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SMALL WEDDINGS + ELOPEMENTS | choose love, not fear

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.

WPJA Spotlight

Exceptional Wedding Photography Showcase

Explore top-tier imagery captured by WPJA members. With special badges and recognition, these exceptional images from weddings showcase the unparalleled talent of our photographers. Dive into dedicated slider galleries within Member Profiles and Spotlight Galleries to witness the artistry and skill that sets our members apart.

Dance Studio in Reggio Emilia, Italy, is the scene as the newlyweds make a meaningful, dramatic entrance in their formal wedding attire at the place they first met.
Fabrizio Demasi
At an estate in Tarn-et-Garonne, the groom is playfully tossing the bride's bouquet high into the air, creating a humorous and inverted twist on a traditional moment during the wedding celebration.
Cyril Langeard Montauban
Leidschendam, the Netherlands, is where a determined groom takes unique measures to finish getting ready, using a power drill to bore a new, necessary hole in his leather belt.
Stefan van Beek
Calaveras, California, provides a natural setting as the bride and groom carefully walk together across large, scattered stones rising out of a scenic lake.
Ambre Peyrotty
Antico Casale, Cesenatico, Italy, is the setting where the bride and groom stand closely together amid the lush green stalks of a dramatic bamboo bush on their wedding day.
Caterina Errani
At the majestic Duomo di Siena, Tuscany, an amusing curious meeting occurs on the grand steps as one pair of newlyweds ascends while another descends, briefly crossing paths.
Alessia Bruchi
View Spotlight 2025 Round 21

Intimate Weddings & Elopement Photography

Since 2002, the WPJA has been connecting couples with the best, most artistic wedding photographers from around the world.

Rhode Island and Providence wedding and elopement photography by Kathryn Yeaton
Portrait of Natasha Lamalle – Wedding, Engagement, and Elopement Photographer
Lyon Wedding Photography by Elise Julliard of Rhone, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France
United Kingdom wedding photography, engagement portraits and elopements by Jenny Rutterford
Paris wedding photography by Coralie Garavel of the France WPJA
Lifestyle portrait of Colorado wedding and elopement photographer Nina Larsen Reed
Capture beautiful moments on your special day with the talented wedding photographer Chris Werner in Northern California's stunning Lake Tahoe.
Canada wedding and elopement photography by Lauren Hannah Garcia
Chicago wedding and elopement photography by Milan Lazic of Illinois United States
Colorado engagements + wedding and elopement photography by Sean Lara
Studio Portrait of Wedding Photographer Kate Crabtree
County Wicklow wedding photography by Katie Kavanagh of Leinster Ireland
Lifestyle portrait of Catherine Roujean, a Toulouse wedding photographer from Haute-Garonne
UK wedding reportage photographer, Matt Ebbage
Emie McGee wedding photography studio - Emie's Photo LLC
One of the most touching things about wedding photography is how quickly you find yourself thrown into the heart of such an important, intimate occasion. It's a responsibility only a fool would take lightly.- Harry Richards, WPJA Member
Become a Member

Authentic Photography

The WPJA organizes various wedding photography rounds annually, recognizing and honoring exceptionally captivating images.

Take a look at the previous victors by clicking on the links below:

2025 v03 Artistic Guild

2025 Lifestyle Engagement Portraits - Diamond Awards

2025 v02 Photography Competition

2025 v02 Artistic Guild

2025 v01 Photography Competition

View More Contests

Intimate, Micro Wedding Planning & Elopement Articles

A Sunshine Solemnization - Outdoor Weddings in Nature

Not everyone has a lagoon or glacier next door, but there's no rule saying you can't have a small wedding in the great outdoors. Take advantage of natural...

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Kobe Vanderzande, of Limburg, is a wedding photographer for

Wedding Reception Tents: A Creative Photo Palette

There’s nothing quite like an intimate wedding reception in a tent, with its uniquely informal atmosphere, customized decor and proximity to the elements...

