Wedding Photos of Waves

The following “Waves” 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 “Waves” 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.

Captured against the stunning backdrop of Rhode Island's First Beach, this engagement portrait radiates joy and playful fun, enhanced by a surprise double rainbow and a beautiful sunset.

A Beachside Engagement Portrait at Rhode Island's First Beach

Emotional bride wipes a tear while exchanging vows at Villa Punto de Vista in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica.

Waves of Love: Emotional Vows at Villa Punto de Vista

love Manuel Antonio bw vows waves exchange brides

Lifestyle couple portrait showcasing an affectionate embrace at the beach in Maceió, Brazil. The couple embraces as the wind blows, standing in a shallow tidal pool, while being captured slightly off-center.

Romantic Embrace: Beachside Love in Maceió, Brazil

wind sea Maceió engagements waves Beachside Love windy Maceio photography

The bride in Corolla, NC throws her head back and laughs during her wedding ceremony

A Moment of Bliss: The Delighted Bride Embraces Joy in Corolla's Enchanting Wedding Sanctuary

laughing head back Corolla Documentary Wedding Photography North Carolina beach ceremony Corolla NC vows

A pre-wedding embrace captured in Anglet, France, a safe haven amidst pebbles and an unpredictable ocean by an Anglet wedding photographer

Embracing Love Amidst the Pebbles: An Anglet Wedding Photographer Captures a Pre-Wedding Moment in a Sea of Tranquility

waves Anglet Pyrénées-Atlantiques ocean pebbles beach session Anglet Engagement Photography

In San Francisco, the couple is captured in an engaging lifestyle photoshoot as they joyfully run barefoot along the beach, embracing the crashing waves of the ocean

Capturing Love and Adventure: A Dreamy Engagement Portrait in San Francisco's Beach Bliss

San Francisco e session waves red dress San Francisco Bay San Francisco ocean barefoot on beach

An engaged couple kisses for portrait at Guarita beach in Torres, Rio Grande do Sul, with the beautiful sea as their backdrop

A Mesmerizing Moment: Engaged Couple's Enchanting Kiss Captured Against the Majestic Guarita Beach Backdrop

kissing couple Rio Grande do Sul Torres Guarita Beach waves Guarita Beach Engagement Photography sea backdrop

An engagement portrait was taken in Bidart, France during the golden hour, capturing the couple's love as the groom lifted up the bride-to-be on the beach

Capturing Love During the Golden Hour: A Romantic Engagement Portrait in Bidart, France

sunset Bidart France waves Bidart Engagement Portrait beach engagement beach

A beautiful portrait of an affectionate couple, taken during sunset in Moss Beach, California, as they embrace each other with the waves crashing behind them and their feet sinking into the sandy shore

Moss Beach, California: Sunset portrait of an affectionate couple, embracing with crashing waves and sandy shore

waves California - Northern Moss Beach Affectionate couple beach engagement silhouette Moss Beach Engagement Session

A couple poses for an artistic wedding portrait above the beach water at Acantilados de Maro, Nerja, Spain

Nerja, Spain: Artistic Wedding Portrait Above Beach Water at Acantilados de Maro

beach water Acantilados de Maro artistic wedding portrait waves Nerja Spain wrapped in veil

A romantic engagement photo shoot in Nerja, Málaga, Spain, capturing the joyous moment of a groom-to-be lifting his bride-to-be at the picturesque shoreline, with waves gently crashing at their feet

Nerja, Málaga, Spain: Romantic Engagement Photo Shoot Capturing the Joyous Moment of a Groom-to-Be and Bride-to-Be.

Malaga Malaga Engagement Photography shoreline portrait ocean waves Nerja lifting bride to be

The couple are pictured twirling together on the wet sand of the coast in Oswald West State Park, the girl laughing in delight

Oswald West State Park: Couple Twirling on Wet Sand, Girl Laughing- Delightful Coastal Scene

waves Oregon Engagement Session laughing Oregon coastal scene Oswald West State Park wet sand

The man and woman in the photograph were in Praia da Guarita, Torres, Rio Grande do Sul, showing the man lovingly holding his partner while being embraced by the sea

Rio Grande do Sul man holding his future wife on the sands of the beach

Rio Grande do Sul holding wife to be Torres sand waves embracing ocean

A couple enjoys a pre-wedding beach portrait session at Anse Gaulette in La Digue, Seychelles, as they relax in the waves lapping on the shore

