While some people live for the hustle and bustle of a big wedding with extravagant décor and an impossibly long guest list, others find these kinds of weddings to be too much hoopla, preferring instead something simpler and quieter, allowing for more intimacy between them and their fiancés on this special day. So how do you infuse your wedding with all the romance but none of the fuss? ALONE AT LAST Many couples these days are opting to elope rather than planning a large wedding. For the no-...Read more
Are you planning a short-notice, small wedding or elopement?
Many couples don’t want to wait. They are planning to get married in the very near future, eloping, or rushing a small ceremony with their photographer, some close friends, and family but dispensing with or postponing the reception party.
View WPJA photo stories from smaller weddings - WedElope | Choose love, not fear!
Arizona Wedding Photographers
Wedding Photographers of Arizona, United States
Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Peoria, Scottsdale, Tempe, Flagstaff, Payson
Arizona Elopement Photographers
In recent days, some of our North America photographers have expressed their desire to accommodate couples who don’t want to wait to be married and are rushing the ceremony.
Many brides and grooms around the globe are planning to elope and deciding to reschedule their original ideas for a big event. They are getting wed on a whim, but dispensing with or postponing all else.
The WPJA has an abundance of top-ranked, documentary-style elopement photographers who are available right now who understand that some weddings can’t wait. Find yours today!
Most Recent WPJA WedElope Story Awards
Elopement Photographers for Small United States Weddings
Shooting an elopement or small Arizona wedding event is a wedding photojournalist’s dream: a fairly open schedule with lots of breathing space for creativity – it’s just the photographer, the couple, the officiant, and perhaps a few select companions.
Members are ready to document any courthouse, pop-up, justice of the peace, or elopement wedding, even if it is a Monday-Thursday ceremony. Search for the “Can Shoot Weddings on Short Notice!” message on the listings below.
We are anxious to create a picture story chronicling your symbolic, non-traditional, outdoor, small wedding from beginning to end. In this sense, it is no different from any other event that we have covered. The emphasis is on documenting key moments, capturing spontaneous displays of emotion, telling your real love story, as well as creating artistic portraits and details.
Map of Wedding Photojournalists Serving Arizona Couples
13 Documentary Wedding Photographers...
I am an East Coast transplant who loves the desert, Boston Terriers and has a serious addiction to bright colorful sneakers. I am married to a fellow photojournalist who shares my passion for photography and adventure. I think about my own wedding as I photograph weddings for other people. I know how magical that day was for my husband and me and how special it was to be surrounded by all of our friends and family. My goal is to capture that feeling for you so you can relive your wedding day years from now as well. I consider myself a storyteller who creates unique, thoughtful, artistic and candid photographs that will last a lifetime. [Phoenix Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
2300 (USD)
I am dedicated to delivering my clients timeless portraits and emotion-filled documentation of their truest selves. I work with two incredible women and together we climb and run and wait and work together to capture your wedding or elopement day with creative honesty. I am married to my childhood sweetheart and have three incredible children. I love to garden and good coffee is my essential fuel. [Arizona Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
3500 (USD)
I am a photojournalist and Pulitzer finalist who approaches weddings with a quiet presence and an eye for authenticity. I work with a calm demeanor and a desire to remain unnoticed, finding small moments of intimacy in the midst of public celebrations. While environment and ritual play an important part in my wedding coverage, I also focus on the personal connections and latent emotions brought to the surface by such pivotal moments in life. I feel my task is to anticipate and document moments as they naturally occur, without direction or interference. My ultimate goal is a highly personal book that is both beautiful and meaningful, authentic to the moment and revealing of those depicted. I'm a recent transplant to Denver, CO from Washington DC and I continue to cover weddings nationwide. [Denver Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
4000 (USD)
