Wedding Photos of Traditional

The following “Traditional” 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 “Traditional” 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.

Captured at a wedding in Marrakesh, this photo showcases a bride getting ready with the help of elderly women, adorning her with a large traditional headdress.

Bride in Marrakesh: Traditional Headdress Unveiled by Elderly Women in Stunning Pre-Wedding Scene

The moment when the groom and his friend participate in traditional gatecrashing games to pick up the bride at a wedding held at the Grand Hyatt Xi'an.

Grand Hyatt Xi'an Wedding: Groom and Friend Take on Gatecrashing Games to Pick Bride

friend games Grand Hyatt Xian Traditional Grand Hyatt Wedding groom Xi'an

At the Westin Hotel in Southfield, Michigan, an enchanting Indian wedding ceremony unfolds as the bride and groom joyfully participate in the traditional ritual of blowing flower petals into each other's faces.

Indian Wedding Ritual at The Westin Hotel

celebration love hotel venue flower Indian wedding ceremony faces marriage

In the vibrant setting at Hotel Royalton Splash Riviera in Mexico, an exhilarating moment unfolds as the traditional Turmeric Haldi ceremony takes flight, symbolizing the joy and energy of an Indian wedding celebration against the blue backdrop.

Riviera Romance: A Turmeric Haldi Ceremony at Hotel Royalton Splash Riviera, Mexico

joy Playa del Carmen vibrant setting Royalton Splash Riviera Cancun blue backdrop Traditional Riviera Romance

Beautiful candid moment of newlyweds cutting their wedding cake, captured in black and white at CAV Restaurant in Providence, RI, USA, showcasing the humorous and endearing confusion of the couple as they navigate this traditional task together.

Elegant Cake Cutting Delight: Newlyweds at CAV Restaurant in Providence, RI Show Humorous Confusion

Traditional beautiful shot candid moment couple Providencef Wedding Moment CAV Restaurant smiles

Bride, groom, and bridesmaid with a red umbrella leave bride's childhood home 'Wang Tao House' in Tai Po, Hong Kong, heading to the ceremony venue in sentimental image capturing a traditional moment on the wedding day.

Sentimental Moment: Bride, Groom, and Bridesmaid Leave Childhood Home 'Wang Tao House' in Tai Po

ceremony venue wedding red umbrella family childhood home love bridesmaid

The Vienne wedding preparations - the bride is surrounded by her attendants in a cozy room at home, adjusting her dress for the ceremony.

Elegance in Vienne: Bride And Attendants Prepare in Cozy Home For Wedding Ceremony

home Traditional candid prepare Elegance love joyful

A candid shot of a traditional Indian wedding ceremony in Hyderabad, capturing the emotional moment as the bride receives blessings between her parents while the groom waits on the other side of the symbolic purdah veil, a touching wedding image.

Emotional Blessings: Traditional Indian Wedding Ceremony in Hyderabad Captures Bride's Tender Moment

touching curtain wedding emotional India curtain candid purdah

A wedding guest in Eyeworth, Bedfordshire slyly checks a man's kilt before making his escape, creating a comical and unexpected view at the wedding.

The Kilt Caper: A Comical Moment in Eyeworth

Bedfordshire tricks Humorous playful humor funny laughter

Ulysses Hotel in Baltimore, MD showcases traditional Chinese door games as the groom buys his way through the door to meet his bride

Baltimore's Ulysses Hotel: Capturing the Rituals of Love and Tradition

Chinese door games wedding photography Ulysses Hotel Baltimore MD groom Baltimore tradition Maryland

Chinese Door Games at Ulysses Hotel in Baltimore, MD: Groom and groomsmen strike a pose, mimicking a picture, impressing the bride during a fun-filled wedding celebration

Baltimore Bliss: Groomsmen's Art of Impression in Chinese Door Games

Ulysses Hotel Baltimore fun wedding celebration Traditional pose mimicking a picture Chinese door games MD

Wedding photo captured at Palazzo Valenti Gonzaga in Mantua, Italy. Detail of groom's shoes covered in rice after the traditional rice throwing ceremony.

Groom's Rice-Covered Shoes Steal the Spotlight at Palazzo Valenti Gonzaga

Italian wedding tradition grooms shoes rice tight detail shot close up photography Mantua Mantua weddings

A couple embraces the serenity of a boutique hotel in Sri Lanka for their destination wedding. In this striking black and white portrait, they share a tender kiss near a round window, just before their ceremony.

