Best 100 Fearless Awards of 2023

Fearless Photographers is proud to showcase a special collection of exceptional wedding photographs that was meticulously chosen by our community as the Best 100 Fearless Awards of 2023. 
 
These images capture the essence of love, beauty, humor, and excitement, whether it's the wedding day itself or couples depicted in imaginative and playful portraits.
 
 
As an added treat, several photographs are accompanied by behind-the-scenes insights from the photographers, offering a glimpse into the captivating narratives behind these remarkable images. 
 
Click here to see all Fearless Awards.

Jorge Romero
Guadalajara

The bride posed well since she had previous experience posing. What makes the difference in this photo is that I put the camera at rock height. I used only natural light because the day was cloudy. It's hard to take a picture in a waterfall because your equipment and the bride are going to get wet because of the breeze.

Matteo Carta
Sardinia

This picture was taken on a hot and sultry day. I noticed that the bride moved away during the appetizer to be with her son. The husband brought her a glass of water, and I wanted to capture this moment, which also reminded me of some moments I've experienced with my wife. I enjoy telling stories of real-life moments.

Steven Rooney
North West England

The image is from Emily and Ollie’s engagement shoot in Formby Beach. Ollie is a wedding photographer too and they were both up for any of my crazy ideas. The first part of the is shoot was in a skate park!

The idea for this image only came to me when we were in this spot. Ollie was throwing the ball for the dogs and they ran in front of me through the water and I could see Emily and Ollie in the background. So I asked them to go back and do the same again. We did this maybe 3 times in all to get this one frame.

Arnaud Chapelle
Saint Sauveur Lendelin

Julie et benoit m’ont demandé une belle séance d’engagement à la mer sur les plages du Mont-Saint Michel, endroit cher à leur cœur. Famille recomposé et très amoureux, j’ai voulu leur offrir des clichés représentant leur amour et leur joie d’être réuni, des photos qui célèbrent leurs liens très forts.

Cette photo, je l’ai voulu très dynamique à l’image de leur couple, tout en joie et qu’elle reflète leur bonne humeur permanente. Rien de mieux qu’une poursuite sur le sable. Pour dynamiser le cadrage, je me suis mis au sol et j’ai demandé à benoit de courir vers moi et de sauter au-dessus de l’appareil. J’avais l’idée de ne prendre que ses pieds tout proches de l’objectif. Après plusieurs essais en rafale, cette photo est sortie du lot, naturelle et joyeuse. Ici, nous n’avons pas besoin de voir le visage de benoit pour se rendre compte de l’instant, la dynamique de l’image est forte rendue par la courte focale et le focus sur le sable, accentué par le sourire et la position du corps de Julie.

Fabio Mirulla
Florence

This is a typical example of a creative photo. One of the keywords in my work is "experimentation." I love playing with different perspectives, contrasts, and objects I find in various locations to use them as compositional elements in my shots.

I captured this shot during a wedding in Volterra, Tuscany. The photo was taken on the stairs of the City Hall immediately after the civil ceremony. I noticed the particular play of light and shadows that was created on the wall and I decided to use it for a creative portrait. The choice of black and white was almost obligatory: when I have strong contrasts, this choice allows me to "amplify" them.

Ronny Wertelaers
Hasselt

I love this photo because it is a unique personal reminder of the special bond the couple had with their dog. The harsh contrast turned this ceremony location into a photographers nightmare. But I kept looking for opportunities that could arise to also capture this relationship in the wedding report. It reflects the atmosphere and the emotions of their wedding in a funny artistic way.

Estelle Carlier
Marseillle

Cette photo a été prise lors d'un mariage qui coïncidait avec le 90e anniversaire de l'une de ces mamies. C'était pendant le cocktail ; j'ai vu au loin la complicité entre ces deux mamies, j'ai remarqué qu'elles étaient très proches et j'ai eu le sentiment qu'il allait se passer une belle scène. J'ai attendu 10 minutes, et là, elles ont commencé à avoir un fou rire ensemble.

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Alexandru Nedelea
Bucharest

Raluca was one of my favorite brides of 2023. From the moment I met her, I felt that I would do something outstanding at their wedding from a photographic point of view. Her wedding dress played an important role for me, so I made this photo, highlighting her gorgeous dress. The moment represents to me, the completion of the bride's preparation, immediately after going to meet her future husband.

