Wedding Photos of Playfully

The following “Playfully” 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 “Playfully” 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 photo taken at Xi'an Hi-tech Hotel shows the groom playfully arriving to pick up the bride while wearing a dinosaur suit during their wedding.

Majestic Dinosaur Groom Arrives Playfully at Xi'an Hi-tech Hotel to Pick Up Bride

In the captivating streets of Old Town, Fort Collins, Colorado, a woman playfully shows off her engagement ring while laughing and having fun during their portrait session.

Enchanting Streets: Woman Playfully Shows Off Engagement Ring in Old Town, Fort Collins Portrait Session

playfully fort collins engagement photography engagement ring Fort Collins Old Town Fort Collins showing off Colorado

A joyful moment frozen in time at a Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain wedding venue in Marana, AZ, captured while a guest playfully tosses confetti at another guest.

Elegant Confetti Delight at Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain Wedding in Marana, AZ

Marana Arizona confetti reception DELIGHT tosses elegant

Captured at Schloss Herten, Germany, a moment of the bride and her girls toasting and playfully tossing white flower petals in the air in a luxurious hotel room on the wedding day.

Luxurious White Petal Toast: Bride and Girls Celebrate Wedding Day at Schloss Herten, Germany

marriage playfully luxurious bride Schloss Herten petals girls

A heartwarming moment captured on a backyard wedding day in Washington, DC, as the groom playfully cleans his glasses with the bride's dress, in a nostalgic black and white styled image.

Heartwarming Backyard Wedding: Groom Playfully Cleans Glasses with Bride's Dress, Washington, DC

bride Backyard Washington DC groom cleans moment captured styled

An older couple shares a laugh at District Winery in Washington DC as the husband playfully steals food from his wife during the reception.

Hubby Hilariously Steals Food from Wife at Wedding Reception

wedding reception Hubby husband older couple DC wedding hilarious venue

Wedding couple in Köln relax in a convertible cabriolet following their civil ceremony; the groom loosens his shirt collar as the bride playfully sips champagne straight from the bottle.

Cologne Cabriolet Capers: Newlyweds Cruise in Style After Saying "I Do" in City

Cologne Wedding relax champagne sips groom convertible Germany

In the romantic setting of Beaulon's Castle, Charente-Maritime, a blindfolded groom playfully tries to cut the ribbon of his bride's bouquet, capturing the joyful and loving atmosphere of their wedding celebration.

Blindfolded Groom at Beaulon's Castle in Charente-Maritime Fumbles Bouquet Ribbon

cut the ribbon Blindfolded Groom Beaulon Castle bride bouquet groom wedding celebration Charente-Maritime

Bride's veil caught by the wind at Elmley Nature Reserve while groom playfully chases after it through the open field.

Dancing Veil: A Love Story at Elmley Nature Reserve

chase veil playfully Elmley Nature Reserve wedding field bride photographer Isle of Sheppey bride

Lifestyle couple portrait at Haughley Park, Suffolk. An engagement shoot in the early summer evening. The couple stands facing each other, embracing gently. She playfully lifts one leg, captured by the photographer.

Engaging Elegance | Haughley Park Couple's Enchanting Early Summer Shoot

evening leg couple portrait session lifts Engagement photography summer gently

In their whimsical wedding portrait at the Adler Planetarium, the newlyweds blissfully share a laugh while playfully wielding light sabers, illuminating their celebration of love and passion in the heart of Chicago.

Chicago Wedding Portrait at Adler Planetarium: Newlyweds Celebrating Love and Passion with Light Sabers

celebrating love heart of Chicago chicago wedding portrait whimsical love and passion Adler Planetarium Chicago

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.