Wedding Photos of Smiling

The following “Smiling” 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 “Smiling” 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.

Colorado: A bride and groom share a warm embrace amidst a snowy backdrop on their wedding day

Snowy Serenity: Embracing Love in Colorado's Winter Wonderland

A relaxed couple seated in the golden sunlight of Bangkok, Thailand, were beaming with joy and love as they smiled for the camera during their pre-wedding portrait session

The couple's engagement portrait captured their blissful happiness in the warm, golden sunlight of Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok vertical image golden sunlight Thailand hug from behind smiling Bangkok Engagement Photography

The couple smiled for the camera under a well-known bridge in Toulouse, capturing the moment for their save-the-date engagement announcement

Toulouse Bridge: Engagement Announcement Image for Smiling Couple

Toulouse Save the Date Toulouse engagement photography smiling Toulouse bridge Toulouse bw portrait bridge

A smiling couple, in Duluth, Minnesota, are laughing while posing for their save-the-date engagement announcement portrait

Duluth, MN: Smiling Couple Laughing for Engagement Announcement Portrait

Duluth Duluth Engagement Session smiling Minnesota bw portrait laughing

The newlyweds can be seen smiling and laughing in a wedding photo taken at Hollins House, Santa Cruz, CA, as their guests joyfully celebrate their union on the dance floor

At Hollins House, Santa Cruz, CA, the newlyweds smile and laugh in a photobooth as their guests dance and celebrate

photobooth dance floor Santa Cruz Hollins House laughing smiling Santa Cruz wedding photography

A couple in Lyon, France, are smiling back to back on a bench in their engagement announcement portrait for their save-the-date

Lyon, France: Engagement Announcement Portrait of Smiling Couple on Bench

Lyon Save the Date overhead shot Lyon back to back Lyon engagement photography bench smiling

The groom and bride joyfully celebrated their union at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Chicago, IL, with the groom pumping his fist and the bride smiling

At St. Joseph Catholic Church in Chicago, IL, the groom and bride celebrated joyfully with the groom pumping his fist and the bride smiling

Chicago wedding photography celebrating exiting church St Joseph Catholic Church smiling fist pumping Chicago

A beautiful wedding photo captured a kiss from a guest to the bride and groom after the ceremony at Limoges

At Limoges Castle in France, a guest kissed the bride with the groom at her side smiling

Limoges guest bride and groom smiling Limoges Castle kissing bride Limoges Wedding Photography

The couple is excited to tie the knot soon as they pose for a romantic portrait on the beach of Trasimeno Lake in Umbria, Italy

The engaged couple joyfully anticipates their marriage, smiling as they capture a loving photo on Trasimeno Lake's Umbrian shore

couple posed smiling Italy Umbria Umbria engagement session Trasimeno Lake

The couple is pictured smiling in each others arms in a black and white image against a brick wall at the Garonne Quays in Toulouse, a beautiful setting for their pre-wedding portrait

At the Garonne Quays in Toulouse, the couple embrace, smiling in a black and white lifestyle portrait

Toulouse Toulouse Lifestyle Engagement Portrait black and white Garonne Quays smiling brick wall embrace

The couple are seen smiling cheek to cheek in a classical British city street in York, Yorkshire, UK, for their pre wedding lifestyle portrait

In York, Yorkshire, UK, the couple smiled cheek to cheek for their pre wedding portrait session

cheek to cheek York Lifestyle Engagement Photography smiling York North Yorkshire city street

The engaged couple enjoyed a pre-wedding portrait at Khao Yai National Park, with him giving her a piggyback ride and both of them smiling widely

At Khao Yai National Park, the couple beamed as he gave her a piggyback for their engagement portrait

Thailand piggyback ride Nakhon Ratchasima smiling Nakhon Ratchasima PreWedding Photographer Khao Yai National Park

The bride and groom in Belo Horizonte, MG, were lying on the floor, their faces locked like puzzle pieces, smiling in joy for their lifestyle engagement portrait

In Belo Horizonte, MG, the bride and groom lay smiling in joy for their lifestyle engagement portrait session

joy Minas Gerais leaves puzzle pieces laying on ground Belo Horizonte engagement photographer Belo Horizonte

