WHAT EXACTLY DOES IT MEAN TO ELOPE? If you look up the definition of “elope” in the Merriam-Webster dictionary , you’ll find a plethora of meanings making it quite clear how polarizing the word has become, and how it has transformed and evolved with the passage of time and even personal preference.Read more
Are you planning a short-notice, small wedding or elopement?
WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIOS OPEN DURING COVID-19 - 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!
Washington Wedding Photographers
Wedding Photographers of Washington, United States
Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, Bellevue, Kent, Everett, Renton
Washington Elopement Photographers
YOU CAN'T STOP LOVE - 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 because of current covid restrictions, social distancing, and mask requirements. 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 Washington 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 secret, justice of the peace, mini, 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 unique, outdoor, romantic, 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 Washington Couples
17 Documentary Wedding Photographers...
I'm a documentary wedding photographer located in the Seattle area of Washington. I live on the rocky beaches of Bremerton Washington and love riding the ferry to Seattle as often as possible. I started my professional photography career shooting for The Daily Evergreen and Columbian Newspapers before shifting my focus to wedding photography. I have been photographing weddings since 2011 now and see no end in sight. In 2016 (my then girlfriend) started shooting wedding alongside me and in 2018 we got married Cannon Beach and Leavenworth Washington. Allie Leaf and I regularly shoot weddings together. When not shooting weddings, I photograph concerts like Taylor Swift, Metallica, Nada Surf, The Black Keys, and Twenty One Pilots for the music publication I started in college called Seattle Music News. [Seattle Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
4000 (USD)
Ron Storer is an Award Winning Photojournalist with the WPJA and the AG|WPJA. Ron is based out of the Northwest area and is available for local as well as destination weddings. Ron Storer has been married to his wonderful friend, Neesie, for nearly the past 29 years and they have two amazing boys; Grant and Torey. 15 years ago, Ron Storer worked on a freelance basis with non-profit Organizations doing relief work around the globe. Now on occasion Ron still assists NPO's when possible and as his schedule allows. What motivates Ron is the passion of the moment. Ron believes that every wedding has incredible priceless moments and he works hard to capture and preserve them for each couple. His typical clientele is someone who wants their wedding memories captured in a unique and special way. His clientele also tend to be artistic and relational as many of his clients have become dear friends. Besides receiving awards here at the WPJA, Ron Storer has also received numerous awards at the AG|WPJA and was listed in 2016 as the Top American in the AG|WPJA. Prior to his photography career, Ron Storer raced on the US Cycling Team earning a Gold Medal in the Pan-Am Games and a Silver Medal in the Olympic Trials. [Seattle Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
2400 (USD)
Hi, I'm David! I'm a documentary wedding photographer who believes in real, raw, emotional photography. I have traveled and lived in many countries and states, always pursuing adventure and good stories. This is how I came to be a photographer: every family's story is unique and I love making it visual. There is always emotion - sometimes a subtle hand brush, other times hugs or tears. Finding those moments and saving them for you is what I do. [Missoula Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
4350 (USD)
Chris has had a great love for art since he was a young boy. At age of 15, he earned his first second-hand camera from his father. Since then, he was always “the photographer” among his friends and family. He finally turned this passion into his profession in 2007. Wedding is one of the events Chris loves to shoot. He believes it is one of the most beautiful and joyful event in life, and he understands how every moment, from engagement to the end of the wedding day, means to the couples and their families. Through his artistic eyes and un-obstructive approach, Chris documents these precious moments into elegant, story-telling photographic images that the couples can cherish. Chris is a destination wedding photographer based in San Francisco, California. [San Francisco Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
4500 (USD)
I am a freelance wedding photographer from Toronto. Besides the wedding and elopements, I also cover photoshoots for newborns, family and candid couple portraits. My father being a passionate photographer introduced me to a camera in my early childhood. I was so surprised and amazed at how a tiny device can capture moments and lock them away forever. Even having a Bachelors degree in Pharmacy - just didn't felt enough to be satisfied and so I decided to follow the passion & started AS Photography in 2012. [Brampton Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
2000 (CAD)
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)
