SMALL WEDDINGS + ELOPEMENTS | choose love, not fear

Intimate Weddings & Elopement Photography

Since 2002, the WPJA has been connecting couples with the best, most artistic wedding photographers from around the world.

Bulgaria Wedding and Elopement Photographer Metodi Zheynov
Song Johns wedding and elopement photography of Blooming Dreams Photo
Chartres Wedding Photography by Arnaud Delaunay of Eure-et-Loir, Centre-Val de Loire, France
Wedding reportage photography by Nadine Lotze of Lumoid Photo
Portrait of Wedding Photographer David Butler II
Canada Wedding Reportage Photography by Colleen Johnson
Southern California wedding photography and engagement portraits by Attila Iuhasz
Kitchener, Ontario wedding and elopement photography by Lori-Anne Crewe - Canada WPJA
Timmy Keane Wedding Photography of Timtim Media Weddings
Xiaoqi Li - Artistic wedding and engagement photographer
Colorado wedding photography and CO couple engagement portraits by Joe Pyle
Bulgaria Wedding Photography by Ognyan Stoynev, of Sofia
Color wedding photography by Iris Hu
Wedding and elopement Photographer Carl Bower

Authentic Photography

The WPJA organizes various wedding photography rounds annually, recognizing and honoring exceptionally captivating images.

Take a look at the previous victors by clicking on the links below:

Intimate, Micro Wedding Planning & Elopement Articles

Kobe Vanderzande, of Limburg, is a wedding photographer for

There’s nothing quite like an intimate wedding reception in a tent, with its uniquely informal atmosphere, customized decor and proximity to the elements...

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...

The Authenticity of
Wedding Photojournalism

Sven Soetens, of , is a wedding photographer for
Vinicius Fadul - wedding photographer

WPJA Contest Photos - January 19th, 2024

Any wedding photographer is going to want to please their clients — but they also want their work to be appreciated on a broader scale. This is one of the reasons why the Wedding Photojournalist Association members love our regular photography competitions. These popular contests give our photographers the opportunity to submit their best images in hopes of being selected as a winner and being recognized for their creativity and effort. Our contests are judged by a panel of notable and respected working photojournalists and picture editors in the news industry, which adds an element of prestige to our awards.

In Charente, the bride shares a heartfelt embrace with a friend after the ribbon cutting ceremony for her bouquet. A beautiful moment of love and joy captured on her wedding day.
A WPJA awarded wedding photo captures a bridesmaid putting on mascara at a private house in Tucson, Arizona. The image showcases the behind-the-scenes moments of a wedding day.
Baltimore, Maryland Wedding Reception: A heartwarming moment captured as the bride offers comfort to a speaker during an emotional speech. Surrounded by beautiful red roses and vibrant decorations, love fills the room.
Udine, Italy - Emotional groom embraces his father in heartfelt moment just before the bride's arrival
At Lipnik Residence, Ruse, Bulgaria, the bride, groom, and bridal party are seen making their way to the ceremony by walking across a stone stepping path over the water.
At Coulibri Ridge - Soufriere, Dominica, the bride's sister gives a heartfelt toast during the intimate and joyous wedding reception captured by the wedding photojournalist
A Pro Documentary Wedding Photographer capturing a special moment at a Louth wedding ceremony. The groom embraces his mother, while the bride joyfully celebrates with confetti.
Bride and groom at Arbor Hall, Omaha, NE, walking down the aisle amidst a shower of red rose petals under a picturesque blue sky

Artistic Guild - Creative Portraits and Details - January 31st, 2024

The Artistic Guild competitions are distinctly different from our other WPJA contests because this category is specifically for photographers who use their talent to create digitally-enhanced images, staged portraits and dramatic detail images. This competition attracts documentary wedding photographers who also view themselves as artists who are constantly looking to create their next masterpiece.