Born and raised in Texas but addicted to travel and shooting small-ish, untraditional weddings all over. Husband. Father. Coffee snob. And I dig all things Seinfield related. I started working as a freelance photographer in 2002 for 2 local news papers and 1 local magazine in my hometown. That time working for those publications helped me learn how to watch and wait for moments to unfold. I approach each wedding as its own unique and original event. No preconceived plans. No cookie-cutter ideas for your wedding day. Just honest moments being photographed undisturbed. My 3 children give me lots of practice photographing life as it unfolds before me in unpredictable fashion. I believe it is in those moments that true beauty is found. That's why I don't believe that I need to try and control your wedding day, but rather let the day unfold without interruption. It's the honest moments you are going to reflect on with true emotion, not the staged and posed. Be real, because life is too short not to be. [Dallas-Fort Worth Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
2100 (USD)
Dennis Mock's self-proclaimed spontaneity and documentary spirit. His background in sports photography allows him to capture split-second moments of joy or truly spectacular action passes of familial play, and his experience in architectural photography gives him a natural sense of composition. FUN FACTS: -I took my first serious camera clicks in the front row of Fleetwood Mac and the Bees Gees concerts. -Greatest adventure was documenting Burning Man 2012. -I brake for VG donuts and strawberry fields. -Love the colors of Hot Air Balloons drifting freely in the sky. -Bucket list: Go to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. -Asked by the San Diego Padres to be their team photographer from 1983-85, including the 1984 World Series vs the Detroit Tigers. -Capturing historical neon works as beautifully crafted pieces of art. -If I was a landscape architect, I'd put David Austin English Roses in every garden -I was given the nickname "Wandering Man"... long story ask me later! I BELIEVE FAMILY IS EVERYTHING The people who make it all worthwhile are my wife Lynn, my three kids I can’t wait to document all the people (and maybe even the dogs) who fill your life with joy! You can also spot me regularly tossing the ball with my two dogs (who I’m sure are convinced they are people): “Roxie” the 13-year-old basset hound and our new puppy, King Charles Cavalier...whose full name is “Princess Fiona of Sparren Ave.” [San Diego Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
2500 (USD)
I'm a photographer, editor, and writer based in Los Angeles (in the lovely enclave of Atwater Village). I’m not a traditional photographer by any means—I document experiences and tell stories for artists, musicians, and mindful couples that want to be in the moment and captured as they are. I watch old films, read old books, and collect old cameras to get inspired. Skateboarding, going to gigs, hanging with my wife Sarah, walking our dog Pearl June (or 'Junebug' these days), and spending time with friends and family are things to look forward to. And of course, I'm wildly obsessed with all things punk, love, and DIY. Being mindful and being present is important to me and my work. With a cinematic touch, I tend to look for the quiet and calm in a moment. It's the serene stillness of a boy jumping into a crowd of surf punks or the expression of pure love encapsulated by a bride's smile on her wedding day. Creating a true document of these experiences is what I'm after. [Los Angeles Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
250/hour (USD)
I am a Southern California storytelling photographer, so my number one goal is to capture your wedding day authentically. For me, it is all about genuine imagery that reflects the emotions and connections. I’ve always been one to document, but my love of photography really blossomed with the birth of our first child. I inherited my first DSLR camera, which I enjoyed, but it wasn’t until a friend taught me how to use the manual mode that I realized pointing and shooting play a very small role in creating a compelling image. So my quest began: to make images — creatively and expertly — that move the viewer emotionally. Soon after, I had more life-changing moments to document: our 2nd daughter’s cleft palate surgery and bringing our son home from the hospital for the first time. But I have realized what I enjoy most is capturing the little things: how she cocks her head when she pushes her palms into the play dough, or how he clambers up onto a bike that is way too big for him. For me, the joy of capturing a moment beautifully and memorably is the most exciting part of photography. My style is photojournalistic for a reason—I believe the images you will cherish over the years are not the posed ones but the genuine, honest ones. Documenting weddings gives me the opportunity to capture the unscripted moments that make life beautiful. [Los Angeles Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
1950 (USD)
