Are you planning a short-notice, small wedding or elopement?
WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIOS ARE OPEN - Many couples don’t want to wait. They are planning to get married in the very near future, eloping, or rushing a small ceremony with their photographer, some close friends, and family but dispensing with or postponing the reception party.
View WPJA photo stories from smaller weddings - WedElope | Choose love, not fear!
Africa Wedding Photographers
Wedding Photographers of Africa
Lagos, Cairo, Kinshasa, Luanda, Nairobi, Mogadishu, Abidjan
Africa Elopement Photographers
YOU CAN'T STOP LOVE - In recent days, some of our photographer vendors have expressed their desire to accommodate couples who don’t want to wait to be married and are rushing the ceremony.
Many brides and grooms around the globe are planning to elope and deciding to reschedule their original ideas for a big event because of current wedding size restrictions, social distancing, and mask requirements. They are getting wed on a whim, but dispensing with or postponing all else.
The WPJA has an abundance of top-ranked, documentary-style elopement photographers who are available right now who understand that some weddings can’t wait. Find yours today!
Elopement Photographers for Small Weddings
Shooting an elopement or small Africa wedding event is a wedding photojournalist’s dream: a fairly open schedule with lots of breathing space for creativity – it’s just the photographer, the couple, the officiant, and perhaps a few select companions.
Members are ready to document any DIY - do it yourself, pop-up, quick, or elopement wedding, even if it is a Monday-Thursday ceremony. Search for the “Can Shoot Weddings on Short Notice!” message on the listings below.
We are anxious to create a picture story chronicling your romantic, non-traditional, boutique, small wedding from beginning to end. In this sense, it is no different from any other event that we have covered. The emphasis is on documenting key moments, capturing spontaneous displays of emotion, telling your real love story, as well as creating artistic portraits and details.
Map of Wedding Photojournalists Serving Africa Couples
20 Documentary Wedding Photographers...

Christelle has been shooting weddings and elopements for more than a decade and covered 600+ weddings as the main shooter. Her style is creative, unique and innovative. Her images portray unscripted emotions that shows the wedding day as it happens with all the in-between moments and memories. She studied Broadcasting Media and graduated with an Honours degree, but the start of 2006 saw her interest in photography taking a new turn through her involvement in Film, TV and Video production. The transition to full-time professional photography was made in 2011 and she has never looked back since. As a leading Western Cape Wedding Photographer, she has covered weddings in all areas across the region in the most beautiful and diverse settings. Christelle remains humble and believes that one is 'just as good as your last job'. Her objective is always to provide her clients with powerful, creative and storytelling images - beautiful photos with the clients' personalities and emotions shining through. She also focuses on creative portraits that show the client's personalities as well as their unique love and location. [Cape Town Wedding Photographer]

Hi! I am Maddy. The tattooed redhead behind the camera. I’m a wedding photographer from South Africa, but I have been traveling most of my life. Spending years living in Mexico, Europe and the US, as well as working at sea, on some of the biggest ships in the world. My photography has taken me to many amazing places around the world where I met some incredible people. I enjoy variety and constantly find inspiration in many diverse areas of photography. My photographic start was actually as a wildlife photographer and like many photographers, I shot a friend’s wedding once and I was hooked. Being a wildlife photographer pushed me toward the photojournalistic side of weddings, observing, patience and knowing when the moment is perfect to capture it, it is addictive and exhilarating. Finding real moments and allowing my couples to simply enjoy themselves is why I do this. [Gauteng Wedding Photographer]

