Wedding Photos of Church ceremony

The following “Church 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 “Church 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.

Wedding photo taken in Gorizia, Italy, showing the bride and her father at the church entrance basked in sunlight. A heartfelt moment captured by the photographer.

Bride and Father Embrace in Sunlit Moment at Gorizia Church - Photographer's Touching Image

Photograph captured at a wedding in Suffolk, UK, showing elderly guests walking in a windy path to the church surrounded by tombstones and tall grass.

Charming Suffolk Wedding: Elderly Guests Brave Windy Path Past Tombstones to Church Ceremony

England bw windy path Suffolk UK wedding tall grass Suffolk wedding photography

Wedding photo taken at Pont du Casse Hotel in Lot-et-Garonne, France captures a couple sharing a kiss under a bubble exit after their church ceremony.

Romantic Bubble Exit Kiss at Pont du Casse Hotel in Lot-et-Garonne Wedding Celebration

church ceremony wedding photo kiss Lot-et-Garonne Pont du Casse Hotel bubble exit celebration

Capture of wedding guests waiting to be seated at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception in Portland, Maine, creating a timeless moment of anticipation and reverence on the special day.

Elegant Guests Await Seating at Cathedral of Immaculate Conception in Portland, Maine Wedding

Cathedral of Immaculate Conception silhouetted guests Bouchemaine Portland-ME altar church ceremony Portland ME Wedding Photography

A candid moment captured during a wedding ceremony at the Santa Rita Church in Milan, Italy, as a father lovingly removes his daughter's bridal veil at the altar in a serene and heartfelt scene.

Father's Tender Touch: Captivating Wedding Moment at Santa Rita Church in Milan, Italy

bridal Milan altar church wedding photo veil serene candid

A vintage-inspired black and white photo captured at the prestigious Winery Zvonko Bogdan in Palić, Subotica, featuring a wedding party joyfully returning from a church ceremony in cars under a rainy summer sky.

Vintage Elegance: Wedding Party Returns from Church in Cars at Winery Zvonko Bogdan

Subotica Wedding Photography rainy summer Serbia Winery Zvonko Bogdan prestigious bw photo

In Isere, a playful moment captured in a church as the couple’s son hides under the altar, trying to escape quietly during the priest’s speech at the wedding.

Secret Escape: A Child's Playful Moment in Isere Chapel

church ceremony secret escape hiding son Isère Church altar priest speech Isere

Newlyweds exiting the stunning Antibes Church on the French Riviera as tossed flower petals and rice rain down from above.

Riviera Radiance: Newlyweds Embrace in Antibes

bride and groom professional photographer wedding venues photographers coastal area Antibes Church marriage ceremonies

Award-winning wedding photographer captures the romance of the ceremony with a stunning, artistic image at a church in West Bend, Wisconsin. Reflective elements add depth and beauty to this captivating ceremony image.

Romantic Reflections: A Captivating Church Ceremony in West Bend

reflections artistic image white and yellow reflective elements West Bend Artistic Scene Setter West Bend Church church ceremony

In this heartwarming wedding day picture captured in Cahors, the bride and groom sit together at the front of the church while the bride's daughter wraps her arms around her in a loving embrace.

Cahors Embrace: A Heartwarming Wedding Day Picture Full of Love

Cahors Church Cahors church ceremony Cahors Documentary Wedding Photography loving embrace brides daughter Occitane

A child plays during a church ceremony at Santa Maria del Riposo church in Bracciano, Italy

Child's Joyful Serenade: Captivating Moments at Santa Maria del Riposo Church in Bracciano, Italy

child plays church ceremony Bracciano Bracciano Documentary Wedding Photography Santa Maria del Riposo Rome

In Trieste, Italy, a groom lovingly touches the bride's face after exchanging rings inside the church. A beautiful moment of tenderness captured.

A Touch of Love: Groom's Tenderness Shines in Trieste, Italy

Trieste Trieste Documentary Wedding Photography touching face tender moment church ceremony

In this heartfelt image captured by an Ottawa wedding photographer, the scene takes place at a church in Ottawa, Ontario. The bride is seen wiping a tear under her veil, while her bridesmaids stand in a line behind her.

Emotional Moments Unveiled: A Tearful Bride Surrounded by Bridesmaids at an Ottawa Church

Ottawa Documentary Wedding Photography church ceremony wiping tears Ontario Ottawa bridesmaids

A talented documentary wedding photographer captured this award-winning image at a church ceremony in Lille, Nord. It shows the groom's mother joyfully walking down the aisle alongside the groom.

Joyful Groom's Mother: Captivating Image of a Church Wedding Ceremony in Lille, Nord

church ceremony Lille groom aisle Nord groom mother walking Lille Lille wedding photographer

A little girl and bridesmaids stand inside the Immaculata Catholic Church at the University of San Diego, getting ready for the church ceremony

Prepping for the Perfect Union: Little girl and bridesmaids radiate joy inside Immaculata Catholic Church at USD

getting ready Immaculata Catholic Church San Diego documentary wedding photography University of San Diego church ceremony little girl bridesmaids

A tender moment captured between the groom and his grandfather at the historic Carbonne's church

Enduring Love: Groom and Grandfather Share a Heartfelt Moment at Carbonne's Historic Church

groom and grandfather Carbonne Documentary Wedding Photography Carbonne emotional church ceremony Haute-Garonne

In Cleveland, Ohio, at the ceremony location, a moment of lightheartedness unfolds as the bride's crown slips off her head mid-wedding and the groom reaches out to catch it.