Leah Moyers is a traveling wedding and elopement photographer with a fine arts background located in East Tennessee. Her style is unobtrusive, candid, inclusive and thoughtfully captured. She creates relationships with clients that allow her to capture them authentically and truly enjoys producing beautiful and unique work. [Knoxville Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
450/hour (USD)
I found my way into being a photojournalist in the Navy, but I never had any interest in photography. Everything changed for me when a tearful mom unfolded an old newspaper and said she wanted to get a better copy. The reason for the request? Her 10-year-old son had recently passed away after a long battle with leukemia and the image on the front page of the paper was him, bald from rounds of chemo, with a bird on his head and smile that would melt your heart. That was the last picture taken of him smiling … looking carefree like any other young boy. They wanted the new copy to frame and place in his little brother’s bedroom so he’d always remember his big brother being happy and smiling down on him. What changed my life from this experience was that was my image. An image from my very first newspaper assignment. I remember taking it and felt the whole assignment was taking away from my dream of being a DJ. Two things passed through my mind when this happened: I found my life’s calling The power of photography and that tangible element is real and is meaningful. It’s the visual documentation that provides proof we were here. We experience life, love, receive love, accomplish great feats, endure, and are a part of history within our family and communities. After that experience, I immersed myself in photojournalism. I studied, job shadowed, worked my butt off telling the stories of people who I was lucky enough to get an inside look of their lives. I’ve focused the photojournalism experience from all the assignments I’ve covered into telling stories of the people who won’t have their images highlighted inside a newspaper or magazine. This is why I do what I do. It’s also why my home has images hanging from every wall to highlight who my daughters were growing up, and who they are now. I want to always remember the 20th anniversary trip with my wife, and see myself and my girls acting goofy together. These moments are fleeting and the memories quickly fade without the images to remind us. Through portraits and weddings, I’ve devoted a big part of my life to telling stories with my images. And I take that responsibility very seriously. Because I want you to have that tangible element that will tell your story to your children, and grandchildren, and their children. I want a family member to walk down a hallway decades from now and point to a picture and ask about that moment captured in time. [Coeur d'Alene Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
2500 (USD)
Since 1999, I have been a professional photographer serving in Minneapolis, MN, Seattle, WA and international destinations. While weddings are my first love, I also apply my style to portraits, promotional images, live music, commercial and editorial work for a number of clients and publications. I regularly travel for weddings, and have been commissioned to photograph weddings all over the world. Over the past 18 years, I have photographed over 600 weddings, from as few as 6 guests in Seattle to 600 in Seoul. My work has been featured in ad campaigns for Amazon.com and Sony Ericsson mobile phones, album cover art for musicians: Pete Droge, Downpilot, Fauna, February, Kim Field and The Mighty Titans of Tone, Rachel Harrington, Sugartown, Brother Sun Sister Moon, Visqueen, Truckstop Souvenir, Declining Winter, Memory Drawings, and Broadcast Oblivion. My images and quotes have been printed in local and national magazines, including Minnesota Monthly, Rolling Stone (Germany), Fuji Love Magazine, Fuji X Passion Magazine, Olympus Passion Magazine, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle Times, Seattle Sound, Seattle Weekly, The Stranger, Photo District News (PDN), MSNBC.com, ROCKRGRL, The Big Takeover, Three Imaginary Girls, Washington Free Press, Local Planet, Seattle Police Annual Report, Seattle Police Foundation Calendar, Lutheran Brotherhood "Leader" Magazine, Women's Health Magazine, Martha Stewart Weddings, Grace Ormonde Wedding Style, Seattle Bride, Seattle Metropolitan Bride & Groom, The Knot, Conde Nast's Brides Magazine, Wedding Pages Magazine, Wedding Expo, Herban Feast's wedding brochure and Banquet & Event's promotional literature and billboards. My images have been used in websites for the Arc School of Ballet in Seattle, Seattle Police Foundation, Daniel Boen Law Office, Bel Canto audiophile stereo equipment and Jai Healing chiropractic office. I have been interviewed in Martha Stewart Weddings, Seattle Bride, Minnesota Bride, Junebug Weddings, Mpls/St. Paul Magazine, InMyBag.net, ShutterStock, Photography Live and Uncut with Paul Griffiths, X100C, Photo Business XPosed, Fuji MIrrorlessPro, Fuji X Passion Magazine, Olympus Passion Magazine and MirrorLessons. Every Wednesday I do a podcast called Outerfocus with UK photographer Ian Weldon about the history of photography. Each week we discuss a photographer in history while interviewing a current photographer about his/her work. You can find Outerfocus podcast on iTunes. [St. Paul 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)
