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.

Wedding and Elopement Photographer Sven Soetens of Flanders, Belgium
Engagement shoots + wedding photography and elopements by Luan Nguyen of France
Marco Angius Photo Studio Portrait - Weddings, Events, Advertising
Canada Wedding Reportage Photography by Colleen Johnson
San Jose wedding and elopement photography by Jipeng Han of Northern California
Wedding and elopement photography by Zsofia Rebicek - Light&Dreams
Boston wedding and elopement photography by Kayla Rice of the Massachusetts FPJA
Caroline Elenbaas, or Caroline Peeters, wedding and elopement photographer by Cfoto
BW studio portrait of Toronto wedding photographer Thomas Campean, of Ontario Canada
Colorado wedding photography and intimate elopements by Stacy Gillespie
Kim Chapman, a talented wedding photographer offering her services in the beautiful city of Portland, Maine, United States
Ufuk Sarisen Wedding Photography
São Paulo wedding and elopement photography by Thiago Gimenes of Brazil
Wedding, engagement and elopement photography by Nilufer Nalbantoglu
Baltimore engagement wedding and elopement photography by Breanna Shaw
Engagement Portraits by top Wedding and Elopement Photographer Sylvain Bouzat
Wedding photographer Stam Chananakhon
NL documentary wedding and elopement photography by Elke Teurlings - Azcona Fotografie

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

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...

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...

The Authenticity of
Wedding Photojournalism

Emil Boczek, of West Midlands, is a wedding photographer for
casamento-hotel-ritta-hoppner-gramado

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.

A picturesque wedding moment captured at the Duomo di Biella in Italy, as guests shower the happy couple with confetti while they exit the church ceremony
Bride and groom participate in a tradition Filipino money dance at the Community Rowing Boathouse in Brighton, Massachusetts, with money pinned to their clothes. This lively and vibrant wedding custom adds a unique touch to the celebration.
A heartwarming wedding moment captured at First Presbyterian Church in Hackensack, NJ. The bride shares a tender glance with her father as he accompanies her down the aisle, creating an unforgettable memory.
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.
Echo Mountain, Idaho Springs, CO: Best dog watching his parents get married in a field at a remote location in nature. Spectacular scenery at Echo Mountain.
La Cour des Montys, near Nantes, France: Guests on their devices patiently await the couple's first dance, experiencing wedding fatigue after a night of celebration.
Newlyweds share their first dance against the stunning sunset backdrop at Squantum Association in Riverside, RI, captured by a talented wedding photojournalist
At the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes reception venue in Isere, female guests protect their hair from the rain while the male guest doesn't, as they all walk across the grass on the wedding day. A picture capturing the fashionable and cautiousness of the guests.

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.

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.
Award-winning photographer captures the bride's elegance at her Apulia home. Multiple reflections from bedroom mirrors beautifully frame the scene as she holds her bouquet of flowers.
Embracing Love: Celebrating the beauty of unity, two brides share an intimate pose against the backdrop of a striking industrial door in Kelham Island, Sheffield.
Wedding photo taken in Morbihan, Brittany, on the beach. The bride poses against a rustic wood boat adorned with a beautiful artistic mural, creating a vibrant and captivating portrait.
Capturing the essence of love amidst the bustling cityscape, this award-winning portrait captures a bride and groom in Montauban, with a dreamy ambiance created by a slow shutter speed, beautifully blending them with the passing crowd.
Wedding photo showcasing the bride and groom's creative table assignment board, captured in detail at Decatur House, White House Historical Association, Washington, DC.
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.
A union of elegance and artistry captured in Florence, Tuscany. A unique perspective reveals the bride's braided hair, against a backdrop of an arranged cube stone wall.

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 Poitiers, a couple shares a sweet kiss surrounded by beautiful wisteria during their photo shoot to celebrate their love and upcoming wedding.
At the couple's home in Kansas City, Missouri, they sit on a bench outdoors on the patio, captured through the window with their dog looking on lovingly.
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.
At the private courtyard in Milano, a couple in love shares a tender kiss, captured in stunning black and white during their engagement portrait session.
During their engagement portrait session in Basque Country France, a dancing couple was captured against a cloudy blue sky with minimalistic framing.
In Trieste, Italy, a couple stands in silhouette against the colorful sunset with a sailboat in the background, capturing their love and excitement during their engagement portrait session.
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.
An intimate and heartfelt engagement session at Berkeley Botanical Gardens captured the couple sitting close on a bench, kissing, and sharing a tender and warm embrace as they prepare 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 a beautiful moment of the bride embracing one of her great friends during the getting ready process at Cote How, The Lake District
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 photojournalist at Fleurance, Gers, France captured a heartwarming moment of the groom embracing his daughter as he prepared for his big day
At a wedding in Bucharest, Romania, the groom lovingly hugged his sister - a beautiful black and white image captured the emotional moment
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
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 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, emotional moment between the bride and groom after they exchanged their rings in Trieste, Italy