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View Wedding Articles

The Authenticity of
Wedding Photojournalism

Valerie Teppe, of , is a wedding photographer for
Jonathan Sylvoz, of , is a wedding photographer for
Linus Moran, of Dorset, is a wedding photographer for Healey Barn

Two people making a commitment of marriage want to remember the day for the rest of their lives. Shouldn’t the wedding photography that commemorates their celebration reflect the personal moments and honest emotions they will remember?

A love for authenticity in wedding photography — finding art in the actualities of a marriage celebration — led to the founding of the Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA) in 2002. Out of respect for our clients, the wedding photographers and photojournalists accepted for WPJA membership have a demonstrated talent for candid originality and a dedication to the documentary approach in wedding photography. To maintain their standing in the WPJA, member photographers must adhere to the highest professional and ethical standards.

  • For Engaged Couples planning a wedding: Hire a WPJA photographer so you can reproduce and retell the beautiful, unique story of how your celebration unfolds — as you will want to remember it and have it told for generations.
  • For Professional Wedding Photographers with a photojournalist’s talent for capturing moments, not stage-directing them: Join the WPJA to have your expertise accredited, to help promote and further our craft, and to let the WPJA introduce you to the ideal clients for your work.

WPJA Contest Photos - August 13th, 2025

Any wedding photographer is going to want to please their clients — but they also want their work to be appreciated on a broader scale. This is one of the reasons why the Wedding Photojournalist Association members love our regular photography competitions. These popular contests give our photographers the opportunity to submit their best images in hopes of being selected as a winner and being recognized for their creativity and effort. Our contests are judged by a panel of notable and respected working photojournalists and picture editors in the news industry, which adds an element of prestige to our awards.

At Schloss Gimborn in Marienheide, Germany, wedding guests wait for the couple to exit the castle. The award-winning top-down photograph, with long shadows cast by the sun, highlights the photographer’s skill at documenting anticipation.
Kettner's Townhouse, London: The groom helps the bride remove confetti from her dress.
In Duluth, Minnesota, the photographer captures a warm black-and-white embrace between the bride and groom in the cabin kitchen after their ceremony, expertly preserving intimate post-wedding emotion.
At Divan Kuruçeşme, Istanbul, the photographer captures the bride dancing onstage with friends under dramatic DJ lights that illuminate the night sky, skillfully showcasing vibrant celebration and dynamic energy.
In Montpellier, the photographer captures the bride dancing joyfully with her friends in a wheelchair, skillfully highlighting inclusive celebration and genuine happiness with remarkable sensitivity and timing.
Ceremony exit in Lyon, France: Groom removing glasses after flower petals were thrown, one caught in his eye.
In Kaifeng, China, five children sit together with different expressions, playing with wedding game props. The award-winning photo highlights the photographer’s skill at documenting innocent moments.
At Château de Belleville, the bride and groom share a tender first-look kiss, surrounded by friends. The award-winning photo highlights the photographer’s skill at documenting intimate moments.

Artistic Guild - Creative Portraits and Details - October 17th, 2025

The Artistic Guild competitions are distinctly different from our other WPJA contests because this category is specifically for photographers who use their talent to create digitally-enhanced images, staged portraits and dramatic detail images. This competition attracts documentary wedding photographers who also view themselves as artists who are constantly looking to create their next masterpiece.