Agnieszka Gofron
Kraków

The context of the moment captured was a romantic pose on the top of the mountain. I wanted to take a beautiful photo that would generate many wedding sessions in the mountains. I act spontaneously during the session, I have lots of ideas in my head. The idea for this photo was born on the spur of the moment.

On the day of the session, the weather was great, lots of clouds and gentle sun. we were the only wedding session at the top that day. I wanted to capture a romantic moment with a beautiful view. Amazing weather and romantic pose made this photo unique, amazing atmosphere with lots of clouds in the background. Great cooperation with my clients who were open to my suggestions. My clients like mountain climbing, it's their passion. They dreamed of a wedding session in the mountains.

The weather was not favorable to us, so due to the bad weather we had to change the date of the wedding session several times. On the day of the session, the weather was good, but immediately after reaching the top of the mountain it turned out to be foggy. My clients know about the mountains and they thought the weather would be nice soon. I trusted them and the weather for the session was perfect. Perfect cooperation is based on trust. I trusted them and they trusted me. the effects of cooperation turned out to be great.

Duncan McCall
Newcastle upon Tyne

The bride was getting close to finishing getting ready with her dress going on. I positioned myself to get the bridesmaid doing up the buttons. The window light into the hotel room was perfect without any interference from me; she was already in a great position. I shot a few detail photos of buttons getting done by the bridesmaid, and the bride's niece came in and lay on the bed to watch. Right away, I saw the chance to get a story from the whole scene. The little girl had been patiently waiting through all the make-up and hair prep, but as time went on, she started to get a little frustrated and clearly bored. The look of "Are you nearly ready yet? I'm bored" was perfect in this frame. The bride's mother had just taken a photo on her phone of the bride getting her dress on, and, looking at the photo, she looked very proud. Three stories in one frame, with some beautiful light falling on all subjects. When I took the photo, I knew right away that it was something special.

Jenna Kathleen
Yorkshire

I noticed the 'no entry' sign during the drinks reception and was hoping to incorporate it into a photo somehow. I spotted the two children having fun playing on some trucks and knew they would be the perfect subject for the photo, helping to provide the irony I was looking for. I positioned my camera with the sign in the foreground, using a higher f-stop to make sure the wording was visible. Then I worked on the composition until I was happy and waited for them to come into the frame. Luckily, they repeated their actions a few times which meant I could take my time and capture them at just the right moment!

Erika Mann
Canmore

This is the wedding where we broke 3 of our 4 cameras. The reality of this situation was incredibly stressful, of course—but the circumstances surrounding it, resulted in some of the most beautiful chaos we have ever photographed.

Daphne Matthys
Ghent

It was a fraction of a second. Everyone knows a toddler’s snot. Everyone.But a bubble like this I had never seen before. Not only was it incredibly large, it was also gigantic and green. Once in a lifetime.

This girl had my attention the whole morning. Despite being everywhere, she was incredibly quiet and invisible throughout the getting ready, enjoying the whole event.

It was the depths of winter, March 2021, and colds were inevitable. Especially not with toddlers. At the moment when everyone was perfectly ready to leave for the town hall, she blew a gigantic bubble through her nose. It barely lasted a second before her grandmother grabbed her handkerchief to wipe it away. And she remarked not to take a photo of it. “This isn’t pretty for the photo. I hope you don't have this on camera”. Of course I did. I'm everywhere and I love these moments dearly.

Btw, a fun fact. Apparently, this image is often the deciding factor for the groom for choosing me as the wedding photographer. Real images. A touch of humor. Atypical. And slightly rough.

Cezar Gabriel Udrea
Bucharest

Here is a wedding preparation picture. Initially, it was a normal picture with the groom reading the newspaper and the two guys arranging each other's shirts. The kid is the groom's boy, who came around and started to play. He then went back to play with the lamp; he was very energetic. The godfather of the groom shouted at him to get out of there because he thought he would ruin the picture. As you can see, the man is bending a bit and looking at him. I told him to leave the kid there because anyway I can't see him. Then, suddenly, the kid, hearing his name, came out with a big smile.

Nadine van Biljon
London

Just keep looking. When you think nothing's happening, look harder to see if that's really the case.