Having left the corporate world when my daughter was born, I made a radical career shift into the world of photography and studied full-time during 2008 at The National College of Photography in Johannesburg. We were taught to shoot everything on film, however, none of our course modules covered wedding photography. During the year, however, I was totally blown away by a talk given to our class by a multi-award winning highly acclaimed mainstream photojournalist. I took immense inspiration from his open enthusiasm about his work, and, it was for this reason that I decided to base my end-of-year portfolio on a photojournalistic insight into the state of townships in and around Johannesburg as well as its impact on the lives and characters of its people. This entailed visiting 3 different townships and unobtrusively capturing their inhabitants going about their everyday lives. It was by no means easy, however, I was awarded a distinction for this work. Photojournalistic wedding photography was thus an obvious career progression for me, and the following year I ventured into that field. I am now a professional Johannesburg wedding photographer, working in and around Gauteng. My style is best described as photojournalistic or documentary and I believe that some of the most expressive photographs are those which are captured in the moment – natural and unposed. By making use of beautiful lighting in both an illustrative and creative manner, and combining that with my natural story-telling approach, I will ensure that your wedding photos reflect you at your most spontaneous and relaxed – as you should be on your wedding day! I am unobtrusive in my technique and I record the events as they unfold, capturing emotions, reactions and real moments with as little direction as possible. I have had numerous weddings featured in magazines and on blogs [Gauteng Wedding Photographer]

When we ask ourselves “What is the most important moment in my life”, the answer of “my wedding day” is generally early in the list. The trust of a couple in me to photo these moments always excites me. You create the images to stay with you for the next 50-100 years and maybe the images that will pass to your grandchildren. This responsibility brings along the obligation to work hard at wedding day and after and provide wonderful photos to couple. We don’t have the luxury to miss even one single moment. Every month of the day is very precious whether it is important or not. Therefore I always try to shoot memorable portraits for you as well as trying to compose the story of the day. Hello! I am a wedding photographer who lives in Istanbul and Izmir but free to go everywhere in the world for photo shooting. This flexibility to travel stems from also being a travel and documentary photographer I think. I have worked in photography committee of travel, geography and culture magazine Atlas which is published in Turkey and Europe for a long time and I have photographed and written my themes. I was also the photography editor of Skylife magazine for a period of time. I have made editorial shootings for numerous magazines and newspapers. I think these fields that I came to grips with in past enabled me to look at wedding photography from different angles. I try to convey the reflex of story-telling and other disciplines to wedding photography. [Istanbul Wedding Photographer]

William started out as a freelance wedding photographer in 2009. Very soon a documentary approach emerged and gave meaning to his work. Covering weddings like a photojournalist allowed him to develop a personal style. For him, this approach is the best way to document all the details of the day in a genuine and original way. Because a wedding is a totality. It is not limited to an exchange of wedding rings, or to the first waltz. It is the sum of many moments, both significant and trivial. His work has received several international awards (more than 200), including the global title of «Photographer of the year» by the WPJA. He has also lectured on his approach to wedding photography around the world (Moscow, Mexico, Johannesburg, Delhi, ...). [Montpellier Wedding Photographer]

I started shooting weddings in 2010, it was the beginning of my new documentary vision and wedding's reportages. It was for me as a revelation! Indeed, we can shoot weddings and document what's really happening during the whole day from the preparation to the dance floor. I love traveling and discovering different places. I shoot all around the world for my personal work with a medium format film camera (Bhutan, Oman, Nepal, Guatemala, Morocco, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, India, Indonesia and many other countries in Europe). Creating, discovering and meeting new people is very important to me. My approach is humanistic and passionate, that's why wedding documentary makes sense for me. [Lyon Wedding Photographer]

