SMALL WEDDINGS + ELOPEMENTS | choose love, not fear

Intimate Weddings & Elopement Photography

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

Lifestyle portrait of England wedding photographer Kristian Leven of the United Kingdom WPJA
Lifestyle portrait of Matthias Tiemann, a wedding photographer for NRW Ruhrgebiet
Engagement, elopements and wedding photography by Sujith Kumar of Incognito frames
Lifestye portrait of Boston wedding photographer Channing Johnson, of the Massachusetts WPJA
Rob Dodsworth - Wedding Reportage Images
County Wicklow wedding photography by Katie Kavanagh of Leinster Ireland
Ufuk Sarisen Wedding Photography
Denver adventure wedding elopement photos by Jennifer Garza of Colorado
Portrait of Munster-based wedding photographer Marie O'Mahony of the Ireland WPJA
Portrait of Maria Hunter, Wedding and Elopement Photographer
BW Studio Portrait of Lyon Wedding Photographer Emilie Roy of Rhône, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
Wenjie Han is an engagement and wedding photographer for NY
Rustbelt Mayberry Wedding Photographer, Erin Ninehouser
Edeelin Labra, Northern CA wedding photography
BW portrait of Mark Wallis, Europe wedding reportage photographer
East Sussex Wedding Reportage Photography by Alex Buckland of Cotswolds England United Kingdom
Katarina Nichol wedding and elopement photography

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:

Intimate, Micro Wedding Planning & Elopement Articles

Kobe Vanderzande, of Limburg, is a wedding photographer for

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

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...

The Authenticity of
Wedding Photojournalism

Hollie Mateer, of East Riding of Yorkshire, is a wedding photographer for
Kate Crabtree, of Maine, is a wedding photographer for Blue Hill, Maine

WPJA Contest Photos - August 13th, 2024

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.

Bride and groom share a moment of struggle and laughter while exchanging rings during their wedding ceremony at Magnac Laval, France.
A joyful grandfather takes a serene pause on the lush lawn at Owlpen Manor in the Cotswolds during the drinks reception.
AUCH, France - A young girl watches with awe as the newlyweds exchange rings at their wedding held at Town Hall in Auch.
Vermont's Mountain Top Resort provided a night backdrop as the newlyweds made their grand exit from the reception, surrounded by guests holding glowing sticks for a warming touch.
Bridal party members prepare the dress while the bride gets her makeup done at the Abbaye des Prémontrés in Pont à Mousson.
Schloss Hohenlimburg, Hagen, Germany - The couple shares their first dance at their wedding celebration.
Ferme du Bu wedding: Bride hugs winner of outdoor Ribbon Game.
MADISON, VA- Newlyweds celebrate their marriage with a unique ceremony exit, as guests shower them in bird seed at their private residence.

Artistic Guild - Creative Portraits and Details - December 9th, 2024

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.

At Shtastliveca San Stefano Plaza in Sofia, a couple poses elegantly on a grand stairway adorned with exquisite paintings, creating a sophisticated and artistic photo session ambiance.
Couple in elegant suits stand in a garden. They wear silver wedding rings, hands intertwined, symbolizing union and affection.
In Gorizia, Italy, the bride stands gracefully in front of a window, with soft natural light illuminating her features, creating a serene and elegant portrait.
In the historic Central Universal Store (Tsum) territory in Sofia, a couple enjoys a photo session, surrounded by the site's architectural grandeur, blending romance with timeless elegance.
At Schloss Neuhaus, the bride and groom are nestled among lush greenery with sunlight streaming through, creating a radiant and serene backdrop.
Effortlessly romantic portrait of a bride and groom amidst a sea of golden grasses in Tonquedec, Brittany, France. Captured with an artist's eye by a WPJA photographer.
In the gardens of Schlosshotel Kronberg, the bride and groom pose gracefully, surrounded by lush greenery, capturing an elegant and tranquil moment.
In a hotel room in Ohio, the bride's reflection appears in a small round mirror as she gets her makeup done

Diamond Awards - Pre-Wedding Engagement Portraits - November 13th, 2024

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 photographer artfully framed the couple in a playful running silhouette against the Lancaster County Park skyline at sunset, near a power line tower.
Outdoors in Nancy, France, the couple runs hand in hand behind the foliage, creating a stunning portrait of their love.
In Shanghai's Bund, the couple glows with music and movement on the wall behind them!
The happy couple's engagement photo at Natural Bridges State Beach is filled with warm colors and shows them above the ocean, locked in a loving kiss.
The photographer's artistic style and skill shined as they captured the couple on top of a rock at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs.
In Château du Haut Barr, the couple shares a loving embrace in the rays of the sun.
The couple from Mios, France stood waist deep in the river, wearing clothes and sharing a kiss for their engagement portrait.
How cozy and sweet this Northern California couple looks in their engagement portrait by the old wooden boat dock in San Mateo.

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 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
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 bride's parents' emotional embrace and tears at the Chinese tea wedding ceremony in Sanya, Hainan, China was truly a beautiful moment to be captured by the photographer
At a wedding in Bucharest, Romania, the groom lovingly hugged his sister - a beautiful black and white image captured the emotional moment
The photographer captured a beautiful moment of the bride joyously embracing her best friend on the dance floor of her San Francisco wedding reception
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 photographer captured a timeless moment of love and joy as the bride's grandparents danced in an embrace at the Mountain Top Inn in Vermont
The photographer captured a beautiful moment of double happiness, with the bride giving a sweet touch on the cheek and a loving hug from behind at Strabrechtse Hoeve Mierlo