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.

Studio portrait of New England wedding photographer Blake Thomas
Adventure marriage images by Nicky Byrnes of Nemus Wedding Photography
North Carolina wedding photography by Joe Payne
London elopement wedding reportage photographer Lyndsey Goddard, of England UK
Var wedding photography by Marion Deletraz of PACA France
Casey Fatchett Wedding Photography
Portrait of wedding photographer Sarah Nader
PNW Wedding and Elopement Photography by Brianna Parks
Bordeaux, Gironde wedding photography by Pierre Cassagne
Italy wedding, engagement and elopement photography by Simone Miglietta
Portrait of Wedding Photographer Denise Chastain
Adventure elopement and wedding photography by Mike Kory
Engagement, elopements and wedding photography by Sujith Kumar of Incognito frames
Portrait of Wedding Photographer Sarah Priestap
Wedding and elopement photography by Zsofia Rebicek - Light&Dreams
France wedding photography in a documentary style by Florian Maguin
Adventure weddings + mountain engagements and elopement photography by Bonnie Sizer

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

Luigi Rota, of Lecco, is a wedding photographer for
Jinqi Tan, of , is a wedding photographer for Guangzhou
Annie Bang, of California, is a wedding photographer for Park City, Utah, USA

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 Fort Collins, Colorado, a documentary wedding photographer captured this award-winning image of a couple sharing their first kiss in the mountain chapel with a view, surrounded by their wedding guests.
Newlyweds share their first dance against the stunning sunset backdrop at Squantum Association in Riverside, RI, captured by a talented wedding photojournalist
In a picture taken during the car ride from the Rhône church to the wedding reception, the groom is handed a beer by a guest stuck in traffic. The hilarious moment captures the fun and unexpected twists that can happen on a wedding day.
Bride and groom holding hands in the air, walking between guests after the ceremony in the city hall of Enschede, Netherlands
At the Havenhuis Etten-Leur ceremony and reception location, this photo captures the bride and groom pouring champagne into the top glasses of a stunning champagne tower. A toast to their happily ever after!
At Malopolskie Reception Venue, a playful couple reenacts a bullfighting scene, captured by a wedding photojournalist
At the Jio convention in Mumbai, the groom is moved to tears as he lays eyes on his bride for the first time. This touching moment captures the love they share and their hopes for the future.
At Ardeche, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Ceremony Location, the best man embraces his role as the angel of love, adorned with a toy bow and arrow. This whimsical wedding moment captures the essence of Cupid's enchanting presence.

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.

Newlyweds embrace nature's beauty as they stand near the water and trees, surrounded by exposed tree roots in Lipnik Park. This unique wedding day portrait captures their love in an enchanting setting.
Capturing a detail of connection and adventure, this award-winning image showcases the delicate touch between a couple's hands on the shifter of a vibrant red sports car at Lipnik Residence in Ruse, Bulgaria.
An award-winning wedding portrait captured in Metz, France. The artistic image shows a silhouette of a couple standing facing each other, with a blue light illuminating the wall behind them and fairy lights creating a bokeh effect in the foreground.
In a wedding photo, captured at Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul, Turkey. The bride sits on a bench in the foreground, while the groom lays on his back on another bench in the background.
An award-winning wedding photographer captured this stunning black-and-white portrait of the groom in the driver's seat of a convertible sports car at Hammond Castle in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The image was shot through the reflective front windshield.
Capturing their love amidst the golden embrace of a wheat field in historic Via Labicana, Rome, this award-winning portrait exudes an ethereal beauty, with the groom gently gazing at his radiant bride.
An award-winning wedding image captured by an artistic photographer in Dortmund, Germany. The detailed shot reveals the bride's curled hair, necklace, and unique bird's nest earrings.
Wedding photo: Capturing the delicate beauty of rings on a leaf, this gray-toned detail shot was taken at Schloss Walbeck in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.

Diamond Awards - Pre-Wedding Engagement Portraits - May 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.

At Cheddar Gorge in Somerset, a couple hugs each other tightly as the sun sets behind them.
During their nighttime prewedding session in Phuket Thailand, the couple embraced under colorful lights and colorful bokeh, capturing the essence of their love before their upcoming wedding.
At Grays' Beach in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, a couple plays in the autumn leaves, the sun shining down on them like something out of a fairy tale.
As the sun set at Magic Gardens in Philadelphia, a photographer captured a double exposure silhouette of the couple against the city skyline, creating an engagement portrait at the an Acme parking garage.
In Palo Alto, CA, the couple posed together at the peaceful outdoor cafe, a shot carefully composed to be symmetrical and simple.
At Richmond, London, the bride and groom to be sit and laugh on stairs on a windy winter day in their engagement portrait session before their upcoming wedding.
Capturing the love between the soon-to-be-married couple, the engagement portrait session at home in Kadıkoy Istanbul shows a tender black and white image of them kissing in an intimate setting.
In Kadıkoy, Istanbul, the couple captured a tender and warm embrace as they lay face to face on their backs, preparing for their upcoming wedding.

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 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
The black and white photo of the friend hugging the bride, and groom has tears of joy whiped at Kasteel Maurick Vught - a beautiful and touching moment at their wedding
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
The photograph captured a beautiful and emotional moment as the bride held back tears while saying her vows outdoors at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva, WI
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 bride's parents' emotional embrace and tears at the Chinese tea wedding ceremony in Sanya, Hainan, China was truly a beautiful moment to be captured by the photographer
At the stunning Mont La Salle in Napa, CA, the moment a bridesmaid holding flowers ran to hug the bride was truly a beautiful and emotional one that the wedding photographer was able to capture
The photographer captured a beautiful and emotional moment as a Bari bride lovingly greeted her ailing grandmother, who was unfortunately unable to join the celebration of her special day