Cleveland's Delightful Wedding Mishap: Groom Saves the Day as the Bride's Crown Takes Flight!

crown mishap Cleveland Documentary Wedding Photography brides crown Ohio Cleveland church ceremony ceremony mishap

During a church ceremony in Brabant Wallon, Wallonie, the groom's friends couldn't contain their giggles, as captured by a wedding photographer.

Giggles Galore: Friends of the Groom Let Loose in Brabant Wallon Church Ceremony

Wallonie Documentary Wedding Photography church ceremony giggles grooms friends Wallonie Brabant Wallon

At the Basilica dei Servi in Siena, Tuscany, the groom is captured kissing the bride's hand during their beautiful church ceremony.

Whispers of Eternal Love: A Groom's Tender Kiss at Basilica dei Servi

church ceremony Siena beautiful church Basilica dei Servi Tuscany Documentary Wedding Photography kissing hand

A touching moment between a father and daughter as they enter the Basilica Santi Giovanni e Paolo in Rome during a church ceremony

A Father's Love: A Sacred Encounter in Rome

walking down aisle guests waiting Rome wedding photography touching moment Rome church ceremony father and daughter

In this Gold award-winning image taken at a church in Bourgogne-Franche-Comte, the bride can be seen giving a stern expression to a boy who is playing on chairs during the ceremony, creating a memorable and unexpected moment

The Bride's Command: A Memorable Moment at a Bourgogne-Franche-Comte Church

mischievous boy Bourgogne-Franche-Comte stern expression France wedding photography church ceremony unexpected moment

Wedding day at Eglise Cotes-d'Armor in Brittany, France, a guest with letters shaved in his hair, at beautiful church on wedding day

Guest's Unique Haircut Steals Spotlight at Enchanting Wedding in Brittany, France

Brittany guest shaved hair Eglise Cotes d Armor Cotes-d’Armor Brittany wedding photography church ceremony

A detail of the cross with the bride and groom holding candles during the church ceremony at St. Paraskeva Church in Sofia

A Sacred Union: Bride and Groom Embrace Cross, Illuminating their Love at St. Paraskeva Church in Sofia

church ceremony Bulgaria St Paraskeva church cross Sofia Sofia wedding photography candles

A pro wedding photographer captures a moment during a church ceremony in Poitiers, Vienne. The bride and groom's son brings the rings in a white box, while the priest blesses them with a hand.

In the Hands of Love: A Poitiers Wedding's Tender Ring Delivery

Vienne rings presented Poitiers Documentary Wedding Photography Poitiers priest blessings church ceremony grooms son

In Utrecht, Netherlands, a wedding photojournalist captured this WPJA Honor Award-winning photo. In the church, the bride and groom are surrounded by a crowd of people helping adjust the bride's dress just the way they want it.

Utrecht, Netherlands: Guests Helping Bride with Dress - WPJA Honor Award-Winning Photo

Utrecht Documentary Wedding Photography Netherlands Utrecht ceremony Utrecht adjusting brides dress church ceremony

In London, England, a churchgoer prevents his adventurous baby from crawling under the pews in front of them. This candid moment captures the challenges of parenting while juggling religious observances.

Captivating Candid: Documentary Wedding Photo Reveals Parenthood's Trials Amidst Religious Observance

church ceremony England London London Documentary Wedding Photography parenting pews crawling baby

A touching moment as the bride and groom tearfully listen to their children's heartfelt speech during their wedding ceremony at Saint-Julien sur Garonne

Capturing Tears of Joy: Emotional Family Speech Steals Hearts at Saint-Julien sur Garonne Wedding

touching moment tears Haute Garonne Documentary Wedding Photography Haute-Garonne church ceremony bride and groom Saint-Julien sur Garonne

The bride's daughter finds solace in her mother's dress during the exchange of vows at the Grandville Church in Normandy

A Touching Moment: Daughter Embraces Mother's Dress at Grandville Church

brides daughter church ceremony Grandville Church Normandy Exchange of Vows Normandy Documentary Wedding Photography

The priest of a historic church in Foggia, Apulia, joins in a lighthearted selfie, capturing a moment of joy after a religious service

Cherished Moments: Priest in Foggia Church Delights with Selfie Celebration

Foggia Documentary Wedding Photography church ceremony church selfie Apulia religious service Foggia historic church

A couple during their wedding ceremony at St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church in Chicago, capturing their reflection on the mirrored floor that beautifully reflects the ceiling above

Chicago Couple's Wedding Ceremony at St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church with Mirrored Floor Reflections

wedding ceremony reflections wedding venue St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church floor reflection Chicago wedding photography wedding ceremony venue

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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.