I fell into wedding photography by accident. I was in school for photojournalism, dreaming of working for a newspaper when a friend asked me to photograph her wedding. From that moment on I was hooked, and I haven’t looked back. I loved that wedding photography merged my photojournalistic eye with my artistic passion. I am not only passionate about photography, but also about my home. I love exploring Portland, Oregon, hiking in the gorge, or going on adventures with couples throughout the Pacific Northwest. There is so much to do and see. The possibilities are endless. We can be inspired together. [Portland-OR Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
2500 (USD)
I should have been practicing penmanship (it really is the worst) but I could not keep my hands off my step father's photography books. I learned what panning was, what particular filters did- I found it all fascinating. Later on, I had a few friends that dabbled in photography and showed me the darkroom- what magic! Finally, on a whim, I took Photo 101 in college. That was my first love! I've documented over 400 weddings, and am positive that the found moment is more valuable to the heart than any staged. I cannot tell you what fulfillment it brings me, personally, to offer these documents to my clients. When everything works together- the moment, the lighting, the emotion- I keep that in my pocket for a rainy day. Portraits have a lean toward that as well, with a push toward the bonds between people. By working to get clients to interact, the images made reflect the connection between individuals as well as the self. “My goal is for fun moments between the people I am photographing, with little camera awareness apparent. Posed work is great, but finding the real smiles, getting a belly laugh- I want my clients to have images that capture that!” Her background in traditional photography, studio lighting, and English literature blend well to help tell the stories between families and friends and the love of a lifetime. [Raleigh Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
2000 (USD)
I'm a Mexican-American documentary and editorial photographer based in Los Angeles (in the lovely enclave of Mount Washington). I document experiences and tell stories for artists, fashion designers, musicians, and of course, mindful couples that want to be in the moment and captured as they are. Getting my degree in Art History from UCLA really set me on a path towards photography that I'll always appreciate. Even today, I watch old films, read old books, and collect old cameras to get inspired. Most of my time these days is spent hanging with my wife Sarah and our wild baby boy, walking our dog Junie, and Facetime-ing with friends and family. Being mindful and being present is important to me and my work. I love taking trips to the foresty Big Sur and dusty Joshua Tree where it feels like the world slows down. With a cinematic touch, I tend to look for the quiet and calm in a moment. It's the serene stillness of a couple gazing into each other's eyes, 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)
Our lives are all collections of moments and I am a photographer because of moments. Capturing and sharing them is my joy. I'm an award-winning photojournalist available to shoot your wedding or family gathering wherever it is. My documentary approach is unobtrusive, honest and subtle. I blend in. I make my subjects feel comfortable. I watch, I wait and work hard to never miss a moment. I have a master's degree in photojournalism from Ohio University. I worked for newspapers in New Mexico, Maine, Delaware, Virginia, Montana & Washington. My domestic & international photography has been recognized by the National Press Photographers Association, the Society of Professional Journalists, Women in Photojournalism & College Photographer of the Year. My little family summers on Bainbridge Island, WA and we spend the rest of the year living a life less ordinary in San Pancho, Mexico. [Nayarit Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
2500 (USD)
I graduated from the University of Houston with my Master’s Degree in Accountancy and started a career as an auditor in 2015. Only a few months after I started, I felt out of place. Photography has always been my passion growing up. When I was little, I would borrow a camera phone from one of my cousins and start taking photos of things around me. In my senior year of high school when one of my good friends got this very awesome Sony camera phone (it was not a smartphone yet), she would let me use it an document our memories of senior years, per my request of course :). I used the paychecks from my very first part-time job to buy myself a DSLR and start taking photos for friends and family. So yes, it would be so much fun and exciting to start a photography business. While people spend 4 years of college trying to learn to do a job, I spent my 4 years to learn how to do a different job, not photography. I started doing wedding photography and fell in love. I fell in love with the exciting and upbeat environment of a wedding, I fell in love with the emotions that a bride goes through on her wedding date, I fell in love with how the guests dance the night away and how the wedding cakes taste just so indulging, and I fell in love with being the one to document all of that. So that was how Half A Rice Studios was born. [Houston Wedding Photographer]
Starting Price:
3200 (USD)
1 more photographers available for your wedding...
