Wedding Photos of Darkness

The following “Darkness” 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 “Darkness” 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.

At Valleybrook Country Club, a wedding photographer captured an award-winning, and detailed image of the couple's rings delicately placed on the stem of a wine glass, with the fire pit in the background.

Valleybrook Country Club: Rings atop wine glass, fire pit backdrop.

Bathed in the glow of twilight, the award-winning photographer captures a tender embrace between the Bride and Groom at the scenic Cain Manor Hampshire reception venue, adorned with vibrant bursts of color.

Twilight Embrace: Serene Cain Manor Hampshire Delights with Bursting Colors

twilight glow tender embrace Hampshire outdoors Artsy wedding couple Lights

The bride and groom embrace in an intimate pose at the enchanting Larmer Tree Gardens in Wiltshire, UK, beautifully captured by an award-winning wedding photographer.

Enchanting Embrace: Intimate Love at Larmer Tree Gardens, Wiltshire UK

nightfall evening darkness married couple nighttime Artsy creative portrait

Captured at the Larmer Tree Gardens in Wiltshire, UK, this award-winning photograph showcases the artistry of a wedding photographer. The bride and groom gracefully stand together under an umbrella, embracing the magic of a rainy evening ceremony.

Enchanting Rainy Evening: Artistry at Larmer Tree Gardens Wedding

artistic portrait sessions lit umbrella Lights nightfall bride and groom Night rainy evening

An artistic wedding photographer captures the intricate details of wedding rings against the rustic backdrop of a roaring fireplace at a cozy Chicago winery, embracing the romantic ambiance with warm bokeh circles.

Rustic Flames: Intimate Love Soars Amidst Chicago Winery's Warm Embrace

Detail Wedding Picture Chicago Artistic Details close up shot ring detail bokeh Night evening

Captured against the rustic backdrop of the Barn at Raccoon Creek in Littleton, Colorado, this award-winning wedding portrait showcases the couple's love and the groom's passion for vintage car restoration.

Rustic Romance: Love and Restoration at the Barn in Littleton

Barn at Raccoon Creek married couple romantic Artful Littleton CO bride and groom wedding couple

At a Cleveland, Ohio reception venue, a wedding photo of the night's finale embrace. The couple, face to face, is embraced by artistic layers of darkness, lights, and bokehs.

Starry Unison: A Cleveland Nightscape Unveils the Embrace of Love

bokeh Ohio darkness Lights Cleveland nights finale Face to face

An engagement portrait taken in Sintra, Lisbon, features the couple illuminated individually, while darkness surrounds them, creating captivating shadows

Captivating Shadows: Illuminated Couple in Engagement Portrait from Sintra, Lisbon

Sintra Lisbon Sintra engagement photography darkness illuminated couple captivating shadows lit portrait

At the Saltmarshe Hall reception venue, East Yorkshire, England, the hands of wedding guests coming out of the nighttime darkness as they point at pizzas, deciding on which slide to choose

At East Yorkshire, England's Saltmarshe Hall reception venue, wedding guests point at pizzas in the nighttime darkness to decide which slice to choose

east yorkshire England Saltmarshe Hall darkness pizza East Yorkshire Photographer pointing

A beautiful Burg Rheinstein couple portrait at Night with lights and darkness

Germany Rhineland Palatinate Medieval castle Trechtingshausen castle Germany couple portrait

Best Fujian documentary wedding picture showing the Bride leaves home in a row of cars in darkness

leaves home row Fujian China bride China

View this dramatic Scotland wedding image of Bride and groom backlit under a large tree, which was a featured picture among the best wedding photography from the WPJA

dramatic Scotland wedding image of Bride and groom backlit under a large tree, which was a featured picture among the best wedding photography

Dramatic Scotland Scotland wedding image wedding photography large tree bride and groom darkness