I was born in 1982, Bursa. Because of my father's interest in photography, I grew up reading photo magazines and playing with twin lens machines. I was interested in photography as a hobby. First I decided to open my own business by saying textiles and then furniture photography. Now I'm one of those lucky people who love to do their job. [Istanbul Wedding Photographer]
Francesca Vitulano - Documentary wedding photographer based in Umbria. Hi, I'm Francesca and I'm the female soul of "Framelines" studio. I’ve been photographing weddings professionally since 2012 all over Italy and abroad. With a Bachelor Degree and a Master in Fine Arts, I became interested in photojournalism while studying Set Design. Started with a strong passion, photography became year by year my full-time job. My professional dream was to work in an international and dynamic environment and "Framelines" offered me the chance to work with couples coming from all over the world, to be creative and have the chance to experiment. I really didn't think twice. I have quickly learned the rules of wedding photography and thanks to my sensitive soul I've discovered that my war-horse is to enter completely in intimate with the subject I'm shooting and this allows me to be constantly present documenting the wedding with an unobtrusive vision in order to enhance the raw emotions and the un-posed spontaneous moments. I now photograph between 30-40 weddings a year and I’m lucky enough to be involved in very different ceremonies (Catholic, Civil, Symbolic, Jewish, Indian, Arabic, Orthodox) that give me the chance to enter strictly in contact with different cultures from all over the world. Beside the Italian territory, I also flew over Italy border for capturing destination weddings abroad: In my "photographer passport" you can see few traditional three-days weddings in Morocco, two international marriages in the Netherlands and a Scotland wedding. The best feedback I received is when one of my clients tell me that through my images you can really touch the positive vibes of the wedding day, you can really see people enjoy. That's true because wedding photography is something I authentically love and enjoy doing. Professional Association: - I'm an active member of the Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA), one of the most prestigious photography associations for international weddings. [Perugia Wedding Photographer]

Hello, I define myself as a wedding photographer who seeks to capture the key moments of weddings, with a documentary spirit and an artistic perspective. I've been a full-time wedding photographer since 2012. I'm always trying to be an organic part of your wedding. I focus on not only beautiful moments but all strong emotions. Apart from wedding photography, I am working on my master thesis about documentary photography and my personal photography and videography projects. I'm living in İstanbul, Turkey, I am ready to travel all over the world. [Istanbul Wedding Photographer]

Hello! My name is Boris. I am 38 years old. I was born in Sofia. Imaginative art and music are two of the basic things I have been doing since my early teaching years, in one aspect have shaped my further life path, and I dare say that they have played a major role in shaping me as a person. At a later stage in my life, as a boomerang, when I graduated my musical education, photography appeared in my life. It seemed to fill a long lost piece of the puzzle of my childhood when my love of the fine art turned into my profession. At various times of the year, I'm busy with various photographic projects. Portrait, wedding, art, advertising, reporting, etc. No matter in which of the chosen styles are my engagements, be it in relation to a personal project or a work for a client, that has always excited me and I hope to be able to convey with my pictures. I capture relationships between people, acquaintances, and strangers. This moment, this day and the world in which we live, tomorrow just will not be the same, and the reminder to us and our children, where we have been, how we lived and who we loved are precisely the memories sealed after the trivial click of the camera. I take pictures as something very personal and intimate, as with my pictures I give people the opportunity to see the world in my personal perspective, where I am passing on their personal emotions, feelings, and worldview. My photographs have participated in several national exhibitions, published in magazines, as well as in the largest online galleries for art photography. I sincerely hope that looking at the pictures in my portfolio, you will be able to experience the emotion and feel the excitement as a participant in them. If so, I'd be glad to get in touch with me, get to know each other and work together. Sincerely, Boris Hristov [Sofia Wedding Photographer]

As a teenager I enjoyed creating memories in a different, natural and original way. My dream and my hope was to become one of the best wedding photographers in the world. I still did not know how to get it, but I was very clear that I did not want to be a photographer of the bunch. I enjoy photographing people, telling their stories and getting the best out of them. This is where I can further promote the documentary side of this profession. I'm based in Spain and shoot weddings around the whole world. [Madrid Wedding Photographer]

Michael is associate photographer at Bonnie Photo. However, his most important roles are as Bonnie’s husband-extraordinaire and co-parent to their two strange dogs, Sylas and Rowena. Mike is much more photogenic than Bonnie, which Bonnie is infinitely grateful for! Mike’s skills include: Mechanical Engineering (his day-job) Cooking Making everyone around him feel comfortable and at-ease Pointing Making Bonnie laugh [Boulder Wedding Photographer]