Beach Portrait Session at Anse Gaulette, La Digue, Seychelles: Couple's Pre-Wedding Relaxation by the Shore

Beach Portrait La Digue Engagement Photography shoreline La Digue relaxing Anse Gaulette waves

At Tunnels Beaches in Devon, England, an image capturing a beautiful cliff top wedding setting shows a candid moment of the groom and a friend waving to each other during the ceremony

The groom and a friend are captured candidly waving to each other during a beachside wedding ceremony by a wedding photojournalist

waves Devon wedding photography Devon Tunnels Beaches beachside ceremony candid moment waving

The couple in white ran and laughed in the sunshine on the beach sand in Maceió, Brazil, capturing their love and movement in a save-the-date engagement pre-wedding announcement picture

Maceió, Brazil - Couple in White Running and Laughing on Beach Sand for Engagement Pre-Wedding Announcement

waves sand running beach engagement Maceió Maceio Engagement Photography laughing

A couple posed for a save-the-date engagement announcement portrait at Venere Azzurra beach in Lerici, with love writing in the sand captured in a drone shot

Lerici, Venere Azzurra Beach: Engagement Announcement Portrait with Drone Shot of Love Writing in the Sand

Lerici Engagement Photography lerici sand drone shot love Venere Azzurra Beach waves

The couple posed for an engagement save-the-date portrait, holding hands in Venere Azzurra Lerici

Venere Azzurra Lerici, Italy: Engagement Portrait of Smiling Couple Holding Hands

Liguria Engagement Photography lerici Liguria waves Face to face Venere Azzurra matching clothing

The engaged couple enjoyed a leisurely stroll along the beach, with the ocean's waves lapping at the shore

Le Porge beach: Couple strolled, waves lapping shore

sand Le Porge Beach shore couple Strolling waves Gironde Engagement Photographer seaside engagement

A couple in a lifestyle session on the beach in Les Sables d'Olonne, France, sat in the water facing each other and touching heads at the blue hour

The couple, as they prepared to wed, seated in the beach water facing one another

Vendee blue hour beach vendee engagement photography facing each other Les Sables dOlonne touching heads

couple session at the beach on the rocks

beach engagement beach rocks Biarritz Biarritz Photographer waves France

At the Montara State Beach, a gloomy day at the beach, but that didn't stop the happiness and playfulness of the couple as they celebrate what's been a long time coming

waves California - Northern playful couple ocean Steve Kpa San Mateo County beach engagement

Praia do Frances engagement announcement photo idea in Alagoas, Brazil with some sunset wind at the beach with waves

Alagoas ocean Praia do Francês sunset portrait waves Renner Boldrino Alagoas photographer

Florida destination engagement shoot for a Couple walking in the surf

Florida Photographer Florida Atlantic Ocean waves walking on beach

Florida engagement photography portfolio image on the FL Panhandle with a Couple in the surf

Florida Florida Panhandle Florida Photographer Atlantic Ocean couple standing in water waves

A newly engaged Chennai couple poses in the great outdoors for a Marina Beach engagement announcement portrait in India as the bride is Inviting the groom to come beyond the seas

India waves Chennai Photographer Marina Beach Chennai Beach Portrait

A CA engagement picture session at Santa Cruz beach with small ocean waves and a low sun

slow sun Jipeng Han beach engagement waves Santa Cruz sunset California - Northern

Pre wedding photography at Point Reyes, CA for a couple holding hands above the ocean on the cliffs

holding hands Point Reyes California photographer California - Northern Tyler Vu waves ocean cliffs

An Alagoas Wedding, Elopement, and Engagement Photographer created this creative, adventurous portrait of this Maceio couple at a beach during the sunrise

Maceió water Maceió couple waves beach Alagoas Alagoas engagement photographer

A Brazilian Wedding, Elopement, and Engagement Photographer created this artistic, water portrait of this Rio de Janeiro couple at Arraial do Cabo illustrating the couple walking in the waves

A Brazilian Wedding, Elopement, and Engagement Photographer created this artistic, ocean portrait of this Rio de Janeiro couple at Arraial do Cabo illustrating the couple walking in the waves

waves Arraial do Cabo couple Arraial do Cabo Rio de Janeiro couple walking Brazilian Engagement Photographer

Pages

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.