Wedding Photos of Moment

The following “Moment” 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 “Moment” 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 WPJA awarded image captures a heartwarming moment as the groom's father ties his shoelace at Friern Manor Country Hotel in Essex, UK.

Dad Knots: Emotional Shoelace Moment at Friern Manor Country Hotel in Essex, UK

The award-winning photographer captures a joyful moment as the newlyweds walk together through confetti at a farm location in Suffolk, UK.

HAPPY NEWLYWEDS WALKING BLISSFULLY AMID CONFETTI STORM ON SUFFOLK FARM

moment United Kingdom confetti storm newlyweds walk happy UK Suffolk farm

Award-winning wedding photographer captures the sweet moment of embraces between the newlyweds in the garden of their Calvados, Normandy home, right after playing the bouquet game.

Sweet Embrace: A Garden Wedding Hug Moment in Calvados

newlyweds French photographer Normandy French wedding photography wedding moments moment Calvados home

At Private Residence in Nobleboro, Maine, the bride and her mom share a sweet moment, blowing kisses to each other before the wedding ceremony. A heartwarming image capturing the love and excitement of this special day.

Nobleboro, Maine: A Mother-Daughter Bond in Sweet Wedding Bliss

excitement sweet Midcoast Maine moment Maine bride Maine Mother Daughter Bond

Pro documentary wedding photographer captured a moment of guests delighting in the food at the Orangerie des Demoiselles. The image received an award from the WPJA.

Delectable Delights at Orangerie des Demoiselles: WPJA Accolade for Pro Documentary Photographer

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Wedding photographer in Maissemy captures the emotion-filled moment as the bride and groom react to the mayor's speech during their ceremony at the city hall. This image has been recognized and awarded by the WPJA.

Maissemy City Hall Wedding: Emotion-Filled Moment Captured by Award-Winning Photographer

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A Pro Documentary Wedding Photographer capturing a special moment at a Louth wedding ceremony. The groom embraces his mother, while the bride joyfully celebrates with confetti.

Embrace of Love: A Louth Wedding Celebration

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In Savigny-Lévescault, France, the pro documentary wedding photographer captured a French tradition where the bride and groom, along with their witnesses and children, break a cake called "broyer." Here, the couple's son is having a blast!

Savigny-Lévescault: French Wedding Cake Tradition - Pro Photographer Captures Joyful Moment

France wedding photography documentary wedding photographer wedding cake tradition cake cutting Savigny Lévescault wedding outdoors Savigny Lévescault witnesses and children

An award-winning wedding photographer captured the intricate moment of a priest's hand reaching out towards a couple during a prayer at a ceremony in São Caetano do Sul. The image highlights the priest's hand with a shallow depth of field.

Graceful Hand Embraces Couple's Unbreakable Bond in São Caetano

priest detail ceremonies hand São Caetano do Sul moment São Caetano do Sul wedding

A documentary wedding photographer captured this beautiful bouquet toss moment at the La Seigneurie du Bois Benoist reception venue in Vallet, France. The bride is seen in the background as the girls eagerly try to catch the bouquet.

Eager Women Chase Bride's Flying Bouquet: Captivating Moment at La Seigneurie du Bois Benoist, Vallet, France

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In Telluride, Colorado, a documentary wedding photographer captures a heartfelt moment during the ceremony as the bride's daughters perform music together: one holds the sheet music while the other plays the violin.

Heartfelt Harmony: A Wedding Image in Telluride as Bride's Daughters Perform Music Together

Colorado documentary wedding photographer brides daughters sheet music Telluride colorado wedding venue Telluride wedding

Wedding photographer captures an award-winning moment as the bride and groom's daughters vie for the bouquet on the lawn of Saint-Ybard.

Saint-Ybard: Daughters Duel over Flowers in Award-Winning Wedding Moment

girls toss kids daughters moment bouquet Correze

A pro documentary wedding photographer captures the special moment of a young boy in a tux being admired by two women on a couch at Crown Tower, Melbourne. This image has received a prestigious WPJA Honor Award.