A black and white engagement portrait of a couple partially hidden behind a tree at the Dome House in Cotia, Brazil

Cotia, Brazil's Dome House: BW engagement portrait of couple, groom-to-be partially hidden by tree

Cotia Engagement Photographer tree laughing smiling São Paulo Cotia bw portrait

An engaged couple embraced and smiled near a reflecting pool of trees and buildings in Cividale del Friuli, Udine, Italy

The happy couple embraced and smiled near a reflecting pool of trees and buildings before their wedding day

embraced Udine buildings trees reflecting pool smiling red dress

A bride and groom to be are enjoying an engaged couple lifestyle session in Évora, Portugal

The bride and groom-to-be are beaming with joy as they walk through the streets, embracing each other tightly in anticipation of their wedding day

Portugal embracing smiling Évora Evora Engagement Photographer streets

At the Yvelines reception venue, the newlyweds are laughing out loud

The newlyweds are laughing and smiling at the head table at the reception venue

Yvelines head table laughing Yvelines wedding photographer smiling Yvelines Reception Venue

Laughing wedding guests are lighting each others cigarettes outside at the Sunset Cruise Boat, Istanbul, Turkey

At the wedding venue, guests were smiling and somewhat serious as they lit each other's cigarettes outside

smiling istanbul wedding photographer Sunset Cruise Boat cigarettes Istanbul laughing Turkey

The happy bridal couple were enjoying a romantic ride on the carousel at the Frankfurt Roemer, riding the adorned horses and smiling

The happy couple enjoyed a fun ride on the carousel, smiling at each other on adorned horses

carousel ride Frankfurt Roemer Frankfurt photographer fun ride Happy couple Germany horses

The couple's smiling faces lit up Montpellier, France as they posed for a picture in the tall grass beneath a canopy of trees

A couple posed for a picture in a tall grassy clearing, framed by a canopy of trees

canopy of trees France smiling Montpellier e session tall grass Montpellier

The happy couple were met with a shower of confetti as they made their way out of The Walled Garden, Nottingham, UK, with the groom having a face full of it and the bride smiling in delight

The newlyweds were showered with confetti, with the groom's face covered and the bride beaming with joy

face Walled Garden venue Nottingham couple Nottinghamshire smiling UK couple bride

At Foxtail Barns in Staffordshire, UK, the bride and groom shared a cute, sweet little moment, sipping wine through straws

The newlyweds shared a blissful moment, sipping wine through straws and smiling lovingly at each other

Foxtail Barns newlyweds straws sipping wine Staffordshire smiling

The Bride and Groom were happily smiling as they ran along the paved path under the trees during their portrait session at the Retreat at the Hiawassee River

At the Retreat, Hiawassee River, the Bride and Groom ran joyfully down the paved path, smiling during their portrait session

Georgia smiling Hiawassee Retreat at the Hiawassee River Hiawassee Photographer paved path

The couple smiled and sat together on the stairs outside the Reception Hall in Vertou, Nantes

The couple posed for a portrait as they sat together on the steps outside the Reception Hall

couple sitting Nantes smiling steps Vertou Photographer Vertou

couple is hugging at sunset by the trees

Duino Trieste trieste photographer smiling sunset session Italian Couple Session

couple walking together and smiling during pre wedding shoot in BW

walking together smiling Italy Trieste holding hands bw portrait

A French, young engaged couple is kissing while smiling on the beaches along the Loire of Candes Saint Martin

Loire photographer Loire Audrey Dubessay Candes Saint Martin smiling French Couple

A Toronto wedding photographer captured a sunlit portrait of the groom and his groomsmen standing in a row against a dark background

Ontario wedding portrait of the groomsmen and the groom standing in a line smiling in Toronto

Toronto photographer Groom and groomsmen Toronto smiling

A beautiful bride beamed with joy as her bridal portrait was taken at a Brazilian wedding

Sao Paulo bridal portrait of the bride smiling

portrait of bride smiling São Paulo Brazil sao paulo photographer bw portrait

Grandparents around the couple's kid at Home in Ardèche

Grandparents are smiling and playing around the couple's kid at home

Ardeche smiling Ardeche wedding photographer Ardèche Home Preparations baby grandparents

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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.