Wedding Photos of California wedding

The following “California wedding” 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 “California wedding” 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.

Bride in California at a private residence in Milpitas smiles joyfully as her sisters playfully douse her with water during the pre-wedding traditions ceremony.

California Bride's Joyful Smiles as Sisters Douse Her in Pre-Wedding Water Ceremony

Milpitas dousing California - Northern Bride in California joyful smiles CA bride Venue for Wedding

At Adobe Lodge, Santa Clara University, California, the bride lovingly embraces her mother after she delivers a touching speech, leaving the emotional groom visibly moved by her heartfelt words.

MOTHER OF THE BRIDE BRINGS TEARS TO GROOM'S EYES WITH TOUCHING SPEECH

touching speech eyes Santa Clara heartfelt words California wedding California - Northern embraces

After hiking through Redwoods National Park in their wedding clothes, lanterns beautifully light the way out of the forest for the happy couple

Redwoods National Park Wedding: Lantern-lit exit from forest for the happy couple, after hiking

hiking California Wedding Details Redwoods National Park forest wedding California wedding Black clothing California - Northern

Saratoga, California couple e-shoot Before the groom is deployed by the military

military Tyler Vu deployed groom California wedding California couple uniform

Sunset Cliffs, San Diego, California wedding artistic image session as Couple is walking along the ocean

California wedding artistic image Sunset Cliffs San Diego Couple is walking beach

California Concord artistic wedding photo of a couple hug upside down in the trees

A double-exposure, upside-down photo of trees and the couple hugging taken for an artistic wedding portrait

upside down Concord wedding photo Northern California Concord trees double exposure CA couple hugging double exposure photo

black and white wedding portrait of the Bride and grooms last walk

last walk Lake Mammoth California Mammoth Bride and Groom portrait black and white romantic

California wedding photography from a Northern CA Reception Venue of the Cake Eating

California wedding photography from a Northern Reception Venue of the Cake Eating

California wedding couples California cake cutting eating cake california wedding photographer reception California wedding

Scripps Seaside Forum- La Jolla California. The bride and groom share an umbrella as the rain came in.

Photo by: Shaun Baker - San Diego California

California wedding photo La Jolla wedding photography Lights Scripps Seaside Forum bride groom

Couple's family blesses them during their ceremony

parents California couple California wedding California california wedding photographer Del Mar marriage ceremony

Wedding Photography from Lula Cellars, Anderson Valley, CA | Reflection of vineyards in a window with the bride getting her makeup done

CA bride getting her makeup done

makeup done California wedding Anderson valley vineyard bride Lula Cellars

A low angle shot of the groomsmen toasting in Palos Verdes, California was captured at a wedding

A wedding in Palos Verdes, California was captured with a low angle shot of the groomsmen toasting

California wedding groomsmen toasting wedding toasting wedding groomsmen toasting California Palos Verdes wedding groomsmen photo toasting Palos Verdes

A portrait of the wedding couple, consisting of abstract art and contrasting shapes, was taken at SF City Hall in Northern California

San Francisco City Hall in California was the venue for a wedding portrait of the couple with abstract art and contrasting shapes

Northern California wedding portrait California wedding contrasting shapes San Francisco City Hall abstract art SF City Hall

Los Angeles, California Wedding Violinist playing at this outdoor reception party

Wedding Violinist playing at an outdoor reception party

reception party playing CA violin California LA

Los Angeles, California wedding photojournalist | The groom and his mother dances, surrounded by their family and friends.

wedding photojournalism of The groom and his mother dancing surrounded by their family and friends

family LA groom California wedding mother California

Los Angeles, California wedding photographers - Groom's parents embrace their son after the ceremony

wedding photography of the Groom's parents embracing their son after the ceremony

parents California LA groom Los Angeles Los Angeles wedding CA

Wedding photography in Los Angeles, California | The newly married couple receives blessing from the elderly.

Wedding photography of The newly married couple receiving blessing from the elderly

Los Angeles California wedding elderly California CA couple LA

A couple had their wedding photos taken in San Francisco, California, featuring a slow shutter zoom effect blurring the lights

The couple were married in San Francisco, California, and had photos taken with lights as a backdrop

wedding backdrop wedding lights lights backdrop married California lights blurring Wedding photos San Francisco married San Francisco

santa barbara, California wedding photographer - A flower girl sobs moments after the wedding ceremony

santa barbara, California wedding photo of A flower girl sobbing moments after the wedding ceremony

California Santa Barbara san diego wedding photographer santa barbara wedding outdoor wedding ceremony flower girl California wedding

Santa Barbara, California wedding photo - The bride gets help from her family and friends as she puts her wedding dress on.

Santa Barbara, California wedding photo of The bride getting help from her family and friends as she puts her dress on

friends Santa Barbara dress CA getting help bride

Mammoth Lakes, California wedding photograph - The bride and groom kiss during their wedding ceremony in blizzard, surrounded their friends and family.

Mammoth Lakes, California wedding photo of The bride and groom kiss during their outdoor winter ceremony in blizzard, surrounded their friends and family

kiss friends Mammoth Lakes wedding California winter ceremony bride and groom

The groom and guests, including his mom, burst out laughing during the ceremony. - Los Angeles, California weddings

The groom and guests, including his mom, burst out laughing during the ceremony in this Los Angeles, California wedding image

California mom laughing Los Angeles wedding Los Angeles ceremony

O'donnell House Palm Springs, California - photograph of the Bride and groom embrace each other as a bridesmaid dedicates a song to them

O'donnell House Palm Springs, California wedding photograph of the Bride and groom embrace each other as a bridesmaid dedicates a song to them

California wedding California first dance outdoors guitar Palm Springs wedding

O'Donnell House Palm Springs, California | Bride and groom's first dance overlooking Palm Springs

O'Donnell House Palm Springs, California image of the Bride and groom's first dance overlooking Palm Springs

Palm Springs O donnell first dance palm trees overlooking Palm Springs wedding

A man in a Westlake Village, California wedding was photographed preparing Whiskey and Cigars on a table

At Westlake Village, California, a man was photographed preparing whiskey and cigars on a wedding table pre ceremony

California wedding prep Westlake Village Wedding Prep preparing cigars Westlake Village wedding prep man preparing whiskey California wedding

San Jose, California - Wedding Photography of Red Dress Bride

San Jose, California Wedding Photography of the Red Dress and a beautiful Bride

red dress bride California CA San Jose California wedding

June Lake, California Wedding Photography of the bride getting ready in black and white

California wedding bride California black and white Nicky Byrnes getting ready June Lake bride

San Jose bride and groom holding hands in front of doorway

holding hands San Jose California wedding day portraits San Jose Wedding Matrimony Poses Bride and Groom Holding Hands

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.