A Black and White Wedding Portrait in Sri Lanka

bride and groom portrait Sri Lankan wedding traditions Sri Lanka inspiration Luxury Wedding wedding photography Sri Lanka bridal portrait session

At Garvan's Gastropub in New Paltz, New York, the bride's mother was joyfully lifted up in the traditional Horah during the Hudson Valley wedding celebration

The bride's mother was joyfully lifted up in the Horah at Garvan's Gastropub, New Paltz, NY

joyful Hudson Valley New York - Upstate Brides mother Horah dance lifted up chairlift dance

The bride and groom had fun as they performed the talambralu ritual at the wedding venue in Golkonda fort, Hyderabad, pouring rice mixed with turmeric on each other

The bride and groom performed the traditional talambralu ritual, pouring rice mixed with turmeric on each other at the wedding venue

Hyderabad Photographer bride and groom turmeric turmeric ceremony turmeric and rice rice pouring

In Ras Al Khaimah, the traditional wedding ritual of mangalsnanam is celebrated with a shower of joyous water over the newly-wed couple

At traditional weddings, a ritual known as mangalsnanam sees the newly-wed couple blessed with a lifelong relationship through a shower of water

water Mangalsnanam ritual blessed shower UAE Photographer Ras Al Khaimah

The South Asian bride had a big smile on her face as she was honoured with a traditional water pouring ceremony at her house before the wedding

The bride beamed with joy as she endured the traditional water pouring ceremony at her residence

face Traditional water pouring big smile San Francisco ceremony house

At the traditional Chinese wedding ceremony in Ningbo, China, the bride and groom walked under an impressive canopy of red umbrellas and red lanterns, along a luxurious red carpet, creating a truly royal feeling

The bride and groom wowed guests as they walked under a red-hued canopy of umbrellas and lanterns at their wedding ceremony

Traditional royal Chinese wedding ceremony China Ningbo red lanterns bride and groom

Best Paris documentary wedding photography showing a nice Moment between bride and groom during a traditional Iranian ceremony

bride and groom Traditional Lea Torrieri Iranian ceremony France Paris Paris documentary wedding photography

Best UK documentary wedding prep picture from the Hampton Court House of the Groom having a traditional shave before the wedding ceremony

Hampton Court House UK documentary wedding shave Hampton Court House wedding prep picture Traditional

An extraordinary Fiumicello wedding image by a professional Udine, Italy photographer at Villa Regatti conveying the traditional Asian Tea ceremony

Asian Fiumicello Udine couple Villa Regatti Italy Traditional Udine

An exceptional Buckinghamshire wedding image by a pro UK photographer at the Hedsor House exhibiting a traditional Asian ceremony

UK Photographer Damion Mower Asian ceremony Hedsor House weddings Hedsor House Buckingham Buckinghamshire wedding image

France marriage ceremony award-winning image showing a Traditional Iranian vow exchange

Paris photographer Traditional bride and groom France Iranian marriage ceremony image vow exchange

Bodrum, Turkey nuptial day award-winning image of Bride saying goodbye to her family with traditional accordion goodbye song

red veil Bodrum family accordion Turkey nuptial day Traditional

Brittany nuptial day award-winning image of Traditional breton musicians welcoming bride and groom

bride and groom Traditional music Brittany photographer breton welcoming

Occitanie outdoor marriage ceremony award-winning image showing Traditional musicians are playing music for bride and groom with emotions

Occitanie Traditional bride and groom music brass musicians marriage ceremony image

Ruse wedding photographer contest award winning image sample at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Bulgaria created as Grooms mother is welcoming the newlyweds with a traditional round bread giving a piece of bread to both of them

welcoming Detelina Krasteva Traditional Ruse Bulgaria ruse wedding photographer round bread

France wedding photographer contest award winning image from outdoor Party wedding showing Bride and groom are discovering a traditional present, a cows bell

present grass France cow bell bride and groom trees Marion Pomes

Ho Chi Minh City urban pic shoot before the wedding day with some traditional architecture buildings

An urban pic shoot before the wedding day with some traditional architecture buildings

Vietnam Photographer traditional architecture Ho Chi Minh City Traditional Huy Che Hoang urban portrait

Zhengzhou, Henan creative wedding detail image of the traditional Wedding custom in china

China Zhengzhou creative Henan Traditional Wedding customs

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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.