Wedding Photos of Virginia

The following “Virginia” 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 “Virginia” 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.

In the scenic Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, a couple about to tie the knot is captured at sunset on Skyline Drive. The image showcases a vibrant orange sky, with the couple in silhouette, facing each other in the center for a symmetrical composition

Silhouetted Love: Sunset Engagement Portrait Captures Mesmerizing Silhouette Perfection on Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

In Alexandria, VA, a couple lovingly leans in for a tender kiss, framed by a stunning tunnel constructed with weathered square stones

Love's Embrace: Alexandria Engagement Portrait Enchants with Historic Stone Tunnel

arch Alexandria tunnel Alexandria engagement photography tender kiss stones Virginia

A close-up view of a beautifully decorated sword and henna design, captured during a Sikh wedding ceremony in Arlington, Virginia

Exquisite Sikh Wedding Splendor: A Captivating Close-Up of Ornate Sword and Henna Art in Vibrant Arlington, Virginia

Arlington VA Wedding Photography henna design sword decorated Arlington-VA Virginia Sikh Wedding Ceremony

In a woodland setting along the Rivanna Trail in Charlottesville, VA, a couple finds solace in each other's arms, surrounded by lush, emerald foliage, their tender embrace encapsulates their love

Enveloped in Nature's Love: A Serene Moment Along the Rivanna Trail

Virginia forest woodland setting Charlottesville Rivanna Trail tender embrace Charlottesville Engagement Photography

A bride celebrates during a Yoruba ceremony at the Short Pump Hilton in Richmond, Virginia, surrounded by her bridal party as they dance and money is thrown into the air

Bridal Bliss: Captivating Yoruba Ceremony Unveiled at Short Pump Hilton

bridal party Richmond Documentary Wedding Photography Virginia dancing Short Pump Hilton money in air traditional attire

An engagement portrait in Manassas, VA captured the couple enjoying a piggyback ride at a local brewery

Capturing Love and Laughter: A Playful Engagement Portrait in Manassas, VA

picnic benches Manassas Manassas Brewery Manassas Engagement Photography piggyback ride local brewery Virginia

$Old Town Alexandria couple captured in a mesmerizing artistic portrait, bathed in halos of refracted light at The Morrison House - Hotel$

The Morrison House - Hotel in Old Town Alexandria captures an artistic portrait of a couple

Old Town Alexandria Virginia The Morrison House Hotel Alexandria mesmerizing artistic portrait captured

Old Town Alexandria at The Morrison House - Hotel: A stylish duo poses in front of a captivating book collage

The Morrison House - Hotel in Old Town Alexandria: A stylish duo in front of a captivating book collage

The Morrison House Hotel Virginia Alexandria silhouettes stylish duo shadows Old Town Alexandria

The couple ran along a sunny street in Alexandria, Virginia, with shadows stretching before them, creating an eye-catching photo

Alexandria, Virginia: Engagement Photo Perfection Sparked by Running Couple's Shadows

black and white Virginia Alexandria middle of street shadows Alexandria Engaged Couple walking

The couple is eating a cookie in Alexandria, Virginia, posing for a black and white portrait in a park while wearing formal clothing

Alexandria, VA: Black & White Formal Engagement Photo of Couple Eating Cookie in Park

bw portrait Alexandria Engagement Session formal clothing cookie park engagement Virginia

The couple is captured in a black and white photo, featuring a mirrored effect, reflecting their surroundings near a greenhouse in Alexandria, Virginia

Alexandria, Virginia Greenhouse Engagement Photo: Reflections of a Loving Couple

Alexandria Virginia mirrored effect Alexandria Engagement Portrait greenhouse bw portrait

At the Estate at River Run in Richmond, Virginia, USA, the mother stands in disbelief in response to the toasts given by the groom's siblings

At the Estate at River Run, Richmond, Virginia, USA, the mother is stunned by the toasts

disbelief surprised Estate at River Run stunned mother Virginia Richmond

At Avon Hill Lodge in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA, the bride was captured on the dance floor playing air guitar, surrounded by guests pointing at her

At Avon Hill Lodge in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA, the bride danced with air guitar surrounded by cheering guests

dance floor guests Charlottesville Wedding Photography Charlottesville Avon Hill Lodge Charlottesville family and friends cheering guests

The photographer at Ashton Creek Vineyard in Richmond, Virginia captured a beautiful moment of the bride and bridesmaids tearfully witnessing the groom's heartfelt vows

At Ashton Creek Vineyard in Richmond, Virginia, a beautiful moment of the bride and bridesmaids tearfully witnessing the groom's heartfelt vows was captured

Richmond Richmond Wedding Photography Richmond Outdoor Ceremony tearful richmond bride bridesmaids Virginia

The photographer captures the couple's lifestyle engagement portrait at dusk, with the Virginia Skyline Drive as a backdrop, glowing with the sunset

