Wedding Photos of Preparations

The following “Preparations” 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 “Preparations” 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.

A bride is getting dressed with the help of two assistants on her wedding day at the elegant Château de Caumont, captured in a nostalgic black and white style.

Elegant Bridal Preparations: Château de Caumont, Captured in Nostalgic Black and White Glamour

A candid moment captured at Domaine de Messenas in Roissard, Isère, France, featuring the bride and her bridesmaids in a bustling getting ready room, anxiously awaiting their turn with the makeup artist on the wedding day.

Bride and Bridesmaids in Stylish Preparations at Domaine de Messenas in Roissard, Isère, France

bridesmaids room wedding day bustling awaiting anxiously Domaine de Messenas

A unique moment captured during wedding preparations at the venue in Colima, Mexico, where the bride is getting her makeup touched up, featuring a playful pictogram subbing in for her friend applying the makeup.

Enchanting Bride at Colima Venue: Fun Pictogram Assisting Makeup Touch-Up in Mexico Wedding

Mexico bride touched up venue playful fun Colima Wedding Moment

A vintage black and white photo captured at Lorient Hail Salon during bride's hair preparations on her wedding day, featuring multiple mirrors reflecting.

Mirrors of Elegance: Bride's Hair Preparations at Lorient Hail Salon, Vintage Black and White Photo

elegant classic bride beauty salon vintage reflection

A beautiful moment captured at Chateau Saint Denis in Lot et Garonne, France; the bride's intimate preparations in soft light, shown in silhouette next to a window on her wedding day.

Silhouette Of Bride's Intimate Preparations At Chateau Saint Denis In Lot Et Garonne

Preparations loving intimate window serene light silhouette

A candid moment captured at the Bulgari Hotels & Resorts in Bali, Indonesia, showcasing the bride and her parents engrossed in wedding day preparations with subtle yet emotive body language.

Engrossed in Elegance: Bride and Parents in Bali's Bulgari Hotels & Resorts Wedding Preparations

Bulgari Hotels & Resorts moment subtle Bali Wedding Moment Hotels Bali Resorts

A candid behind-the-scenes shot from a wedding day preparations at Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou, China, showcasing the couple and their loved ones getting ready together.

Elegant Wedding Day Preparations at Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou Capturing Love in Candid Moments

China Elegance candid Hangzhou Wedding Moment Hotel Wedding loved ones Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou

An award-winning image showing the artistic skill of a wedding photographer at Wrenbury Hall, Cheshire, UK. The black and white photo showcases the groomsmen preparing for the wedding, carefully placing pocket squares with remarkable attention to detail.

Elegant Precision: Groomsmen Preparing at Wrenbury Hall, Cheshire, UK

United Kingdom attention to detail groomsmen Cheshire Preparations black and white Cheshire Artistic Details

One of the bridesmaids at a private house in Santa Barbara, California carefully sews her dress before the wedding ceremony, with the dresses elegantly hanging from the railing of the stairs

Santa Barbara Stitches: Bridesmaid Preparations

pre wedding ceremony dresses Santa Barbara bridesmaid santa barbara wedding railing stairs Preparations

At Oaklands Grand Lodge in Yorkshire, UK, a groom is captured in a detail shot, writing his speech amidst canapés, sweets, and the bride's bouquet, providing a glimpse of the wedding day preparations.

Yorkshire's Grand Lodge: Groom's Moment of Reflection - A Wedding Speech in the Making

writing speech Detail Shot overhead view Oaklands Grand Lodge sweets bouquet canapes

While a bride prepares in her hotel room, a closeup shot is captured showcasing the intimate details of her dress and makeup

Intimate Bridal Dress and Makeup Details Captured in Hotel Room Preparations

hotel room Delhi Bride bridal portrait Delhi Wedding Photography bokeh effect details makeup

During wedding preparations at Domaine de Vacheresses in Perche, France, a groomsman tries to tie his necktie in front of a small mirror in this WPJA Honor Award-winning photograph taken by a documentary wedding photographer.

Reflections of Elegance: Tying the Knot at Domaine de Vacheresses

Perche Documentary Wedding Photography necktie fixing tie Normandy Perche Preparations groomsmen

An extraordinary Belgrade MT wedding image by a professional Montana photographer showing the brides sister takes a moment while mom preps veil

bw MT wedding image Montana Preparations Belgrade MT veil

A top Germany wedding photojournalism example from a beautiful Bochum wedding location, Mercure Hotel, showing bride Preparations in a good mood

German Bride Bochum wedding Preparations Germany good mood Mercure Hotel Germany wedding photojournalism

World's most visionary and best wedding photography from Domaine de Verchant during Preparations for the bride and her hair

Preparations Domaine de Verchant venue Occitane bride hair Occitane Domaine de Verchant

Digitally edited Chateau de Dangu wedding image in Eure, France of the brides preparations in silhouette

Eure wedding silhouette France Bride Eure-et-Loir France Preparations Chateau de Dangu weddings

Herault wedding art detail picture at Domaine Fon de Rey in France of bride during her preparations for the ceremony

France shoes Hérault wedding picture feet legs bride Herault

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes wedding photography showing 2 views of the preparations in BW

Auvergne Rhone Alpes wedding photography Jerome Villard Preparations bw Auvergne Rhône Alpes

Linxe, France documentary wedding image of the members of a family meeting at the time of the preparations of the marriage

Landes family Preparations France documentary wedding Linxe weddings French wedding image Linxe

Poasco (Mi) wedding reportage image of the bride hugging her best friend in an emotional moment during the preparations

Poasco Mi wedding reportage bw Italy Preparations best friend Milan

Italian bride helps her father with the preparations at home in Suisio

home Suisio italian bride Italian bridal photo Italian Italy

PL wedding photo from Best Western Podklasztorze Sulejow, Poland showing the couple during preparations in a hotel room.

Preparations Podklasztorze Sulejow Best Western hotel room couple Poland

Illinois preparations wedding photo from Chicago as the groom and groomsman getting ready

getting ready Illinois wedding photo Chicago groom Illinois Preparations

Zurigo wedding detail image of the grooms shoe Preparations

grooms shoe Zurigo getting ready Zurigo wedding detail image Preparations groom

Wedding photography of the Getting ready bride in Bretagne at rennes ille et vilaine during preparations

Bretagne bride image Hong Phuc Bui Preparations rennes ille et vilaine Bretagne Wedding photo bride Bretagne

Vietnam traditions and rituals actual day wedding photography of the marriage preparations at home

Nien Truong marriage rituals Preparations Vietnam Vietnam traditions Actual Day Wedding Photo

Wedding photography of the military preparations at Home in Chambery as the groom finished getting ready in front of his daughter

Preparations Chambery groom pic getting ready at home groom daughter Chambéry

Domaine Achillée, Scherwiller, Alsace wedding photo of preparations below balloons

Alsace Scherwiller reportage weddings Scherwiller balloons Preparations Domaine Achillée

Image of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes at Home wedding preparations

Preparations Home Wedding Auvergne Rhône Alpes bridal photo Auvergne Rhône Alpes Jerome Villard home Auvergne Rhône Alpes bride image

the Groom preparations

France wedding venue photo Preparations Chateau Lartigolle The groom

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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.