Wedding Photos of Joyfully

The following “Joyfully” 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 “Joyfully” 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.

At the Westin Hotel in Southfield, Michigan, an enchanting Indian wedding ceremony unfolds as the bride and groom joyfully participate in the traditional ritual of blowing flower petals into each other's faces.

Indian Wedding Ritual at The Westin Hotel

A heartwarming moment captured at a backyard wedding in Watertown, Massachusetts as the bride's brother joyfully photobombs the couple's romantic kiss, adding a touch of fun to the wedding image.

Brotherly Love: Fun Photobomb at Backyard Wedding in Watertown, Massachusetts Captures Heartwarming Moment

romantic fun image reception Watertown MA Brotherly Love Watertown MA Wedding Moment white gown

Beautiful wedding captured at Space Gallery in Denver, Colorado, showing flower girls and ring bearer joyfully dancing at the reception, taken from a bird's eye view in a evocative black and white shot.

Joyful Flower Girls and Ring Bearer Dance: Denver Wedding at Space Gallery in Black and White

ceremony reception evocative capture love Space Gallery Denver ring bearer

A wedding image captured outdoors at the Barn at Sunset Ranch in Buena Vista, Colorado, where guests are seen joyfully taking photos against a backdrop of majestic mountains under clouds and a blue sky.

Celebrating Love: Guests Capture Moments Against Majestic Mountains at Barn in Buena Vista

joyfully wedding outdoors Colorado photos Barn at Sunset Ranch majestic clouds

Newlyweds joyfully laughing together as they enjoy a petal toss ceremony outside Sweet Pea's Cafe in Bar Harbor, Maine, USA.

The Petal Toss: Charming Couple Celebrates Love Outside Sweet Pea's Cafe in Maine

petal toss outdoor ceremony Celebrates Love cafe Sweet Peas Cafe newlyweds USA The Petal Toss

A newlywed bride and groom joyfully ski together to their wedding reception at High Camp.

SKIING TO SAY "I DO": NEWLYWED BRIDE AND GROOM HIT THE SLOPES IN WEDDING ATTIRE

ski joyfully ski together snow High Camp skiing wedding attire

A young ring bearer (couple's son) at a wedding at Knoebel Events, DU campus, Denver, CO, USA being joyfully carried down the aisle by two men instead of walking.

Ring Bearer Rollin' at Knoebel Events: Little Dude Gets VIP Aisle Ride Instead

aisle USA wedding DU campus couples son young ring bearer carried

A black and white close-up shot of the groom joyfully drinking from a beer tap at Gite de la Railletiere in Vercors, Isère.

Tap into Love: Groom Celebrating with a Fresh Beer at Vercors Wedding Venue

Gite de la Railletiere beer tap Isere close up shot Vercors marriage image Vercors weddings black and white

A bride surrounded by friends joyfully gets into dancing at Notley Abbey in Buckinghamshire, holding her dress up as they celebrate together.

Dancing Queen: Bride Twirls with Friends at Notley Abbey Wedding Celebration in Buckinghamshire

Notley Abbey weddings Notley Abbey in Buckinghamshire dancing surrounded Wedding Celebration in Buckinghamshire together celebrate

A lively scene at Sudeley Castle in the Cotswolds as wedding guests joyfully pile on to each other on the dance floor, reminiscent of frat house antics.

Cherished Chaos: Wedding Revelry at Sudeley Castle

Sudeley Castle joyfully wedding guests uk weddings UK Photographer dancing dance floor

A bridesmaid at Huntsmill Farm in Buckinghamshire joyfully dances with a man's tie on her head, using it as a playful headband while swinging it around.

Tied in Happiness: A Bridesmaid's Dance at Huntsmill Farm

Buckinghamshire Wedding Photographer dances Huntsmill Farm dancing mans tie Buckinghamshire reception party

A talented documentary wedding photographer captured this award-winning image at a church ceremony in Lille, Nord. It shows the groom's mother joyfully walking down the aisle alongside the groom.

Joyful Groom's Mother: Captivating Image of a Church Wedding Ceremony in Lille, Nord

Nord groom walking aisle Nord Lille wedding photographer Nord documentary wedding photographer joyfully

A top Rupert, Vermont wedding photographer captured this picture at The Old Gray Barn showing the bride is joyfully lifted off the floor during her first dance with her groom during their first dance in a barn as family and guests watch

first dance Rupert joyfully first dance guests watch Gray Barn

New York wedding photo from Long Island as The bride and groom put their foreheads together joyfully after seeing each other for the first time on their wedding day during the b'deken

bride and groom Long Island Danielle Gardner New York foreheads b deken

Wedding photography from Long Island, NY showing A groom hugs the bride's two sister's while the bride smiles joyfully

hugs the bride Danielle Gardner groom smiles joyfully NY sister

Photo showing a Long Island, NY bride and groom joyfully hold hands and celebrate during their wedding ceremony surrounded by flowers.

Danielle Gardner outdoor wedding ceremony nature weddings flowers outdoor ceremony NY celebrate

Long Island, NY wedding image of a A bride and groom joyfully huddling close as they view their marriage ketubah for the first time.

joyfully Danielle Gardner nature weddings NY wedding Image ketubah bride and groom garden weddings

Portugal engagement images of a couple jumping in the sun at sunset | Braga photographer pre-wedding session for portraits

The ecstatic couple leapt joyfully into the air, silhouetted against the sky at sunset, while golden rays of sunlight shone brightly from the horizon, radiating up toward the heavens

Golden Sky joyfully Braga Engagement Photography heavens Braga ecstatic

Massachusetts engagement pictures of a couple in the park with leaves falling | Boston photographer pre-wedding shoot with photographer

The couple smiled joyfully as the leaves softly fell in the park, capturing a beautiful scene for their engagement picture

joyfully MA couple Engagement Picture Boston engagement photography leaves Boston park

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.