As a documentary photographer of weddings, I create strong images that will tell your wedding in detail. As a documentary photographer for families with daily reports, I offer you images so that you always remember all these little things that made up your everyday life. Lifestyle photographer also for natural portraits. [Savoie Wedding Photographer]

I was born in Scotland but have lived in England most of my life, and I’ve been taking pictures for as long as I can remember. I trained and worked as a primary school teacher before working in FE and eventually made my way to where I am now, using my camera to pay the bills full time. I live in the North West of England with my wife Sally and our 3 children who are our pride and joy. Sally and I run the business together. Well, Sally runs it, I take the pictures. We pride ourselves in looking after our clients throughout the whole process and exceeding expectations. Sally also runs our sister company Smileomatic Photobooths which won the best wedding special touch (North West) at the 2018 Wedding Industry Awards. I’m passionate about making people happy through my photography. I’ve loved weddings ever since I started shooting them some 12 years ago because each and every wedding I shoot is unique. Not because of the flowers, the table decorations or the venues, but because of the people involved. The characters in a story that has yet to be written. Over the years I’ve come to realise that the images that are most important to people are those which can really rekindle feelings and emotions. And this applies to all photos, not just wedding photography. It’s my own experiences in life up to this point that makes me release the shutter when I do. And why what’s important to you, will also be important to me. [Lancashire Wedding Photographer]

Bonnie is a Scottish word for beautiful. Having this name has encouraged me to see the beauty in everything. Born and raised in Boulder, CO, I’ve always had a travel bug and a passion for art. I specialize in outdoor portraits using natural and staged lighting. My editing style is bold and vibrant. You’ll find that my client interactions and photography reflect the high value I place on family, honesty, intelligence (I am a Ravenclaw after all), and humor. My other roles include substitute teacher, Denver Comic Con volunteer, luckiest wife in the world, and dog momma. Even as a small child, my parents made sure to instill in me a love for viewing and creating art. This life-long immersion in the art world inspired me to pursue an art degree for part of my undergraduate career at Colorado State University (although I ended up with a BA in International Studies and a minor in history). As I sought a place to study history for my master’s degree, I made sure to find a place that would encourage and foster my artistic side. I traveled to Norwich, UK to get my MA in Modern European History at the University of East Anglia. I chose UEA for its dedication to the arts and the rigor of its Slavic studies program. My coursework there focused on art and literature in the Soviet Union and I wrote my dissertation on Soviet Cinema. It was at this time that I bought my first DSLR camera because my point and shoot offered nowhere near the amount of artistic control I desired over my images. I now feel at home as a wedding photographer in Colorado. I own my own business, I'm following my passion, and I love it! [Boulder Wedding Photographer]

I discovered photography as a little girl. It has always been a part of our life to be taken in pictures and create memories that last forever. When I was 18, my parents offered my 1st camera of my own. I tried to use it the best I could but didn't really take the time to go further. In 2009, I started to work at Sony, in marketing and discovered the world of photographers that reminded me how much I loved it. I started to ask a lot of questions and got interested in technology & techniques. In 2013, I have decided to quit everything and leave for around the World trip. 2 years on my own, with my backpack and a camera, to encounter as many people as possible and take pictures to see if I really like it as a job. And guess what? When I came back, I have decided to take the leap and I founded my company in 2016. After not even a year doing this job, I started to shoot weddings and completely fell in love with it. All the emotions, the kind looks, the hugs, the love. I shoot 15 to 22 weddings per year. So in only 3 seasons, I have already shot 50 weddings and I can't wait for the next year to start all over again. Now you know me a little bit more: I'm a travel addict, who loves taking photos and telling beautiful stories of life through my pictures. I want to meet you, to discover you, and to capture everything you feel with my camera. I’m completely addicted to smiles, happiness, close-knit families, crazy couples, and people who want to enjoy life. I am based in Biarritz but I travel everywhere for my work, in France but also Worldwide. Take me for my next adventure with you, with a great sound of your favorite music in the ears. [Biarritz Wedding Photographer]