Special Moment of Young Boy in Tux Admired by Two Women at Crown Tower

couch women young boy Melbourne wedding tux Melbourne documentary wedding photographer

In this WPJA Honor Award-winning photo, taken at a church in Bath, UK, a documentary wedding photographer captured the moment when a man holds a chest filled with ice and drinks for the guests during the drink reception.

Chilled Delight Delivery: The Ultimate Iced Refreshment at a Church Wedding in Bath

United Kingdom drink reception uk wedding photography ice man drinks UK reportage

Grandparents assist young bridesmaid with her jacket near Santa Maria Assunta's Church in Arezzo, Italy. The photograph captures the moment against the backdrop of the city's historic center.

Assisting the Toddler Bridesmaid: A Moment of Love and Tradition in Historic Arezzo Italy

Arezzo wedding photography photograph Santa Maria Assuntas Church jacket moment Arezzo backdrop

At the Park of Cauffry, France, the newlyweds shared a sweet portrait under the veil, gazing into each other's eyes with big smiles on their faces

Wedding Portrait at Park of Cauffry, France captures newlyweds' sweet moment under the veil

sweet portrait newlyweds wedding gazing veil moment captured

This authentic and emotional Buenos Aires wedding day moment outside the San Isidro Cathedral in Argentina was recorded by a documentary wedding photographer showing The married couple going to the venue in the back of a vintage car

Buenos Aires weddings San Isidro Cathedral Argentina Argentina couple emotional Buenos Aires Argentina documentary wedding

A heartfelt display of emotion is captured in this St Pauls Church, Charlottesville wedding day moment from a Virginia documentary wedding photographer showing Bride and Dad sharing a hug as they are about to walk down the aisle

Virginia emotion is captured in this St Pauls Church Charlottesville moment Charlottesville photographer hug

A heartfelt display of emotion is captured in this Black Mountain Lodge, Arapahoe Basin, Keystone wedding day moment by a Colorado documentary wedding photographer showing the brides mom embracing her during their mother daughter dance in the mountains

emotion embracing Arapahoe Basin Keystone Colorado photographer Colorado documentary weddings Lucy Schultz

Honest and sincere emotions are on display in this wedding day picture created by a Cesena, Italy documentary wedding photographer showing a moment of true love with the old father

wedding day picture Italy documentary weddings Honest Cesena Caterina Errani moment Emilia-Romagna

A Paris documentary wedding photographer captured this multi layered moment from an Iranian ceremony with masks

multi layered Lea Torrieri Paris masks moment paris wedding photographer ceremony

A Paris documentary-style wedding image showing a moment at the Ceremony location during a Jewish ceremony

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A Sao Paulo documentary wedding photographer captured this moment showing the father of the bride watching her entrance

São Caetano do Sul São Paulo father of the bride moment entrance São Paulo wedding photographer

A wedding photojournalist on North Lake Tahoe captured this moment showing the Bride and groom exiting the ceremony with their dog

ceremony California wedding photojournalist exiting moment North Lake Tahoe bride and groom

A wedding photojournalist in Georgetown DC at the Westin captured this moment as The bridesmaids help the bride into her dress

dress Georgetown Johnny Shryock VA wedding photojournalist bride DC at the Westin moment

A Blue Hill, Maine documentary wedding photographer captured this moment showing The bride dancing with her friends and family

Maine documentary weddings Blue Hill family ME wedding photographer bride Maine dancing

A wedding photojournalist in Blue Hill, Maine captured this moment of The bride and her wedding party watching out the window as guests enter the ceremony

guests Maine wedding photojournalist moment bride ceremony watching wedding party

A Oxon Hill Manor documentary-style wedding image showing a moment of The bride dancing at her reception with a zip-tie crown

An Oxon Hill Manor documentary-style wedding image showing a moment of The bride dancing at her reception with a zip-tie crown

Arlington crown Johnny Shryock Oxon Hill Manor Bee Two Sweet dancing Documentary Wedding image

A Bar Harbor, Maine documentary wedding photographer captured this moment showing A bride chats with a flower girl on the grass

chats Bar Harbor photographer grass Maine documentary wedding flower girl Kate Crabtree bride

A Washington DC documentary-style wedding image at the District Winery showing a moment as The groom serenades his bride during the reception

District Winery Washington Bee Two Sweet bride serenades DC wedding image Johnny Shryock

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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.