Not everyone has a lagoon or glacier next door, but there's no rule saying you can't have a small wedding in the great outdoors. Take advantage of natural sunshine and that open, airy feeling and give your guests some room to breathe! LESS IS MORE Instead of hemming your guests in on all sides, give them some elbow room, and legroom, too. There's no need to induce claustrophobia when you've got a wide, open space. Let your guests take in the view, especially if you've got a spectacular one. You...Read more
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!
Iowa Wedding Photographers
Wedding Photographers of Iowa, United States
Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City, Iowa City, Waterloo, Dubuque
Iowa Elopement Photographers
YOU CAN'T STOP LOVE - In recent days, some of our North America 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!
Most Recent WPJA WedElope Story Awards
Elopement Photographers for Small United States Weddings
Shooting an elopement or small Iowa 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 mini, pop-up, city hall, 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 boutique, non-traditional, symbolic, 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 Iowa Couples
6 Documentary Wedding Photographers...
I take a classic approach to photographing your wedding. Above all else, I'm a storyteller: documenting moments, capturing the emotions of one of the most important days in your lifetime. I emphasize the authentic. Timeless, classic, true; I aim far more towards showing your connection and love than any current trend in wedding photography. In 30 years, I want you to look at your photographs and feel the same way you did at the wedding. I think you deserve photos of your love story that are as timeless as your love. I want to connect with you beyond "style"….photography or otherwise. I want to meet you. I want to know you! I want to know what your lives look like outside of the wedding planning process. And, really, I need that to get the kinds of images I want to give you. The best photographs come when you're willing to let me into your story. I won't pose you to get the perfect photo…the perfect photo is going to come from your connection with each other. Letting me in on that connection is what creates a meaningful, timeless image. [Des Moines Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
3075 (USD)
[Peggy is a founding member of the Wedding Photojournalist Association. Her membership dates back to June of 2003.] I am a working photojournalist covering people stories throughout the Midwest. For weddings, I focus on those moments that take your breath away and bring back the powerful feelings that make living worthwhile. I work quietly and unobtrusively to keep you at the center of your day. I am a former staff photographer for: The Kansas City Star, The Leavenworth Times, The St. Joseph News-Press, The Boulder Daily Camera, The Pueblo Chieftain. Also published through Associated Press with work appearing in national and international publications. I currently publish through HeartKC and Blues Insights. I began photographing weddings with my own business in 2002. I am home based out of Leavenworth, KS - so I understand small town life - but I have also lived in Liberty, MO, Gladstone, MO, Kansas City, MO and spent time in the Ozarks in the summers. My influences have been working with the very best in the photojournalism industry over the years - colleagues who took the time out to offer opinions or advice when I was a young photojournalist coming up in the film days - back when newspapers were all black and white. When I am not photographing weddings, I am still photographing and writing about people stories of interest to our area. I am an active member of the National Press Photographers Association. Degree: The University of Missouri at Kansas City - Creative Writing and Journalism [Kansas Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
995 (USD)
As a documentary-style photographer, I love to emphasize connection, texture, and authentic emotion. Being a former actor who found a deep love and passion for wedding photography, I'm most drawn to the art of storytelling while creating honest and original work. I strive to make my images fully represent my couples in every way possible. From smaller, unconventional elopements to traditional full-day events, I love to capture everything from the big kiss to the secret "I love you's" shared in a whisper. [Chicago Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
3200 (USD)
My talented husband Ed, and I are Omaha, NE wedding photographers. We met when we got paired up to work on a project in one of our art classes in college. He asked me on a date (to the free movie on campus) and the rest is history! We are visual storytellers. We love working together and we are inspired by the wide range of emotions people experience throughout the wedding day. This is why we specialize in photographing weddings with a photojournalistic-style, creating, and capturing your story of love. Our profession has allowed us to visit new places, meet interesting people, explore different cultures and traditions. Documenting intimate moments that reflect the personalities and shared love with not only your partner, but those who surround you during your day of celebration. Ultimately, creating your unique, one-of-a-kind love story. [Omaha Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
2600 (USD)
Chicago-based photographer Allison Williams specializes in modern, documentary wedding photography. Allison worked as a staff photojournalist for Sun-Times Media before starting her own company in 2010. She continues to photograph news and events and uses the same approach for weddings as she does in her newspaper and magazine work. Allison’s style comes out of a unique background–a mix of fine art, documentary, and journalistic photography define her particular approach. [Chicago Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
3300 (USD)
I have been a wedding photographer for over 9 years, inspired by my father's photography career in photojournalism. I grew up in the tropical lands of Costa Rica, where I met the love of my life, and we... [Minneapolis Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
3200 (USD)
Wedding Engagement Diamond Awards - Iowa
Are you ready to find your Iowa 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 Iowa Wedding Photojournalist Association would like to help you add some unique and artistic pictures to your engagement photo gallery!
Searches Related to Iowa Wedding Photography Vendors
WPJA Communiqué: Features
Traditionally speaking, often times it is the couple’s families who help pay for their wedding. However, unfortunately that’s just not possible for everyone, especially these days when the cost of weddings can quickly and easily get out of control. Some couples find themselves in the position of paying for all of their own wedding expenses, which can be quite the financial burden to take on, and about 40% of Millennials end up in this boat. So, how can you stick to your allotted...Read more
WHAT EXACTLY DOES IT MEAN TO ELOPE? If you look up the definition of “elope” in the Merriam-Webster dictionary , you’ll find a plethora of meanings making it quite clear how polarizing the word has become, and how it has transformed and evolved with the passage of time and even personal preference.Read more
Everyone always says that your wedding day is all about you. But let’s face it; that’s not always actually the case. Many couples stress over guest lists, planning, expenses, and all the frills and traditions of your standard large wedding that they may or may not even be interested in. Fortunately, though, the concept of small weddings is becoming increasingly popular for couples who either want to be able to completely customize their day where and when they want with the option...Read more
Oftentimes when people are considering a venue for their weddings, they search for a location away from home, whether that be ten minutes or ten hours, all just to find what they already have: a place that holds meaning for them, that feels comfortable, or that they find special and memorable. But what could hold more memory, meaning, and importance than your own home? For those looking for that perfect venue, it may not be any further than beyond your threshold.Read more
So your wedding is just around the corner and you’ve decided to elope , either because you want to do this on a budget , avoid a large wedding party, or simply to enjoy the day together with minimal distractions and as little stress as possible . They say 'all you need is love', but where exactly can you afford to trim the fat, so to speak? You want simplicity, but you also want to be properly married and, surely, to remember this occasion. Who, then, could be more important than...Read more
RAVES, REVIEWS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Stephen & Melissa
Photo by Mark Cluney
You have an eye for all things beautiful and were able to get the raw emotion and feelings we were experiencing into each of the photos. You captured the HEART of our wedding. The joy, anticipation, humor and love fill your photos and are now forever available to us. I loved working with you. You was thorough but everything felt very efficient. We felt taken care of and got so many amazing shots of the entire day! I loved that you caught the emotions of the guests... and of me and my husband. Looking through the photos of our wedding it's easy to connect right back in the midst of moments that felt like such a blur in the moment.
Leah + Cody
Photo by Mark Cluney
As an artist from a family of artists, I was incredibly discerning in choosing a photographer; I couldn't have made a better decision. The creativity and quality of our photos far surpassed our expectations and additionally...and I still cannot believe how quickly after our wedding we received our photos. We have received SO many compliments on our pictures and most importantly, we absolutely love them.
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.
