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Wedding Photos of Cocktail hour

For Couples / Wedding Photos of Cocktail hour

The following “Cocktail hour” 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 “Cocktail hour” 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.

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Professional photograph taken at a wedding at Bar Harbor Club capturing two children enjoying a snack during the cocktail hour.
Sweet Moment: Children Delight in Snack at Bar Harbor Club Wedding Cocktail Hour!
symmetricalMaineBar Harborsnack timeBar Harbor wedding photographyChildrenframed artwork
Professional wedding photo taken at a Brooklin, Maine event. The wedding couple and their party are captured playing with a large beach ball during the cocktail hour. A fun and memorable moment beautifully preserved.
Brooklin Beach Ball Bash: Wedding Party Creates Fun and Memorable Moment in Photo
Brooklin Wedding Photographycocktail hourlarge beach ballMainereception partyplaying ballBrooklin ME
Young girl running with a balloon on a string during the cocktail hour in the outdoor venue of Domaine de Messenas in Maissenas, Roissard (Isère)
Maissenas Moments: Balloon in the Breezy Domaine de Messenas Wedding
runningMaissenasDomaine de Messenas WeddingIsère wedding venuecocktail hourRoissardMaissenas wedding photography
A pro documentary wedding photographer captured this WPJA award-winning image during cocktail hour at San Miguel de Allende. The photo shows the bride's family, showcasing the photographer's expertise in capturing candid moments.
San Miguel de Allende Cocktail Hour: Award-Winning WPJA Photo
San Miguel de Allendedocumentary stylecocktail hourMexicowedding photographerMexico destinationCandid Moments
At Tourterelle in New Haven, VT, a young girl in a white dress happily swings on a rope swing outside the red barns during cocktail hour
Swinging into Joy at Tourterelle: A Young Girl's Delightful Rope Swing Adventure in the Rustic Red Barns of New Haven, VT
cocktail hourNew Haven VT Documentary Wedding Photographyswingingyoung GirlVermonttop swingTourterelle Inn
At the Paris reception venue, during the cocktail hour, the bride's friends are seen fighting over the bridal bouquet. A lively and competitive moment captured by the wedding photographer
Parisian Bouquet Battle: Friends Engaged in a Spirited Showdown at the Reception
ParisParis wedding venuecocktail hourbridal bouquetParis documentary wedding photographyfighting over bouquet
At Chateau de Morgenex in Haute Savoie, the bride and groom proudly display their wedding rings to their friends during a lively cocktail hour
Chateau de Morgenex: A Radiant Affair of Love and Friendship
Haute-Savoiecocktail hourChateau de Morgenexdisplaying ringHaute Savoie Documentary Wedding Photographyshowing off rings
The couple, following a German tradition, are seen at a reception venue in Loiret, Centre-Val de Loire, sawing a log together using the same saw during their wedding cocktail hour
Sawing Love's Path: A Couple's German Tradition in Loiret's Enchanting Reception Venue
cocktail hourLoiretlow anglesawing a logGerman traditionLoiret Wedding PhotographyCentre-Val de Loire
A WPJA Honor Award-winning photo captured at Manoir de la Perrière in Messas, France. The image shows everyone enjoying the cocktail, except for the bride's resting uncle.
Resting Uncle: A Moment of Solitude Amidst Wedding Celebration in France
Messas Documentary Wedding PhotographyLoiretMessasManoir de la Perrièrecocktail hourResting
A group of people joyfully toss the bride into the air during an outdoor cocktail hour at Chateau-Ferme d’Aboncourt in Abancourt
Flying High: The Joyful Bride at Chateau-Ferme d’Aboncourt
OiseAbancourtcocktail hourChateau Ferme dAboncourttossing brideAbancourt Wedding Photography
In the French Alps, a beekeeper tends to the hive at the reception venue during the cocktail hour
Beekeeper's Delight: French Alps Reception Buzzes with Honey at Cocktail Hour
beekeepercocktail hourGrenobletend to hiveFrench Alps wedding photographyFrench Alps
On the beach in Dinard, Ille-et-Vilaine, the bride and groom enjoyed a romantic photo shoot during the cocktail hour, near the reception venue. The natural lens flare was captured perfectly, adding a touch of warmth to the picture.
SAND & WARMTH: Breathtaking Wedding Portrait Session Illuminates Dinard Venue's Romantic Beach
lens flarebeachcouple in DinardDinard newlywedsDinardIlle et Vilaine wedding photographybride
Guests at Château de Poudenas, France, enjoying oysters in the rain at a documentary wedding
Capturing Love and Raindrops: A Stunning Documentary Wedding in Poudenas
Chateau de PoudenasrainLot et Garonne Documentary Wedding Photographycocktail hourumbrellaLot-et-GaronnePoudenas
A bride excitedly jumps into the groom's arms during their outdoor cocktail hour at the Wychmere Beach Club in Harwich, MA, on their wedding day
Capturing Bliss: Joyful Bride Leaps into Groom's Arms at Wychmere Beach Club Wedding
cocktail hourMassachusettsHarwich Documentary Wedding PhotographyWychmere Beach ClubHarwichBride jumps
The wedding couple at the reception venue, Chateau de Rou Marson in France, participate in a traditional activity of throwing pigeons during the cocktail hour, while dark clouds loom ominously in the background
