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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.

Intimate Weddings & Elopement Photography

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

New England engagement, wedding and elopement photography by Casey Durgin
Catherine Roujean, a Toulouse wedding photographer from Haute-Garonne
Documentary wedding photography by Janina Brocklesby
Portrait of Wedding Photographer Ruth Wytinck
Cristina Tanase is a Wedding and Engagement Photographer
France Elopement and Wedding Photographer Hong-Phuc Bui, of Le Comptoir Photo
Boulder wedding and elopement photography by Jason Johnson of the Colorado WPJA
Lifestyle Portrait of Documentary Wedding Photographer Emily Fonseca, of Framed by Emily
Studio portrait of New England small wedding and elopement photographer Nicole Chan
Bordeaux, Gironde wedding photography by Pierre Cassagne
Portrait of Katharine Green from Katie Corinne Wedding Photography Studio
Andrea Bibeault is a photographer for marriage ceremonies and reception events
Pro documentary-style wedding photography by Bradley Hanson
Studio Image of Wedding and Elopement Photographer Vinh Vo of 3M Studios LLC
Wedding, engagement and elopement photography by Anastasiia Polyakov, of So Tender Is Humanity
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
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Genuine Photo Contests

The WPJA hosts multiple wedding photography contests each year, awarding only the most captivating and engaging photos.

View winners from past contests below:

Engagement Portrait of Couple in Sunlight - Custom Engagement Sessions - Couples Gift Photography

2023 Lifestyle Couple Engagement Portraits - Diamond Awards

2022 v04 Artistic Guild

2022 v04 Photography Competition

Custom Couple Portrait - Engagement Photography w/ Mirrored Sky Reflections

2022 Lifestyle Engagement Photo Sessions - Diamond Awards

2022 v03 Artistic Guild

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...

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View Wedding Articles

The Authenticity of
Wedding Photojournalism

Elena Haralabaki, of Attica, is a wedding photographer for Athens, Greece
Renan Radici, of Rio Grande do Sul, is a wedding photographer for
Alex Paul, of Massachusetts, is a wedding photographer for

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 - January 25th, 2023

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 the Yvelines reception venue, the newlyweds are laughing out loud
As the light shone through the large windows at a venue in Inchydoney, Cork, the daughter of the bridal couple made a daring attempt to steal the wedding ring during the indoor ceremony
As the uninterested flower girl was escorted down the ceremony aisle of the Meridian Banquet and Events Hall in Farmington Hills, MI
At the reception venue in Umbria, the bride was tossing flowers over her head into the night sky
Venue staff react to trying to light the ends of sparkler for wedding guests prior to the wedding couples exit at The Ridge, Asheville, North Carolina
At the outdoor wedding venue Kasteel Hooge Vuursche in Baar, Netherlands, the bride is spraying champagne on the bridesmaids
The bride eagerly awaits the arrival of her guests at the Chateau de Carsix, France, where the ceremony will take place on the lawn outside her window
At Kasteel Weijenburg, friends of the bride dancing in the room where everybody is getting ready, in a beautiful room of an old castle, next to wedding dress that is hanging from a chandelier

Artistic Guild - Creative Portraits and Details - February 11th, 2023

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 Parker Mill in Whittier NC, a picture to capture the stormy weather that gives the Smokey Mountains its name, as a backdrop to the wedding ceremony
The bride's white dress and tattoo are highlighted against a black background, with her red lips and warm skin tones framing her held wedding ring
A drone shot of the ceremony inside the ruins of San Rosa at Antigua Guatemala captures the beauty of the Santa Rosa Ruins in Antigua-Guatemala for a memorable wedding picture
Villa O'Hara in Treviso, Italy was prepared for the wedding reception with favors already placed on the tables for the guests to enjoy upon their arrival
The couple shared a brief kiss shoulder width apart in front of a large corrugated metal door at Trafalgar Warehouse in Sheffield, UK, with the sun streaming through the gaps in the building and creating a warm, romantic atmosphere
The groom in Flamm Bodrum, Turkey, is smoking, and the smoke in the air is backlit by the light of the off camera flash
In the palm of his hand, the groom from Milan, Lombardy holds his wedding cufflinks in this wedding detail shot
In Illinois, Chicago, a creative photographer captured the bride in her mirrored dress, which was dazzling and futuristic, displaying the bride's creative style

Diamond Awards - Pre-Wedding Engagement Portraits - March 13th, 2023

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 future couple were silhouetted face to face in shadows after sunset at their pre wedding portrait shoot at Catalans bridge in Toulouse, France
The engaged couple enjoyed a romantic pre-wedding portrait session at Rocky Mountain National Park, with the Loch scene lit by the photographer and the warm tones enhancing their sweet kisses
The couple strolled along a mossy boardwalk near a lagoon, during a lifestyle engagement portrait session at The Grove National Historic Landmark in Glenview, IL
The couple had a wonderful session in front of the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London, with symmetry for a lifestyle engagement portrait
The engaged couple were seen enjoying a rainy day at a poppy field in Hungary, hiding under an umbrella while being captured in a lifestyle pre-wedding portrait
The couple in Bolehills, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK embraced their Wes Anderson love with a lifestyle pre wedding portrait
The engaged couple, with their beautiful eyes, tenderly embrace in the city of Dallas, TX, for a pre-wedding portrait, facing the camera
The couple cuddling in front of the lake, framed by trees and a cloudy sky above them, is the focus of the lifestyle engagement portrait taken in Orléans

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 wedding photojournalist captured the tender moment of the bride being embraced by her friend during the outdoor patio reception at Le fou Gascon in Prechac, Gers, France
The brothers' emotional speeches and hugs at the Lobster Factory ceremony in Tournai, Belgium were beautifully captured in the wedding photo
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
The emotion of the proud parents hugging their son, the groom, as he prepared for his wedding day at House of the Groom in Siderno, Reggio Calabria was so beautiful it was captured as a timeless moment by the photographer
The tears of joy from the groom and ring bearer as the bride walked down the aisle at the Westin Playa Conchal in Guanacaste, Costa Rica were captured beautifully in the wedding photo
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 the emotional moment of the bride picking up her friend in a foggy embrace on the dance floor of her Montpellier wedding
The wedding photojournalist at Fleurance, Gers, France captured a heartwarming moment of the groom embracing his daughter as he prepared for his big day