Wedding Photos of Light

The following “Light” 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 “Light” 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 stunning silhouette of a couple on their wedding day at Villa Parker reception venue, backlit with a warm orange gel light against a backdrop of three elegant arches. A romantic and dreamy scene capturing the love and beauty of the special day.

Ethereal Elegance: Silhouetted Love at Villa Parker

A stunning wedding photograph at Chateau Rigaud Bordeaux, France, showcasing a beautiful bride and groom framed in golden hour light, standing in a picturesque vineyard at the venue.

Golden Hour Romance: Bride and Groom at Chateau Rigaud Bordeaux Vineyard, France

Outdoor rustic Scenery light Chateau Rigaud bride venue

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

touch up silhouette serene Lot et Garonne Wedding Photography Château Saint Denis bride wedding photo

A groom tenderly dips his bride inside a dark chapel, creating a striking play of light and shadow on their wedding day at Ruines du Château à Salt-en-Donzy, Romain et Laurie.

Light and Shadow Dance: Groom Dips Bride in Dark Chapel at Ruines du Château à Salt-en-Donzy

bride Romain striking light Chateau silhouettes shadow

An artistic couple engagement portrait captured by a Cazorla wedding photographer in Spain, showing a couple kissing and framed by flowers in the soft afternoon light.

Flower Power Romance: Cazorla Lovebirds in Sunlit Engagement Portrait Kiss

framed by flowers afternoon Cazorla light couple kissing Jaén Jaén engagement photographer

A couple on their wedding day in Baeza, Jaén, Spain, standing against a stone wall. The groom is bathed in sunlight while the bride is in shadow. A contrasting and captivating image of love and light in a historic Spanish setting.

Love Illuminated: A Sunlit Groom and Shaded Bride in Baeza, Jaén, Spain. Pose by Wall

historic shadow couple Spain captivating image Baeza wedding photo

Artistic wedding photo taken in Verona, Italy, showcasing a unique perspective on the union as a couple stands in silhouette while the newlyweds move towards the light, creating a meaningful portrayal of marriage.

Newlyweds Embracing Light in Verona, Italy's Artistic Wedding Portrait

trees wedding photo silhouette marriage Italy Verona Verona wedding photography

Before the bride's grand departure at Château St Roch, Martres-Tolosane, France - a serene moment captured in diagonal sunlight and shadows.

Ethereal Elegance: The Bride's Tranquil Morning at Château St Roch

Château St Roch bride sunlight sun Elegance Chateau weddings serene bride

Finca Vikingos in Santa Barbara, Heredia, Costa Rica serves as the backdrop for a captivating lifestyle couple portrait. Bathed in warm, golden hour light, the couple sits before a charming wooden door.

CAPTIVATING LIFESTYLE COUPLE PORTRAIT | Finca Vikingos: A Costa Rican Love Story

Santa Barbara CR Heredia engagements Finca Vikingos Santa Barbara CR Heredia photographer wood couple portrait photography light

A pre-wedding portrait | Finca Vikingos, Santa Barbara, Costa Rica

Santa Barbara CR photographer profile silhouette Engagement Costa Rica Heredia photography Heredia

Creative wedding couple portrait in Cour Dorée showcasing a playful interplay of light and shadow on their faces

Cour Dorée Creative Wedding Couple Portrait: Playful Interplay of Light and Shadow on Faces

shadow Rhone wedding couple playful interplay faces black and white portrait Rhone Creative Portrait light

In the Domaine des Sources, the wedding rings glistened in the light, adding a touch of sparkle to this wedding detail image

Wedding Detail Image with Sparkling Wedding Rings in Domaine des Sources

Calvados Normandy touch of sparkle wedding rings Calvados Wedding Details Domaine des sources wedding detail image

The bride's lacy dress is illuminated in a portrait taken at Mas de Boutonnet, France, as she lifts her skirt to make the fabric stand out

The bride's luminous lacy dress is captured in an evocative portrait, showcasing the fabric's texture as she lifts her skirt

wedding dress bride Mas de Boutonnet bridal portrait skirt PACA Artistic Photographer fabric texture

The newlyweds posed together at Schloss Vollrads, illuminated by the sun shining through the trees

At Schloss Vollrads, the sun shone through the trees as the newlyweds posed together

Germany Newlywed portrait light Oestrich Winkel Schloss Vollrads germany photographer trees

At Le Vescovane, Longare, Vicenza, Italy, a portrait of the groom against a backdrop of light, with BW tones

Italy, Longare, Le Vescovane: grayscale-toned portrait of groom against backdrop of light

light Longare BW tones grayscale Longare Artistic Photographer Vicenza Groom Portrait Le Vescovane

A Colorado couple poses during a Rocky Mountain National Park lifestyle Alpine photography session at sunset with a light

pose Colorado couple Rocky Mountain National Park dusk RMNP lit

Gracay lifestyle couples portrait photography in France at night with a light Under the Rain

Night close up Gracay portrait photography France France Gracay lifestyle couple winter

North Carolina lifestyle couples photography in the South End of Charlotte showing the light in their love

South End love Charlotte South End North Carolina lifestyle North Carolina Charlotte light

A Terni Wedding, Elopement, and Engagement Photographer created this artistic, sweet portrait of this Spoleto couple almost kissing with a reflection of trees over them

light reflection kissing Spoleto couple embrace Spoleto

Great wedding photography of the bride and groom from Scotland at sunset with the light hitting her veil

Mike Cook Scotland sunset veil light bride and groom uk wedding photography

Darmstadt stylish actual wedding day couple portrait in Germany showing off Light and shadows in BW

bw DE wedding couple portrait Darmstadt stylish wedding DE light Germany couple

Best France documentary wedding photography from Ferme Inharria during the The first dance under lanterns of light

France documentary wedding photography Ferme Inharria first dance Ferme Inharria wedding venue lanterns light Audrey Morisson

Best Biarritz wedding photojournalism picture created while playing with the sun during the cocktail hour

bride Biarritz wedding photojournalism Biarritz dancing Basque Country sun cocktail hour

Great wedding photography of the groom and his groomsmen from Spruce Mountain Ranch in Larkspur, Colorado outdoors at night with a light smoking cigars

Spruce Mountain Ranch cigars Colorado wedding Colorado groomsmen photography of the groom Larkspur groom

Scenic Val De La Mare, St Ouen, Jersey engagement image showing the couple embrace by the reservoir

Jersey couple reservoir light St Ouen embrace Jersey engagement

Epic Cappadocia, Turkey engagement session with a light, formal clothes and hot air balloons

Turkey formal clothes Turkey engagement session Cappadocia Hot air balloons blue sky

A romantic Istanbul, Sultanahmet engagement picture with a light at the edge of the water at dusk before the city skyline

light dusk Istanbul skyline Istanbul bride and groom romantic edge

Epic East Matunuck State Beach engagement session in South Kingstown, RI with their dog connection and also showcasing the beautiful light and landscape of the beach location

landscape South Kingstown light Rhode Island connection East Matunuck State Beach RI engagement

A first rate Chateau d'Auros wedding image from an on location Bordeaux bridal portrait session using the bathroom mirror, sink, and light

France sink bathroom Elodie Ruelleux Dagorne Bordeaux bridal portrait session light Chateau dAuros

Botanic Gardens, Singapore pre-wedding engagement photoshoot for a couple in a man-made cave with a waterfall and Added flash behind the couple to light up the textures of the cave

Singapore pre wedding textures Singapore photographer flash cave man made cave Singapore wedding photography

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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.