Bride's getting ready at her home. Witnesses are applying nail polish for the bride just before she leaves. The wedding photographer captured this artistic detail in Indre.
In the charming vineyards of San Floriano del Collio, Gorizia, Italy, a glorious wedding session unfolds with a passionate kiss between the bride and groom, an exquisite tilt in their embrace.
An artistic wedding photographer captured a stunning minimalist detail shot at Chateau de la Sebrandière, showcasing beautiful soft light on the bride's chest, highlighting her dress and jewelry.
An award-winning wedding day picture captures the minimalistic moment of a bride putting on her makeup at her home in Nanping, Fujian. The graphic horizontal lines in the foreground add an artistic touch to the image.
This award-winning drone camera portrait showcases the stunning Algae bloom at Deans Court, Wimborne, Dorset, UK. The couple gracefully lay on a pontoon, framed by vibrant greens, on this beautifully cloudy wedding day.
At Stanlake Park Vineyard in Berkshire, UK, the groom gently slips the wedding ring onto the bride's finger, symbolizing their eternal love.
The award-winning wedding photographer captures a close-up shot of the bride's dress hanging elegantly from the balcony at Kolfuschgerhof Mountain Resort in the Dolomites, Colfosco, Italy.
A talented wedding photographer captured a shot of a man decorating a white trellis on a balcony with a breathtaking view, adding a modern touch to the Amalfi ceremony preparation.

Diamond Awards - Pre-Wedding Engagement Portraits - April 8th, 2024

Couples who are searching for a wedding photographer often want a pre-wedding engagement portrait session as well as wedding day photography services. Engagement photographers need to rely on their skill and expertise in order to help their couples select a meaningful location for their portrait session. These awards allow engagement photographers to submit their most moving engagement images in hopes of being recognized for their creativity and skill.

In a serene Aix les Bains location, this engagement portrait captures a couple deeply in love, framed by interior building elements, holding each other close, radiating relaxed energy.
A romantic engagement portrait captured in Venice, Italy, depicts a couple embraced under the arch of Palazzo Ducale, with repeating arches pattern overhead.
In the bustling city of San Francisco, a couple shares a romantic kiss in the tranquil city park, illuminated by the golden urban sunlight.
At Château d'Ailly, the couple embrace joyfully in the incredible light for their pre-wedding portraits.
Engagement photo taken in the Historic Center of Pistoia, couple holding hands in the afternoon sun with urban streets and buildings in the backdrop.
A couple shares a kiss on a rock at Arapaho National Forest, CO, with a breathtaking mountain view in the background, symbolizing their everlasting love.
In Chopwell Woods, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, this engaged couple is captured in a close-up, showing playful expressions in a beautiful frame.
Quartier Latin engagement session in the lovers' district captures the couple's love amidst the charming streets and historic architecture of Paris.

TLC - True Love Captured - March 3rd, 2023

This WPJA photography competition is focused on the emotions that are on display throughout any wedding event. The images showcase the powerful emotions that the couple are experiencing, and any of the feelings that any wedding guests may go through. The TLC contests follow a long-standing WPJA category tradition of capturing raw emotions.

The photographer captured a beautiful moment of the bride joyously embracing her best friend on the dance floor of her San Francisco wedding reception
The bride's tearful joy and the groom's humorous charm were beautifully captured in a wedding photo at Snowmass, Aspen Colorado with a backdrop of fall colored trees during their outdoor ceremony
The photographer captured the beautiful moment of a wedding guest giving the bride a big hug and a kiss on the cheek at the Private Home in Congham, Norfolk, UK
At a wedding in Bucharest, Romania, the groom lovingly hugged his sister - a beautiful black and white image captured the emotional moment
The wedding photojournalist captured a beautiful moment as the bride embraced her friends in a group hug at the reception of Hardy Farm in Fryeburg, Maine
The wedding photographer captured a timeless moment of love and joy as the bride's grandparents danced in an embrace at the Mountain Top Inn in Vermont
The wedding photojournalist captured the beautiful and emotional moment of the Bride as she reads her heartfelt vows in the sunshine beneath the trees at Hardy Farm in Fryeburg, Maine
The photographer captured a beautiful moment of a hug between the bride and groom at Palacio de los Cordova, Granada, Spain, after receiving and giving comfort through the Chinese tea ceremony gifts from the parents, full of emotion and true love