It was at a point in bridal prep where, uncharacteristically, we were ahead of schedule. The bride's and bridesmaids' hair and make up was all done, I think someone had gone to put the kettle on to make tea and I was wondering what to shoot next to fill the lull.

Still on my knees on the floor, I noticed the googly-eyes on the baby-bouncer and how it neatly made a funny new face for the bridesmaid's baby girl who had joined the bridal party.

Despite the little one kicking away, the eyes were conveniently positioned like that. I didn't have to work too hard for this image, it's one of those gifts you are presented, but waiting for another element, in this case, the light touch from the mother's hand, I feel gives the image more depth and interest.

Cezar Gabriel Udrea
Bucharest

This picture was taken last year during a preparation moment. That little boy, from the moment the food was put in the cats' bowls, was so curious about what's there. He started by inspecting what the cats were doing, and believe me, he even ended up eating some of the cats' food :)). That's when the brides appeared, trying to take him from there. That was a bit mean on my part because I could have gone to take the little one myself, but I was curious to see how far he would go...

Nadine van Biljon
London

Embrace the chaos. This is one of my favourite pictures I've ever taken and I love that it's at one of my all-time favourite weddings set in the hills of Umbria in Italy with the most kind, hospitable and playful group of family and friends you could hope for.

The warm sun was getting low, the drinks were flowing and everyone was feeling playful...and especially the little flower girls who were on a mission to photobomb the group photos.

I have many pictures of them weaving in and out of the frame in their playful attempts to disrupt the proceedings but struck gold when one of the groom's nieces threw her bouquet in the air and it created the perfect bouffant for the groom. Thank you girls, for my Fearless award...I owe you a lemonade.

Cezar Gabriel Udrea
Bucharest

We agreed with the bride and groom to take some pictures with a horse, as I have more with them riding that horse too. The groom was a bit afraid of the horse; I don't know why because it seemed to be really gentle. Anyway, I had them in position to take some pictures with them kissing under the horse, and that's the moment when my assistant took out a carrot to eat. The horse went mental, trying to reach the carrot, which made the bride laugh so bad, but the groom still didn't have any reaction because he was worried about the horse. So, I didn't hesitate and pressed the shutter button as much as I could.

Fabio Colombo
Milan

I took this photo after the civil wedding in May 2023, when the bride and groom came out of the hall for the rice-throwing. The groom picked up the bride but unfortunately lost his balance, almost causing her to fall. It was an unexpected and very funny moment! I chose to present the photo in black and white to focus on the action and emphasize the impact of the scene.

Paulo Pinto
Porto

Photo captured during the religious ceremony. This is the bride's uncle, who she had a very strong emotional connection with, as he had lived with her her whole life. The attentive look that I always have at these important moments portrays the truth and immortalizes the moment.

Rafe Abrook
East of England

Mother of the Groom (Esperanza), and her sister Betsy shared this special moment in church last April. There was no Father of the Groom present, making this moment all the more poignant. The crop was deliberate, as this moment was all about the hands, rather than faces. Hands form a large part of my work, as well as the more obvious 'faces', as they provide the physical connection that helps the viewer read the image. The couple, Aisling & Matthew went on to have an amazing moment filled wedding day at South Farm, but this was the highlight for me. Esperanza contacted me afterwards, personally thanking me for capturing this, as it perfectly reflects how close they are as sisters.

Adriano Oening
Francisco Beltrão

Esse é um dos momentos que mais gosto de fotografar no dia do casamento, onde o pai vai ao encontro da filha que está prestes a se casar, e vai conduzi-la até o altar. O reflexo do pai no vidro do carro deixa a foto com um impacto muito interessante, e o movimento das mãos ao enviarem beijos um para o outro dá o toque final pra uma imagem que se torna diferente da maioria das fotos que vemos desse mesmo momento. Com isso a foto ganha um significado ainda maior!

Essa foto é a cereja do bolo desse casamento intimista de Stefania e Otávio, que teve muitas outras lindas fotos para compor essa linda história de amor.

Ally M
Manchester

The bride and groom married in the city centre of Chester. They were very keen on having a few photographs with their beloved dogs, so after the ceremony, they had a family friend bring their dogs to the venue.

