Wedding Photos of Before ceremony

The following “Before ceremony” 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 “Before ceremony” 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.

High angle shot of the bride writing a letter to her husband at Dockside Guest Quarters in York, Maine, on their wedding day.

Bride's Intimate Letter Writing Moment at Dockside Guest Quarters, York, Maine Wedding

Father of the bride carefully placing the veil on his daughter's head at Castelnau des Fieumarcon in Lectoure, Gers, a touching moment frozen in time during the wedding ceremony.

Father of the Bride Tenderly Adorning Veil in Castelnau des Fieumarcon, Lectoure, Gers Ceremony

bw Wedding Photo Lectoure Wedding Moment touching head daughter bride Lectoure

Documentary-style image of flower girls admiring horses on the property at Stone Tavern Farm, Roxbury NY, captured on the wedding day before the ceremony, in a tranquil outdoor setting.

Charming Flower Girls Gaze at Majestic Horses: Pre-Ceremony Moment at Stone Tavern Farm, Roxbury NY

Stone Tavern Farm wedding Roxbury Wedding Photography farm Roxbury NY Documentary before ceremony

A beautiful bride gazes down at her wedding guests from a scenic balcony at the Honig Fabriek in Nijmegen, captured in this wedding day photograph.

Gazing From The Balcony: A Bride's Moment At Honig Fabriek In Nijmegen

Honig Fabriek beautiful bride photograph Nijmegen Blue Flowing celebration

Capturing the scene with exquisite detail, the photographer beautifully frames the bride as she applies her vibrant red lipstick, enhancing the stunning red hues of the luxurious British Pullman train.

Luxurious British Pullman Train: Capturing Exquisite Detail of Vibrant Bride

Applying Lipstick getting ready red lipstick wedding preparations bride before ceremony tight shot

A truthful report of raw emotions in a Bovendonk wedding day image captured by a Hoeven, Netherlands documentary wedding photographer showing the Groom and his brother in BW just before the ceremony starts

Bovendonk photographer Hoeven Halderberge before ceremony North Brabant truthful bw

An impressive Ritz Carlton DC wedding image of the Washington couple sharing a quiet moment and a glass of champagne at the bar before their ceremony

glass Washington DC Ritz Carlton Washington couple before ceremony Ritz Carlton DC champagne

Great wedding photography of the groom from Bulgaria

Great BW wedding photography of the groom from Bulgaria posing with good light before his ceremony

Bulgaria wedding portrait Bulgaria good light before ceremony bw Wedding Photography Lubomir Jiponov groom

Philadelphia actual wedding day couple portrait at Merion Tribute House before the ceremony started, the bride and groom walked out the big doors and kissed right before they exited

Tribute House kissed Philadelphia bride and groom exited John Ryan walked

Great wedding photography of the groom from Chateau de St Jean des Plat in Castelnaudary as he prepares by a window for the ceremony

Chateau de St Jean des Plat weddings before ceremony Castelnaudary groom France wedding photography groom Castelnaudary window

An elegant wedding day detail picture in Colorado showing an Estes Park brides dress hangs in a window before the ceremony

Dress hanging brides gown colorado bride Estes Park before ceremony Estes Park bridal dress

A superb example of a wedding detail in this Parana picture in Brazil of the groom Writing the vows before the ceremony

bed pages Parana suit before ceremony writing Parana wedding picture

A spiritual black and white Asheville, NC documentary wedding picture showing Bridesmaids supporting the bride during a prayer before the ceremony

black and white prayer NC NC documentary wedding Asheville bride Asheville

Best Boston documentary wedding photography from the Newbury Hotel showing the Groom and ring bearer preparing the rings before ceremony

rings Newbury Hotel ring bearer before ceremony Boston preparing Simi Rabinowitz

An extraordinary Colorado Springs wedding image by a professional CO photographer conveying the Groom chatting on the phone before the ceremony with a beer while the bride takes a drink of her beer in the foreground

Colorado groom phone before ceremony Colorado Springs wedding image bottle Colorado Mark Creery

An extraordinary Leicestershire wedding picture by a pro UK photographer at The Woodlands revealing The bridesmaids walking over to the ceremony

Woodlands weddings The Woodlands Leicestershire wedding picture UK Photographer walking before ceremony

A black and white Philadelphia documentary wedding picture of The bride going through the format of the ceremony with her officiant while a bridesmaid is finishing putting her veil on

Philadelphia before ceremony PA bride bridesmaid veil officiant black and white

Best France documentary wedding photojournalism image from Hôtel MGallery Nest La Défense showing the Last check for the groom with his mother before going to the ceremony

France documentary wedding groom Last check Hôtel MGallery Nest La Défense mother Nest La Défense

Colorado wedding documentary photographer created this image at the Copper Mountain Resort showing A bridesmaid crying as the bride comforts her before the wedding ceremony

Mountain Resort bridesmaid crying Colorado colorado wedding photographer Copper Mountain Resort

Wedding image from the Grand Hotel dei Castelli in Liguria showing a high angle of the Bride before ceremony at the hotel coming down steps

Grand Hotel dei Castelli venue Julian Kanz Liguria weddings steps high angle Liguria bride Grand Hotel dei Castelli

World's best and most unconventional wedding photography from East Yorkshire, UK showing The bride putting on her decorative bangles before the ceremony, this is actually quite a hard and painful process on the wrists

before ceremony East Yorkshire wedding photography wrists uk bride bangles Patrick Mateer east yorkshire

World's most innovative and best France wedding photography of the bride holding her wedding rings in her hand before going to the ceremony

stairs wedding rings french bride hat France wedding photography hand

World's most visionary and best wedding couple portrait images from Ruderclub Germania showing the Bridal couple relaxes before the wedding ceremony

dock Patrycja Janik boardwalk dusseldorf portrait images before ceremony Ruderclub Germania water

World's most artistic and best wedding portraits from Koc Museum in Istanbul during bridal shooting before the ceremony indoors

indoors Koc Museum wedding venue flowing veil Koc Museum before ceremony Turkey

A first class Estes Park wedding portrait of this Colorado bride and groom as they embrace for a private session amongst some trees before their ceremony

trees Estes Park CO private photo session Estes Park wedding portrait Colorado bride and groom embrace

This New York wedding photojournalism picture is a prime example of what candid, nontraditional Indian Lake wedding photography looks like, as the bride gets her makeup done before the ceremony at Timberlock Camp

Indian Lake wedding photography New York wedding photojournalism makeup Indian Lake NY bride New York

A top wedding photojournalist at Radisson Blu in Bucharest created this image of the Bride and groom dancing in the hotel room before ceremony

romance dancing Bucharest wedding image getting ready before ceremony bride and groom

sensitive Poland wedding Detail of engagement ring just before the ceremony

hands warsaw wedding photography Poland wedding Detail suit rings sensitive before ceremony

Popponesset Inn, Mashpee indoor marriage event award-winning image showing the groom kisses his dog before the ceremony

dogs Popponesset Inn before ceremony MA weddings dog kisses

An eccentric Gap wedding portrait of the France Bride and groom during a silhouette photo shoot before ceremony

Gap trees France Gap wedding portrait before ceremony mountains Jean Baptiste Chauvin

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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.