3800
US Dollar
Derek Wong Photography: Derek Wong
Honolulu in Hawaii, United StatesHawaii’s very own renowned wedding photographer, Derek Wong, has captivated his audiences with his inspiring editorial wedding images. Derek thrives on creativity and explores every wedding to capture honest and romantic images. His...
Wedding Venues from Washington
Please select a venue below to view all associated winning photos.
Searches Related to Washington Wedding Photography Vendors
WPJA Communiqué: Features
Oftentimes when people are considering a venue for their weddings, they search for a location away from home, whether that be ten minutes or ten hours, all just to find what they already have: a place that holds meaning for them, that feels comfortable, or that they find special and memorable. But what could hold more memory, meaning, and importance than your own home? For those looking for that perfect venue, it may not be any further than beyond your threshold.Read more
While some of us were fortunate enough to be born as extroverts, not everyone feels the same way. For a good chunk of the population, any number of the typical wedding day traditions can inspire anxiety and existential dread. This day is all about you, yes, but does that mean all the attention has to be on you as well? FROM VOWS TO CHITCHAT, WHICH REMAINS SACRED? Traditional weddings often require some degree of performance on the part of the couple, whether that is in the form of reciting...Read more
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
We all know that the economy can go through some hard times, and be somewhat reminiscent of past recessions. However, as people cut back on non-essential little luxuries here and there, one constant remains: weddings. People don’t tend to just stop getting married due to a poor economy, nor should they! So, in an industry that keeps on going through thick and thin, what are some things to expect for the future, and what is really necessary to still make that wedding day memorable and...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
RAVES, REVIEWS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Teresa and Kenny
Photo by Ron Storer
Thank you so much for all of your hard work on our beautiful wedding photos. There are no words to express our gratitude for capturing some of the most important moments of our lives. Our wedding & engagement photos are an absolute treasure that we will savor and cherish forever. When we share our album with friends, they rave about how unique it is and that they’ve never seen anything like it. I have to agree it is amazing and a delight to flip through - it just seems to bring us right back to June 7, 2008 - a day that we hold very close to our hearts.
John & Claire
Photo by James Juarez
We've been distracted this weekend moving all of John's stuff into our new LES apartment but rest assured - we have been evenly splitting our time between moving and lovingly gazing at your photos. We love them! They're so beautiful and captured the vibe and energy so well. So exciting!
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.
Alex & Kari
Photo by James Juarez
It has been 3 years since our wedding day and your photos and video have only enhanced our memories of it all, in the best way possible. You found a way to capture the joy and love that day held and saved it for us to relive any time we want. Kari and I couldn't be more grateful of the care and thoughtfulness you brought to one of the happiest days of our lives. Thank you!
Kari and Glen
Photo by Ron Storer
Omigoodness!! Can I just say wow? You are such an amazing photographer! Glen and I have shared these photos with some of our family and friends, and all of them have been like, "I love these pictures! You rock!
Amy & Matt
Photo by Ron Storer
I must say again, that I love what you've done to capture the memories of our special day. Matt and I both really appreciate how you've expressed our personalities so accurately with your shots and the candid yet flattering moments you captured. You have a gift and your genuine interest in us only made the photos that much better! Thanks again!
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.