On location São Miguel dos Milagres, Alagoas couple engagement portrait shoot showing a man embraces his bride and beside them, a point of light illuminates them

portrait shoot darkness Alagoas engagement São Miguel photographer illuminates embraces alagoas couple

An original Stekene wedding couple portrait from Verbeke Foundation in Belgium with sunbeams breaking the darkness of the interior

Belgium Belgium Weddings sunbeams Stekene wedding couple Verbeke Foundation Stekene Verbeke Foundation venue

Spain couple e-session in Murcia during a summer night

Murcia night portrait Murcia Spain couple darkness summer night lit

San Francisco Fine Art Engagement Photos with some Slow dancing by the pier in the evening

city evening darkness San Francisco San Francisco couple Lights

Ho Chi Minh Artful Engagement Picture showing how In the middle of the crowded city they found each other

Night evening town city Ho Chi Minh Huy Che Hoang urban

Ho Chi Minh Fine Art Engagement Session with some light of love in the dark

Lights Huy Che Hoang water Ho Chi Minh Ho Chi Minh couple darkness evening

Luton Hoo, Hertfordshire black and white couple portrait. Photographer said: There was a piano in the corner of the tea-room. Largely in darkness, I used a softbox flash trigger to light the scene a little more but also to get more of a reflection

scene darkness light Luton Hoo monochrome Hertfordshire corner

Estes Park Condos, Estes Park, Colorado creative wedding day portrait of The couple in complete darkness with glowing twinkle lights all around them

glowing darkness Estes Park Condos co couple Lucy Schultz Colorado Estes Park weddings

artistic wedding couple portrait with darkness and lights like stars

Fujian wedding portrait stars Fujian wedding pictures Fujian wedding couple portrait wedding portrait Lights China

The newlyweds, a bride and groom, stood in silhouette against the backdrop of the Atlanta city skyline at nightfall, their contours illuminated by the contrast of the red inner city lights and the darkness of the night at the Upstairs Atlanta

The bride and groom, newly married, were framed by the Atlanta skyline at night, lit up by the red city lights against the dark sky

shadow evening shade Night bride and groom Downtown married couple

casa hyder, san miguel de allende, mexico wedding photography | the bride and groom exit their reception with sparklers

wedding photography of the bride and groom exiting their reception with sparklers

party Brett Butterstein darkness sparklers nature evening outdoors

Tacoma, Washington engagement portraits of a Couple holding hands on dock | shadows and lines frame this engaged couple showing the light and darkness they came through to be together

light darkness shadows lines frame dock Washington engagement

At the Hotel Weiand in Lajeado, Brazil, a unique portrait was taken of the bride, with half her face in window light and the other half in darkness

At Hotel Weiand in Lajeado, Brazil, the bride had a memorable photoshoot with contrasting lighting

half face unique Lajeado Bride Memorable photoshoot Lajeado window light

On the night of the wedding at Paris, lanterns were lit and released into the darkening sky, providing a beautiful illuminated scene for the outdoor celebration

A wedding event was held at Paris, with the night sky lit up by released lanterns

outdoors illuminated scene dusk sky lit beautiful night outside Night

A spectacular atmosphere was created at Dorset with laser-like blue lights shooting out of the top of a lit teepee during the evening hours

An illuminated atmosphere was created at Dorset with a teepee lit with blue laser lights in the evening

teepee wedding nighttime wedding teepee Night darkness dusk Dorset

wedding reception photography of groom dipping bride near guests with sparklers

evening Lights gathering Valencia newlyweds Spain Antonio Calatayud

A romantic engagement portrait of a couple, their faces and torsos illuminated in the darkness, against a minimalist black background

Siena engagement portrait darkness Siena black background minimalistic portrait

Minneapolis destination wedding photography | MN engagement photographers

A beautiful engagement photo set in a cave, the couple framed by the dark opening. The portrait is lit with a cool blue toning, highlighting the rocks around them.

darkness MN rocks cool blue Minneapolis engagement photography cave Minneapolis

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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.