Passioned about life, photography, traveling and love. He believes that as a wedding photographer, he has the most honourable job on the world and he is very proud of it. His work allows him to engage to the couple and their family on the very important day of their journey. The story it is happening before his camera and he is there, ready to take immortal memories from different perspectives and angles capturing the most precious moments. He memorizes the wedding in journalistic style with a touch of creativity. [Ljubljana Wedding Photographer]

As a fashion photographer living in Paris and wedding photojournalist working in France and abroad, I approach photography as a versatile artist. I love to cover weddings, working unobtrusively and taking on the spot photos. My style is creative and natural, with a strong background of photojournalism. [Paris Wedding Photographer]

As a well-traveled events photographer, I have a special interest in multicultural and destination weddings. My work has taken me around the world to cover celebrations in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia as well as South of France. My promise, as your wedding photographer, is to capture timeless images with a personal touch. While working in a discreet manner, I define my photography style as creative documentary, seeking out that extra touch of authenticity and raw emotions. It's important to me that each of my photographs have that "organic" feeling. From high profile events to intimate and traditional ceremonies, people remain my focus, as I am always looking for the most spontaneous moments. You will cherish memories of a lifetime! Also freelancing for NGOs and International Media. Publications include: Le Monde, The New York Times, Al Jazeera, PDN, Internazionale, Burn Magazine, VSD [Toronto Wedding Photographer]