Breathtaking French Wedding Creates Magical Moment Amidst Menacing Skies!
outdoor receptiontraditionthrowing pigeonsRou MarsonMaine-et-LoireMaine et Loire Wedding Photographycocktail hour
In Lille, Nord, the witnesses and the groom engage in a playful battle as they enjoy cocktail hour on the lawn
Joyful Lille Wedding: Witness-Infused Lawn Cocktail Hour Ignites Playful Battle
cocktail hourLille Documentary Wedding PhotographyLillebattlegroom and groomsenHauts-de-France
At Chateau de Gency, guests are served mini burgers on trays, as they prepare to indulge in a delectable food experience
Chateau de Gency: Enjoy Delectable Food Experience with Mini Burgers Served on Trays
Served on Traysfoodcocktail hourDelectableChateau de GencyFood ExperienceMini Burgers
An emotional moment was captured at the wedding in Poitiers, Vienne, after the bride tearfully listened to the bridemaid's speech during the cocktail hour
The bride shed tears during the cocktail hour at the Poitiers, Vienne wedding
bridemaid speechEmotional momentwedding emotionsVienne weddingbride crying weddingPoitiersBride crying
Set against an idyllic backdrop of Domaine de Taysse, male guests at an outdoor reception party enjoyed the cocktail hour watching rugby on their phones while standing beneath the trees at a table
Guests at Domaine de Taysse's outdoor reception party enjoyed a cocktail hour of watching rugby on their phones under the trees
Correzewatching rugbymale guestsphonesWedding guests outdoorscocktail houridyllic backdrop
At the outdoor wedding reception party on the lawn at a Lille, Nord venue, the father runs to kiss his new son-in-law during the cocktail hour
At a Lille, Nord wedding venue, the father kissed his new son-in-law during the outdoor wedding reception party's cocktail hour
hugLille wedding photographyNordlawncocktail hourLille
The winner of the bouquet toss came to embrace the bride during the cocktail hour in Lille, Nord
In Lille, Nord, the winner of the bouquet toss embraced the bride during the cocktail hour
cocktail hourLille wedding photographyLille bridebouquet tossoutdoor receptionNordLille
The wedding couple in Key Largo, Florida at Playa Largo Resort & Spa enjoyed the peaceful tranquility of the bar gazebo, taking a break from the excitement during the cocktail hour
A wedding photographer captured the peaceful couple at the bar gazebo during the cocktail hour
FloridaKey Largobride and groom portraitPlaya Largo Resort & Spacocktail hourKey Largo Wedding Portrait
At Lareau Farms, Waitsfield, VT, the bride has her dress bustled during cocktail hour, while guests mingle and smoke fills the air from a campfire
As guests chatted and laughed, the smoke from the crackling campfire wafted through the air during the lively cocktail hour
Vermont photographerWaitsfieldcocktail hourVTLareau FarmsVermontcampfire smoke
In PACA at the priest's garden, a quick make-up touch-up in the middle of the guests during the refreshment
At the priest's garden during cocktail hour at the wedding reception, guests surrounded a quick make-up fix for the bride
PACA Wedding PhotographyPACA family and friendsPACAcocktail hourPriests GardenPACA bridemakeup fix
A wedding photo from a Lille Nord cocktail hour as a wasp has just put itself in the bride's dress
The bride had an unwelcome guest at her wedding cocktail hour, as a wasp had just put itself in her dress
Norddress helpLilleLille brideNord Wedding Photographercocktail hour
At the evening reception in Altamura, Italy, a group of guests enjoyed cocktails and created a silhouette during the "blue hour"
During a blue hour sunset at a reception in Altamura, Italy, guests enjoyed cocktails and created a black and blue silhouette
cocktail hourItalyApuliasilhouettesAltamuraAltamura Photographerblue hour
During a New Aquitaine cocktail hour outside the wedding venue, the bridal bouquet toss ends with an exciting catch
Amidst the festivities of the cocktail hour at the wedding venue, the bridal bouquet toss was concluded with a thrilling catch
exciting bouquet catchcocktail hourFranceNouvelle Aquitaine photographerNouvelle-AquitaineDamien Dohmenbridal bouquet toss
At Museum Belber in Oaxaca, a local photographer captured a busy wedding reception scene during the cocktail hour in a small room
The busy wedding reception scene during the cocktail hour was filled with lots of joyful guests
Oaxaca photographerMuseum Belbercocktail hourOaxaca
At the beautiful Quinta Real in Oaxaca City, Mexico, a wedding picture from outside on the grass next to the building door during the cocktail hour
Captured during a unique outdoor wedding, the documentary image shows guests socializing while the children play on the grass during the cocktail hour
Quinta RealOaxacaMexico photographerOaxaca Citycocktail hourMexico venue
At a reception in Aix les Bains, France, games are played on the grass lawn while kids swing in the air with the help of adults. It's cocktail hour.
During cocktail hour at the wedding reception, games are played on the grass lawn while kids swing in the air with the help of adults
fun and gamescocktail hourlakeside weddingAix les BainsFranceswinging kidFrance photographer

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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.