Virginia Skyline Drive sunset: A couple's lit lifestyle engagement portrait at sunset

sunset portrait Virginia virginia engagement photographer dusk Virginia Skyline Drive lit portrait

At Wintergreen Resort in VA, the ceremony was held in the mountains under a blue sky, with a creative reflection at the bottom adding extra interest to the photograph

At Wintergreen Resort in VA, the ceremony was captured in a scenic mountain backdrop under a blue sky and a reflection at the bottom

reflection mountains Wintergreen Resort blue sky Virginia outdoor ceremony Virginia photographer Virginia

At Stonewall Vineyards in VA, the wedding party posed for black and white portraits, with the man joyfully jumping and flying over the low laying women

At Stonewall Vineyards in VA, the wedding party posed joyfully with the man jumping and flying over the women

Stonewall Vineyards black and white Virginia photographer Virginia Groom flying women jumping

At Westin Dulles, Virginia, a lovely towering wedding cake before drapes lit with beautiful purple lights

At Westin Dulles, VA, a wedding cake with purple lit drapes

Virginia Westin Dulles drapes Virginia photographer towering cake wedding cake purple lights

The couple exchanged vows amidst the majestic beauty of Luray Caverns, VA, USA, surrounded by stunning speleothems such as columns, mud flows, stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, and mirrored pools

The beauty of the natural speleothems, such as columns, mud flows, stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, and mirrored pools, provided a breathtaking backdrop for exchanging marriage vows in the caverns

stalactites cavern ceremony Luray Luray Caverns Virginia stalagmites speleothems

The bride poses with a large bouquet of fall-toned flowers in the majestic mountains of Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

The bride is artfully captured with her bouquet of flowers in a natural outdoor setting with soft illumination

natural setting fall toned flowers Virginia photographer large bouquet Shenandoah National Park Virginia mountain

The couple enjoys a vibrant embrace in the forest of Shenandoah National Park on their wedding day, illuminated by the sun's glorious rays

The couple passionately embraces in the sun-drenched forest, face to face

Face to face Virginia Shenandoah National Park Virginia photographer forest Sun rays

A beautiful wedding scene in the forest of Woodlands Conference Center, Ceremony, Virginia, USA

The towering trees of the forest provide a majestic backdrop for an outdoor wedding ceremony

Virginia family and friends Woodlands Conference Center Virginia towering trees Virginia outdoor ceremony forest ceremony Virginia photographer

The couple are captured in black and white in the tranquil forest of Airlie, Virginia, USA on their special wedding day

The couple are captured in a tranquil forest in a beautiful black and white profile picture

Airlie forest portrait Virginia photographer black and white USA profiles bw portrait

From the Inn at Little Washington, Washington VA, a detail image of the engagement ring displayed between the bride's shoes that are of a similar design

A detailed image of an engagement ring artfully photographed between the bride's shoes

The Inn at Little Washington wedding day details Virginia photographer bridal shoes Virginia wedding ring Washington VA

The bride and groom posed for a black and white portrait outside of their Lynchburg, Virginia wedding venue, with an intimate focus on her bouquet details

In Lynchburg, VA, the bride and groom posed for a black and white portrait with a focus on her bouquet details

bw portrait bouquet Virginia Lynchburg Photographer Lynchburg

After cocktail hour with friends, the couple took beautiful sunset and blue hour photos with lanterns outside their reception venue in Lynchburg, Virginia

The couple captured the romantic ambiance of the evening with their portrait illuminated by lanterns at their reception venue during the sunset and blue hour

blue hour Lynchburg Photographer sunset Virginia Lynchburg lanterns VA

The bride and groom happily opened their gifts together at The Westin Washington Dulles, VA, USA, excited as they opened each gift bag

Beaming with joy, the bride and groom eagerly opened their gifts together, delighting in each surprise

USA Virginia photographer Westin Washington Dulles gift bag presents VA Virginia

The bridesmaids gracefully glided up the wet stone steps, each carrying a clear bubble umbrella, on the way to the Airlie VA wedding

Bridesmaids gracefully ascended wet stone steps, umbrellas in hand, each clutching a beautiful bouquet of pink and white roses

Virginia photographer Rainy day umbrellas climbing steps bridesmaids bouquets Virginia

The bride, holding her bouquet in Washington VA, straightened the bowtie of the little ring bearer

The bride, bouquet in hand, fixed the ring bearer's bowtie as he stood dapper in his suit

ring bearer Virginia photographer Washington VA bowtie Virginia

The bride glowed radiantly as she gracefully walked down the aisle, bathed in the warm sunlight

Gleaming with joy, the bride's father proudly escorted her down the aisle in a beam of sunlight

radiantly glowing Warm sunlight Virginia photographer Virginia

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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.