Suman sees life in motion and freezes the most inspiring moments through photography. A self-taught photographer who has an eye for frames, he not only captures beauty in people but also their emotions. He is an expert in shooting people, events and wildlife. Suman is known famously for his unassuming and grounded behavior despite being a creative person at the zenith of his career. Suman holds a master’s in business administration and his other interests span across equity trading, wildlife and astro-photography, teaching and travelling. Before turning into a popular Wedding and Lifestyle photographer, Suman founded a travel company focused on offbeat destinations and later was part of an up- market concept restaurant with his friends, Irani Chai. [Telangana Wedding Photographer]
Wedding Venues from Africa
Please select a venue below to view all associated winning photos.
Wedding Engagement Diamond Awards - Africa
Are you ready to find your Africa engagement / pre-wedding photographer for a portrait session to complement your story of love? Searching for some ideas and creative inspiration for your own pre-wed shoot? Pro members from the Africa Wedding Photojournalist Association would like to help you add some unique and artistic pictures to your engagement photo gallery!
Searches Related to Africa Wedding Photography Vendors
RAVES, REVIEWS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Jaumana+Rani
Photo by Ufuk Sarisen
I’m looking through the photos now and they are AMAZING, thank you! Our friends were talking how great of a photographer you guys were that night! Thank you for a great experience Ufuk, keep rocking it!
Rae and Francesco
Photo by Francesca Vitulano
Dear Francesca, I asked Simona to thank you from both Francesco and I...but I really want to say it myself too. From my heart, thank you so very much! You are so talented and we absolutely LOVE our wedding photos. You captured our happy day so perfectly. Francesco thinks I am silly because I have been looking at the photographs for hours every day :) During our wedding, several people also commented on your lovely personality and gentle manner too. This made me very proud. Thank you for being professional, for being lovely and for taking incredible photographs. Sei meraviglioso!
Arno & Nadia
Photo by Christelle Rall
Christelle, you captured our "Fairytale" wedding so perfectly! Each and every photo holds wonderful memories, and this is all thanks to you! We can look at our wedding pics with great pride! We also want to thank you for your professionalism and friendliness on our wedding day, our guests noticed it and we were immensely proud to have had you as part of our most special day! I’m still getting wonderful compliments and it makes my heart bubble with pride and joy all over again! We could not have asked for a better photographer! Our album is fantastic, and we will definitely recommend you with the greatest confidence. Again… thank you so much!
Silvia + Gokhan
Photo by Ufuk Sarisen
We absolutely loved it. We are so excited to get the pictures. You captured every single moment and each time we watch the pictures, we live the emotions again and again with the same excitement of the wedding day. Thank you!
Gul+Said
Photo by Ufuk Sarisen
We were looking for the one photographer that could make our memories deathless, but in the most natural way. We wanted a photographer that could capture: 1) natural moments in an artistic way, but without editing the photographs too much 2) fantastic smiles and laughs 3) funny dance moves 4) the joy in our, and our friends and families eyes 5) the touchy feelings in our body language 6) us posing without making us uncomfortable in the situation 7) our story and culture, that is pretty mixed Ufuk, you did ALL of this and BEYOND what we would imagine! You are a warm, humble and trustworthy human being, and a fantastic photographer! We are unbelievably thankful! Thank you for coming to Cyprus! We will NEVER forget it! We see a friend in you now, and we want you to know that you are welcome to Norway any time!
Kate+Anil
Photo by Ufuk Sarisen
The photos are beautiful!! We are crying! Also I just want to say thank you all photos and for your presence on the day. We LOVE LOVE LOVE them. Now that we have a little distance from the wedding, we feel like it all went perfectly and the photographs captured it so well! We feel really thankful. And also because a lot of people from Canada couldn't come, they are a perfect way to share a very happy day with them :)
Selma & Rashid
Photo by Nilufer Nalbantoglu
Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow!!!! What can I really say! You’re an incredibly talented artist. Thank you for capturing these beautiful moments for our family. I feel so emotional recounting our time in Istanbul. My husband, my family, and future grandchildren will all be grateful for you capturing these wonderful moments and allowing us to hold them forever. Thank you again for the wonderful opportunity to work with you. We can't wait to print out the photos and frame them on our walls. Until we meet again in Istanbul another time soon inshallah :)))
Tala+Ratep
Photo by Ufuk Sarisen
Ufuk, you got me all teary. A million thank you for the birthday wishes and a million other thank you for these beautiful pictures. This is by far the best birthday gift I have received. We downloaded the file so that we would not lose it but will look at them when I am back from the honeymoon hopefully in a couple of days. However I went through some and THEY WILL MORE THAN AMAZING.
Cagda+Nudt
Photo by Ufuk Sarisen
Simply we could not be more pleased with our wedding photos. From early morning till next day early morning you captured our best moments with passion. I still have goosebumps every time I look at our photos even after many months. Each of them represent an intense emotion. You totally achieved to reflect our character and energy into photos. No need for many words Ufuk you really are a very good photographer and we are so glad to have you together with us in our special day. Thank you for documenting our emotions as memories… Lots of Love ..
Nazanin+Charlie
Photo by Ufuk Sarisen
You were a god sent to our wedding. You and your team were nothing but amazing and that’s how everyone in my family and my husband’s feel like. You are so friendly, so precise and professional that we worried about nothing. More than anything else you were so reliable the whole time that gave us the assurance we needed. You made everything really feel better and less stressful and you delivered beautiful shots at the end. Working with you is so easy. Thank you so much!
Sevda-Tugrul
Photo by Ufuk Sarisen
We got married almost like two years ago, and l just had a chance to look at all of our photos. How talented you are Ufuk! I always looking to the photos with a big smile on my face. Thanks for the amazing photos again! You didn’t miss even a second, l felt like I was in our wedding again. THANK YOU.
Beverley+Raymond
Photo by Ufuk Sarisen
Ufuk, We are incredibly happy with the images, they are definitely helping us relive our wedding day! Thanks you so much Ufuk!