Based in the gorgeous state of Colorado (Native here!), I spend my days roaming mountain-tops with Clients, and exploring all that this state has to offer with my little fam (Twin boys, hubby and the coolest German shepherd EVER.)! Being a wedding and elopement photographer in one of the most beautiful states in the country allows me to really pull together my love for documenting the adventure, real-time moments, as well as creating some Epic Environmental portraits! I love problem-solving lighting and all the "think on your toes" aspects of weddings, and thrive on the fact that no two weddings are ever the same! I love the spontaneity of emotions, weather, and all unscripted moments! I have been many times referred to as a "photo-ninja" (probably my most favorite compliment ever...), so you can bet I will be jumping in Rivers, climbing on rocks....or whatever it takes to get the shots! If there are kids at a wedding too...you can also bet I'll take 7689 photos of them...because kids do funny stuff. (Fun fact: Top notch service and experience for my clients is a must! I was a Catering and Events Manager for a high-end hotel chain for years before becoming a photographer...so weddings and service are ingrained in my blood! I like to offer that little "extra" service and experience to all my clients...helping keep planning and the day running absolutely smoothly and just as intended!) [Denver Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
2000 (USD)
As a photojournalist, it is Maya’s job to be an observer and storyteller. It is her passion however for the human condition, emotions, relationships, LOVE, that draws her to photographing weddings. Based in Los Angeles, Maya balances her days between photographing weddings and projects in conjunction with local and national organizations focusing on youth advocacy. Her wedding and editorial images have been published both in Print and Web media outlets such as the New York Times, Newsweek, MSN, NBC News, Variety, SELF, Hollywood Reporter, LA Weekly, Style Me Pretty, and the Bridal Bar Blog. Maya has been photographing weddings across the US for over eight years and every year her love for it grows. [Los Angeles Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
4300 (USD)
Calm and unobtrusive, yet determined to get the shot. Initially, I was somewhat intimidated at the prospect of shooting weddings professionally, as a business. Fortunately, that changed after my first summer as a wedding photographer in South Lake Tahoe, California and I never looked back. The feedback I received during weddings and upon delivery of the final product motivated me to continue my pursuit of wedding photography. Today, I am an experienced wedding photographer, having shot weddings in downtown Sacramento, the California foothills, Quincy, Truckee, Reno, and almost every venue in Lake Tahoe. I am deeply passionate about photography and capturing the most meaningful moments of your wedding. I specialize in a photojournalistic approach, documenting your day as it unfolds. As a seasoned photographer with a wide range of freelance experience, I know how to anticipate the unique, natural moments of a dynamic event. I spot the key moments, big and small, that you will want stunningly, permanently recorded. Creativity, attention to detail, and dedication define the services provided. Whenever possible, I utilize both my artistic skill for shooting the natural environment and my experience as a wedding and event photographer to produce timeless, compelling imagery that truly captures the moment and the place you have chosen to get married. Formal or casual, you have a vision for your wedding and I would like to be there to tell your story with my camera ... [Lake Tahoe Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
1800 (USD)
We’re a soon-to-be husband and wife wedding photography team based in Durango, CO! We met in sweet home Alabama, fell in love, and moved our sweet tea and buttered biscuits to Southwest Colorado and now aim to be the very best Durango wedding photographers! We love exploring new places and capturing love stories among natural scenes. Together, we’ve been lucky enough to have traveled in beautiful places by bicycle - from the colorful towns of Cuba, the towering mountains of Peru, and the quaint countryside in Italy. One of our favorite landscapes to explore happens to be in our very own backyard, The San Juan Mountains and the desert of Southern Utah. We believe there is no better way of creating meaningful experiences with the people you love than by sharing your stories, exploring your passions, and surrounding yourself with the ones you love under the big starry western sky. [Durango Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
2000 (USD)
10 years | GOING ON A DECADE Danielle Odeen is going on a decade of experience shooting portraits and telling stories through images 50+ weddings | WEDDINGS IN THE PAST & FUTURE Dacre Co. has been hired for over 50 weddings within the past three years and looking into 2020-2021. Dacre Co. brides trust Danielle with the most important day of their life Honors • Pro Artibus Recipient, Concordia St.Paul (2018) • Nationally recognized at AIGA National Conference [Minneapolis Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
2000 (USD)
Wedding Venues from Arizona
Please select a venue below to view all associated winning photos.
