Wedding Photos of Santa Monica

The following “Santa Monica” 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 “Santa Monica” 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.

Engagement portrait of a couple under the Santa Monica Pier, CA, captured by a SoCal wedding photographer - a fine art portrayal of a low sun.

Under the Santa Monica Pier, CA - Fine Art Engagement Portrait in the Low Sun

Engagement portrait captured by a Southern California wedding photographer at Santa Monica Pier as the couple enjoys a roller coaster ride in the afternoon sunlight.

Love On A Roller Coaster: Engagement Portrait At Santa Monica Pier

Santa Monica engagement photography hands up Santa Monica Santa Monica Pier roller coaster ride afternoon sunlight California - Southern

Creative portrait of a couple walking and holding hands with cotton candy at Santa Monica Pier by a Santa Monica wedding photographer.

Cotton Candy Love: Santa Monica Pier Engagement Portrait

Santa Monica Pier Santa Monica California - Southern blue wall Santa Monica Engagement Photographer Hand in hand couple walking

An after the wedding proposal engagement picture session in Los Angeles in Santa Monica and they loved the environment here

Brandon Lai Ferris wheel Santa Monica photographer carnival Los Angeles Santa Monica

A romantic engagement session in Santa Monica, CA of an engaged couple running and kicking water on the beach

beach engagement running at beach kicking ocean water California - Southern Santa Monica Santa Monica photographer Monty Soungpradith

Adventurous engagement photos in Santa Monica, California of a couple holding hands while riding bicycles

riding bicycles California - Southern Santa Monica photographer Monty Soungpradith Santa Monica Santa Monica couple holding hands

Southern California Engagement Photos. Santa Monica couple posing while hugging and laughing

Santa Monica photographer Santa Monica California - Southern hugging Santa Monica couple Monty Soungpradith couple laughing

This Santa Monica wedding photojournalism picture is a top quality example of what candid, nontraditional California wedding photography looks like, as the flowergirl wipes her tears during the emotional ceremony at Tiato Kitchen & Market

Santa Monica wedding photojournalism Tiato Kitchen and Market wipes CA bride outdoor ceremony California wedding photography emotional

Santa Monica Beach engagement portrait photoshoot with a couple smiling in black and white

engagement photo Santa Monica engaged couple Santa Monica pre wedding portraits Santa Monica Heather DeCamp beach black and white

Santa Monica, Los Angeles Engagement Photography | Couple by the sea in the evening.

Engagement Photography of a Couple by the sea in the evening by the pier and boardwalk

Santa Monica engagement images boardwalk Los Angeles pier Santa Monica pre wedding portrait Santa Monica engagement photography

Wedding photo from St. Michaels Restaurant, Santa Monica, California, USA - Two grooms hug their loved ones

the grooms hug their loved ones

St Michaels Restaurant Johnny Shryock santa monica wedding photographer california wedding photographer ceremony Santa Monica hugging

Engagement Photography in Santa Monica - Stylish couple chilling in an 'old' house in Santa Monica

Engagement Photography in Santa Monica with a Stylish couple chilling in an 'old' house in Santa Monica

pre wedding session Santa Monica home vintage Santa Monica engagement photographers Santa Monica couch

firecracker topped unicorn wedding cake

cake cutting unicorn wedding cake Michaels Restaurant firecracker Santa Monica photography Brittany Diliberto Santa Monica

wedding venue photography from Michael's Restaurant, Santa Monica CA | drag queen Leilani Lopez entertains everyone during dinner with a lip sync of "Poor Unfortunate Souls" by Ursula

dinner entertainment

Michaels Restaurant Brittany Diliberto Santa Monica photography CA Santa Monica photographer Santa Monica Santa Monica wedding image

Couple playing by the sea

bw portrait ideas wading in water Ferris wheel monochrome black and white bw pre wedding photo

Santa Monica, California engagement session Overlooking the ocean

A sunset engagement session Overlooking the ocean of the Pacific

ocean overlooking California engagement session CA Santa Monica

Santa Monica Wedding Photographer - Long Exposure Engagement Portrait

A wedding photographer captures a long exposure engagement portrait with stars and a dark sky adding drama and depth to the scene

Santa Monica engagement photography long exposure Santa Monica Pre Wedding Photo CA night portrait dark sky Santa Monica

Santa Monica Photographer - Los Angeles Engagement Session with Sunlit Faces

The Engagement Session featured sunlit faces in black and white, with shadows on the walls and lines that added a creative and contrasting element to the photograph

sunlit faces Los Angeles engagement Santa Monica Santa Monica engagement photography shadows and light Santa Monica photographer

Windy Engagement Session - Santa Monica Wedding Photographer

The windy engagement session took place at night and was lit by the photographer while the wind is blowing the woman's hair in the photo

wind blown hair windy Santa Monica night photographer Santa Monica engagement photography CA engagement Santa Monica photographer

Santa Monica Beach Pier Engagement Photography Session | Fun with Pets, Dogs

The beach pier engagement photography session featured the couple running with their dogs on the wood boardwalk, with a deep blue painted wall in the background

Los Angeles photographer blue wall Santa Monica Pier pet dogs Santa Monica running couple boardwalk

Couple in love under Santa Monica Pier | Engagement Romance Portraits Under Santa Monica Pier

The couple poses in love under a pier, captured in a romantic portrait at the beach during their engagement

Santa Monica engagement photography Santa Monica Romance Portrait under a pier Santa Monica Pier beach engagement

Red Silhouette Under Santa Monica Pier | California Engagement Portrait Photographer

A red silhouette of the couple is captured under a pier during their engagement portrait photo shoot at dusk, with rich, dark tones in the frame adding to the moody atmosphere

moody atmosphere Southern California dark tones red light Santa Monica under a pier Santa Monica Pier

Engaged couple sits on the Santa Monica Pier for Engagement Photography in CA

The happy couple sits contentedly on the boardwalk, taking in the vibrant blue painted wall behind them. The hustle and bustle of pedestrians walking by in the foreground create a lively atmosphere.

Santa Monica boardwalk pedestrians passing Santa Monica engagement photography blue wall Santa Monica Pier lively atmosphere

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.