When the bride and groom went outside, the dogs were beyond excited to see the couple and it did become a bit chaotic, barking, tails wagging, the dogs running back and forth between the bride and groom.The bride picked up one of her dogs to calm him/her down a little and the dog started to frantically lick her face. I was shooting through this scene the whole time and managed to get the brides brilliant expression as the dogs tongue was out.

The couple wanted natural photos with their dogs which suited my style perfectly. Rather than standing and posing with their dogs they now have a real moment which I think adds more to the photo, it's not just a photo to them, it's a memory of that funny moment.

Jose Ignacio Ruiz
Madrid

Esta foto fue tomada en el momento después de que la novia se pone su vestido. Su perrito estuvo toda la mañana tranquilo, pero justo cuando ella se viste, él sale corriendo y va a saludarla. Cuando se acerca a ella la novia le regaña y él asustado ya no puede evitar pisar su vestido y seguir corriendo. La mano de la derecha de la foto es de el videógrafo, que intenta hacer que el perrito no le pise el vestido, demasiado tarde también...

Trent Gillespie
Silverthorne

We scouted extensively for this portrait, visiting the site the day before and running through flash output and timing. This helped immensely with the execution on the wedding day as we weren't able to stop the gondola or do a second pass as the timing was tight.

After setting my exposure for the available light, I was able to do some quick math and reduce my flash power accordingly. Our test shot the day before was full sun, but the cloudy weather on the wedding day provided a slight challenge. Fortunately everything worked out and the couple was ecstatic with the complexity of the photo process and also with the resulting editorial portrait of their Telluride Wedding.

Jose Ignacio Ruiz
Madrid

Durante los preparativos de la novia hay un momento en la que ella invita a brindar a sus amigas, es justo cuando me doy cuenta de que una de ellas tiene un vestido asombrosamente parecido a las plantas de la pared. Comienzo a hacer fotos sin posar a la invitada, aunque ninguna realmente me acaba de gustar. Por eso cuando acaba el brindis le pido a la amiga que se ponga un momento donde estaba antes, frente a la pared. Ella sigue hablando con las amigas alegre, con la copa en la mano. Y le digo que se mire su zapato. Es entonces cuando consigo esta imagen, ella toca su zapato sosteniendo elegantemente la copa, mientras su vestido se camufla con el fondo. Me encanta esta imagen...

Alex Benyon
Central England

This image was captured at a wedding I was second shooting at for Dan Morris. I was walking around toward the end of the evening photographing the guests when I stumbled upon this scene. It is a pure serendipitous moment from the day when so many elements had to align for the image to work.

Samuele Ciaffoni
Ancona

My main inspiration for this photo was to turn a gray day at the beach into an opportunity to create a minimalist and timeless image. I conceived the idea of having the groom leap towards the camera to add dynamism to the photo, and I asked the bride to move slightly to create a motion effect in her hair. This approach added a touch of magic and spontaneity to the photo, transforming a static moment into a dynamic and engaging one. I wanted to focus on the connection between the bride and groom, as the flat light and dull colors of the day wouldn't have done justice to the beauty of the surrounding environment. Therefore, I chose to eliminate elements such as the beach horizon and water, which could have distracted from the essence of the moment and the love shared by the couple.

Cezar Gabriel Udrea
Bucharest

This picture captured a really fast moment when my assistant informed me that the groom was talking with his grandparents who could not be present at the event. A thought came to my mind: this could get emotional or not, and indeed it did. As I was seated on a chair, I had to crouch down a bit to capture his face. I saw him trying to wipe his tear, and that's when I approached closer. The reflection in the photo only became apparent when I edited it. I had to bring it out more to shed light on the moment and increase the emotion conveyed.

Jason Kaczorowski
Chicago

It was one of those rare November mornings at Chicago’s North Avenue Beach.The weather was a warm 65 degrees, which was exceptional as only a few days later the temperature dipped down to a brisk 21. The last vestiges of Fall’s colorful leaves were still clinging to the trees, and Lake Michigan was smooth as glass that morning.

We were fortunate to have ample sunshine without a cloud in the sky: The kind of weather photographers from the Midwest dream about in late Fall!

Konark and Deepthi came prepared for our early 6:28 am start time. I lived in Chicago’s western suburbs and woke that morning at 4:45 am to commute into the city.