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WPJA Communiqué: Features
Traditionally speaking, often times it is the couple’s families who help pay for their wedding. However, unfortunately that’s just not possible for everyone, especially these days when the cost of weddings can quickly and easily get out of control. Some couples find themselves in the position of paying for all of their own wedding expenses, which can be quite the financial burden to take on, and about 40% of Millennials end up in this boat. So, how can you stick to your allotted...Read more
Some couples, as they begin planning for their weddings, might think that they are limited to the classic locations: churches, gardens, beaches, or even Las Vegas. But in doing so they’re missing out on a multitude of unique options that might suit their personalities much better! Why limit yourself to a quiet, quaint ceremony when your adventurous heart may be calling out for something more? An entirely different genre of wedding, so to speak, is the adventure wedding elopement. This concept...Read more
It’s no secret that these are strange times we’re going through right now, and there are many couples out there with weddings set in the near future who are left feeling uncertain and concerned about their futures. While that’s understandable, it’s also important to remember the reason you’re getting married in the first place; not for the grand celebration, but because you love each other and want to be together. REMEMBER WHAT'S IMPORTANT You’re in this position now, about to get married, for...Read more
So your wedding is just around the corner and you’ve decided to elope , either because you want to do this on a budget , avoid a large wedding party, or simply to enjoy the day together with minimal distractions and as little stress as possible . They say 'all you need is love', but where exactly can you afford to trim the fat, so to speak? You want simplicity, but you also want to be properly married and, surely, to remember this occasion. Who, then, could be more important than...Read more
Not everyone has a lagoon or glacier next door, but there's no rule saying you can't have a small wedding in the great outdoors. Take advantage of natural sunshine and that open, airy feeling and give your guests some room to breathe! LESS IS MORE Instead of hemming your guests in on all sides, give them some elbow room, and legroom, too. There's no need to induce claustrophobia when you've got a wide, open space. Let your guests take in the view, especially if you've got a spectacular one. You...Read more
RAVES, REVIEWS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Chesney & Greg
Photo by Carl Bower
Every shot you took was a cut above. Not only are you a master technically, you're an artist. You understand how objects and shapes come together to create a powerful image and tell a story. You've also obviously carefully studied how people interact. The photos are so well-timed... it's almost as if you knew what I was going to do before I did it. That takes quite a trigger finger. You not only took photos of everyone who's important to me... you captured who those people are. My panic. Greg's graciousness. My mother's goofiness. My wedding is the first time I've ever seen my father cry… I know it was just another Saturday at work for you, but that album is the best wedding present I received. I'm so grateful I found you. On top of the compliments regarding your work, I just wanted to say that both Greg and I really enjoyed your company. You have a good spirit about you.
Alex & Alex
Photo by Maya Myers
Maya! You are beyond talented, and we feel a strong sense of gratitude for your amazing work! As you know, Our family comes from a long tradition of top-notch photojournalism, having been close friends with Henri Cartier-Bresson. Elliott Erwitt documented our wedding in his humorous and brilliant style, among other things. When we turned to Elliot for recommendations, he told us to go to the WPJA website. We were so pleased to discover your beautiful, eloquent and spontaneous photographs. You surpassed our expectations on the day of the wedding, and you were such a delight to deal with. When we received your final product, we were just amazed! Alexandra and I immediately knew we had found our match, just by looking at your portfolio, and it became even more obvious after your phone interview with Alexandra when your said, "enjoy your wedding day, do not worry about me, I will be around" it was music to our ears. Your attitude is the key to the natural spontaneity and the emotions clearly expressed in your art. You were such a delight to deal with, and thank you for giving it your all!
Kathy & John
Photo by Carl Bower
What a happy surprise! We didn't expect to see these for several days yet. They look awesome! John and I will review them together and get back to you. Thanks so much for photographing our wedding. It was so wonderful not only have you do it from a professional standpoint but it was great to have you there. You get us. We'll talk to you soon and thanks for the fast turn around!
LAURA AND SID
Photo by David Braun
Hi David, You were so great to work with and the pictures are really stunning. We will leave you a review ASAP, hoping to get to it this weekend! Thank you for everything!
Allie and Cody Liberatore
Photo by David Braun
Hi David, Just letting you know I received the memory stick! I love all the extra touches you did, that is really cool and cute! We couldn’t believe it when we opened the package. Thank you again, I really appreciate everything you have done for our engagement and wedding photos. Mahalo- Allie
Tim + Kristin
Photo by Jared Lindsay
“Holy cow Jared! I want to cry I love them so much! Our trust was very well founded. Thank you. You captured our moments and more. I’m so happy”. – Kristin.
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.
