sunshine and Shadow Love: Capturing Romance at Colorado College Campus
Colorado Springs Engagement Portraitsunlight and shadowsforeground shadowssilhouetteColorado Collegemini kiltfixing hair
A couple portrait taken in the city by a North California wedding photographer, showcasing a creative composition with sunlight filtering through a glass panel railing with geometric curves and shadows in San Francisco.
CITY SHADOWS: CREATIVE ENGAGEMENT PORTRAIT SAN FRANCISCO CALIFORNIA
filtered sunlightgeometric curveslayered portraitsunlight and shadowssf engagement photographerglass panelSan Francisco
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 photographerSaint Martin de RéFrench Rivieraafternoon sunlightsmiles
This award-winning image captures the exquisite lighting and attention to detail at Domaine du Petit Malherbes. The artistic wedding photographer beautifully showcases the table decoration in a stunning light.
Domaine du Petit Malherbes: Captivating Illumination of Table Decoration
Gardsunlight and shadowsDomaine du Petit Malherbestable decorationsstunning lightexquisite lightingGard Artistic Details
Capturing love's tender embrace, this award-winning photograph showcases a bride and groom at the picturesque Domaine de Conseillant. Against a backdrop of a stone block wall, their silhouettes softly touch noses.
Domaine de Conseillant - Love's Embrace: A Photographic Masterpiece at Sunset
creative portraitoutsideArtsysilhouettesnewlywedswedding couplebride and groom
Capturing their love amidst artistic inspiration, this award-winning portrait encapsulates the love on their wedding day. The spotlight highlights their connection as he tenderly kisses her, harmonizing with the blue window light and graphic shadows.
Ethereal Affection: Love Illuminated in Artistic Inspriation at their Wedding
Bluesunlight and shadowsAtlantagraphic shadowsAtlanta Artistic Portraitwindow light
Award-winning wedding photographer captures an urban groom and his sister striking a pose in the radiant sunlight. The beautifully composed black and white image frames them artistically, with a soft focus on the sister in the foreground.
Radiantly Urban: A Beautifully Composed Black and White Wedding Portrait
Ancona Artistic Portraitgroom and sisterAnconablack and whitesunlight and shadowsstriking a posesoft focus
Wedding portrait at Chateau de Balarin in Montréal du Gers, France. The bride and groom in a stunning silhouette, with the bride leaning back, embracing the golden sunlight on her face while the groom stands profiled in shadows.
Luminous Love Portrait: Allure of Shadows and Sunlight at Chateau de Balarin
Montreal FRChateau de Balarinsunlight and shadowsGersblack and whitegolden sunlightstunning silhouette

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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.