The sun rises over Lake Michigan from the east (left of frame), which is the perfect time to illuminate subjects and capture a kiss of light on the edge of the skyline. I love photographing this location at this hour too because it’s often overrun with pedestrians throughout the remainder of the day.

There’s a break in the skyline where Lake Shore Drive rounds Lake Michigan just before reaching the Lake Point Tower Condominiums where I wanted to capture my couple walking together while framing them between the skyscrapers. I knew I had the moment when both Deepthi and Konark were mid-stride, and Deepthi’s dress mirrored Konark’s gait.

Jay Cassario
New Jersey

We're always trying to push ourselves and the limits of what we can do as storytellers; this was one of those moments. The best man was a professional BMX rider who threw out the idea of incorporating him somehow jumping his bike over the groom. However, instead of it just being the two of them, I wanted to incorporate all of the groomsmen, which is exactly what I did.

To make this shot work, I wanted to shoot it super wide and be as close as possible, which meant raising the risk factor quite a bit. I lay flat on the ground and asked him to try his best not to hit me but also to get as close as he possibly could. We did one test run and then the real jump, which he landed perfectly, about 2 inches from my face and camera. My goal was to capture the bike at its highest point and avoid getting crushed on the landing. Only one of those I had control over... but I nailed it!

Lanny Mann
Canmore

Erika and I had very limited time for portraits at this 4-day Telugu wedding in Bahrain. With time running out, and not a lot of options to work with, I spotted a patch of shrubbery that I thought I might be able to shoot through in order to A) frame the couple, B) block out a bunch of environmental distractions, and C) fill the frame with something interesting.

By carefully positioning the couple, I was able to find a little opening through which to frame them nicely. I chose a wide lens that allowed me to fill my frame with as much shrubbery as possible (I wanted the couple to be relatively small within the frame). By exposing for the highlights in the sky, the couple and all of the leaves became interesting silhouettes. While processing the photo, I chose to go for a high contrast black & white edit because I really liked how it helped the couple "camouflage" into the setting. I like how it makes the viewer "work for it."

The REAL story of this wedding, however, has nothing to do this photo (or any of their posed portraits). It involves a crazy sand storm, photographing in a mosh pit, hilarious moments, colourful ceremonies, extravagant receptions, drunken pool parties, and so much more. Thank you, Sahithi & Kedar, for flying us half way around the planet to document your legendary wedding celebration!

Petr Hrubeš
Brno

After the wedding ceremony and the cutting of the cake, I noticed that outside, children were playing a game of hide-and-seek by the wedding glory gate. This moment with the two little girls hiding lasted perhaps only a few seconds. I quickly ran right in front of the wedding glory gate, crouched down, and tried to take a symmetrical photo. It was a beautiful August afternoon light, which helped a lot to complete the whole atmosphere of the photo. At that moment, I felt that I had captured a beautiful and funny moment.

Ben Connolly
Queensland

This photo was taken at a venue I work at regularly. The couple was very fun-loving, and the wedding was a combination of cultures, Danish & Persian.

I wanted to give them a photo that was unique and that I had not done at this venue. After walking around looking for opportunities for nearly 10 minutes and not finding anything worthy of the couple or the event, I noticed a table with about 15 dirty glasses on it that the staff had not cleared. I organized the glasses so that I could shoot through them to see if my idea would work, and it appeared to do so. I just needed clean glassware. I asked the staff for a tray of clean glasses and proceeded to set up the shot.

As it was dark, I needed a flash on the couple, and after a few test shots, I worked out that I needed flashes on the glasses. To cut down the highlights, I used colored gels to color the glasses from each side and shot through the stems to my couple placed in the middle. The shot was taken using a 15mm f2.8 lens.

Color Song
Nanning

这张照片新娘化妆期间,有一个来参加婚礼的小朋友,拿着新娘的鞋子试穿装成大人的样子,场面非常可爱,我就记录了下来,构图本来是上下两个完整的镜像,后来我觉得只用到地面的反射,给整个画面多点想象空间,我觉得这样会比较有趣,这张片子就出来了,很能得到

Matteo Carta
Sardinia

A few days before Claudia and Paolo's wedding, her grandfather had a heart attack and was hospitalized. The bride is very close to him and chose to visit him right after the wedding ceremony.