In Duluth, MN, an artistic image captures the wedding couple together on a paddleboard floating peacefully on the lake.
Toulouse, Haute-Garonne — The bride and groom share a kiss in a wheat field near the reception venue, captured in a minimalist, simple, and clean wedding portrait surrounded by open countryside.
Brindas, Rhône — The newlyweds walk hand in hand with their dog down an alleyway, sharing a kiss as the sun sets behind them, casting long shadows in this black-and-white, urban wedding portrait.
Parma Sole, Istanbul wedding details show the elaborate cake and the bride and groom's hands cutting it together
Château de Contremoret — The bride is shown in profile, her image reflected three times in mirrors around the room, creating an elegant and artistic wedding portrait that highlights her beauty.
Castelnau des Fieumarcon, Lectoure, France — The bride gazes thoughtfully at her bouquet, standing indoors against richly painted dark blue walls, creating an elegant and serene wedding portrait.
A portrait taken on Northside Drive, Atlanta, captures the bride and groom lovingly puckering up for a kiss, their faces coated in traditional turmeric paste.
An elegant Dordogne, France photograph of a wedding day to do list displayed neatly on a saloon table creates a thoughtful, stylized artistic detail portrait of the couple's preparations.

Diamond Awards - Pre-Wedding Engagement Portraits - October 13th, 2025

Couples who are searching for a wedding photographer often want a pre-wedding engagement portrait session as well as wedding day photography services. Engagement photographers need to rely on their skill and expertise in order to help their couples select a meaningful location for their portrait session. These awards allow engagement photographers to submit their most moving engagement images in hopes of being recognized for their creativity and skill.

The warm glow of golden hour at Wingaersheek Beach frames a couple walking hand-in-hand. The shallow water creates a mirror effect on the sand beneath their feet, enhancing the scene.
Artistic portrait from Foz do Cavado, Esposende, Portugal, where a couple's eyebrows are aligned; the man is in soft profile focus while the woman behind him maintains an intriguing, fixed gaze at the camera.
An intimate portrait of a couple set against a historic ivy-covered stone wall, captured within the serene, natural environment of the Arnold Arboretum in Massachusetts.
An engaged couple is captured in a tender, face-to-face embrace in Bedmar, Jaén. The surrounding archway of trees frames the pair, highlighting the photographer's backlighting.
An image capturing a couple's quiet contemplation on the Northern California coast. They are seen standing apart on the rocks, each looking away in a reflective pose, suggesting a shared, unspoken connection.
A shallow depth-of-field photograph showcasing an engagement ring in sharp detail. Using a wide lens, the couple is captured holding hands in the foreground, with the Denver Botanic Gardens' scenery blurred behind them.
An engaged couple shares passionate gazes at sunrise on Praia de Ipioca, Brazil. The soft, warm light of dawn illuminates their faces, emphasizing the depth of their affection on the beach.
A couple is embraced or sharing an intimate interaction within the California wilderness. The expansive green foliage at Santa Cruz provides a sheltered, secluded atmosphere for their quiet display of affection.

TLC - True Love Captured - March 3rd, 2023

This WPJA photography competition is focused on the emotions that are on display throughout any wedding event. The images showcase the powerful emotions that the couple are experiencing, and any of the feelings that any wedding guests may go through. The TLC contests follow a long-standing WPJA category tradition of capturing raw emotions.

The black and white photo of the friend hugging the bride, and groom has tears of joy whiped at Kasteel Maurick Vught - a beautiful and touching moment at their wedding
The brothers' emotional speeches and hugs at the Lobster Factory ceremony in Tournai, Belgium were beautifully captured in the wedding photo
The photographer at Ancenis, France captured a heart-warming moment of the bride holding hands with her father-in-law as he saw her for the first time in her wedding dress before the ceremony
The photographer captured the beautiful, emotional moment between the bride and groom after they exchanged their rings in Trieste, Italy
The photographer captured the beautiful moment of a wedding guest giving the bride a big hug and a kiss on the cheek at the Private Home in Congham, Norfolk, UK
The wedding photojournalist captured the beautiful and emotional moment of the Bride as she reads her heartfelt vows in the sunshine beneath the trees at Hardy Farm in Fryeburg, Maine
The wedding photo taken at West Haven, Connecticut captured a touching moment of a groom shedding tears as his mother lovingly does his hair for the big day
The bride and her father shared an emotional moment as he kissed her head in the back of the limo just before the ceremony, captured perfectly in their wedding photo from Trieste, Italy