I saw the joy and surprise on the grandfather's face as soon as he saw her because he was unaware of this visit, but I also saw his expression change when she left. It's hard when you face delicate moments like these because you have to decide when it's time to stay close or leave the space and find a balance between what's happening.

I had an instinct that told me, "Tell his story." What's he feeling right now? How can I frame this emotion? I turned the angle and got close to the door to include the bride, leaving the left part of the image and the granddad on the right part.

The color enhanced the feeling of this image. It's a very powerful moment. I am very fond of this image. I have always thought that photography is a great tool for capturing moments that would otherwise be lost without the photographer.

Andrea Cacciola
Calabria

Girando in chiesa, ho notato in una saletta adiacente alla navata, con accesso sull'altare, questo imponente murales rappresentante l'Ultima Cena di Leonardo.Ricordo che quando ho scattato questa foto ho perso mezz'ora a cercare di far stare tutti gli elementi compositivi al posto giusto. La combinazione di elementi - la coppia di sposi, il dipinto dell'Ultima Cena e la geometria della composizione - crea una narrativa visiva intrigante.

Potrebbe rappresentare il passaggio del tempo, la continuità della tradizione religiosa e familiare, o anche il legame tra amore umano e divino. La composizione geometrica ha permesso di catturare non solo un momento, ma anche un'intera storia visiva in un'unica immagine.

Alfredo Nicoli
Como

I was in Morimondo to photograph the wedding of Daniela and Nicola. After the preparation, I positioned myself, waiting for the bride to make her entrance at the Morimondo Abbey park, where the couple had obtained permission from the Municipality to enter, as it was a pedestrian village.

After a few minutes of waiting, I saw the bride passing by with the Ape calessino from the street to the right of the arch but in the opposite direction. I thought she would continue her run until the open space a little further ahead to turn. Meanwhile, I let the municipal police car pass, convinced there was enough time to cross, not seeing the bride approaching.

Unexpectedly, the bride made a complete loop around the entire village at a brisk pace and reappeared on the same street to the right of the arch, widening the curve to enter. When Daniela saw the municipal police car, she got scared. Instead of braking, she accelerated, crashing first into the front right side of the police car and then continuing her run, getting wedged between the car and the arch pillar.

I witnessed the whole scene and initially ran towards them. However, realizing I couldn't do anything and considering that I was there to document the events of that day, I raised my camera and took three photos while still in motion. Two photos turned out blurry, but this one, perfectly focused, captured the exact moment when the bride crashed between the pillar and the car. You can see part of the broken headlight that hasn't touched the ground yet. The expression on the bride's face tells the whole story.

I was very frightened, fearing that Daniela might hit the glass of the Ape and hurt herself, spending the wedding day in the hospital. Fortunately, she was unharmed, and we could go through the entire day without further incidents, except for an Ape calessino a bit battered in some photos.

Gabriel Scharis
Amsterdam

Getting ready in a house full of cats. Does that sound like a good idea? Well, if you are wearing a dress that costs thousands of dollars, you may want to change location ;)

This bride loved her cats so much that it wasn't an option to get ready somewhere else. She was the owner of more than 15 cats, and the cats were a part of her life. But cats are cats. They became more curious by the minute and came closer and closer, until the point that every moving bit was prey and it was no longer safe for the bride to hop into the dress. This picture was taken just at the right moment, the moment the bride realized that she made a big mistake ;)

Kristian Leven
London

This was taken during the reception at the Bride’s uncle’s beautiful home in the Yorkshire Dales.I was originally having a nice conversation with the Groom’s mum (pictured in the grey coat), as I waited around the cake in preparation for the cake cutting. I reeled off a couple frames of the scene, when I noticed the Bride’s grandma was perfectly positioned to be framed within the glass cake dome. I knelt down slightly to position her ‘inside’, and took a step back to ensure the guests in the background were included in the picture.

I’m a big fan of street photography, where humour and frame within frames are common tools. Tavepong Pratoomwong is one such street photographer who loves to play with humour and perspectives, and maybe a bit of his work unconsciously seeped into my thinking here. I think the grandma’s white hair, which blends in with the clouds, helps to slowly unveil her, and adds to the illusion somehow.

Cezar Gabriel Udrea
Bucharest

This picture is an after-wedding photo that I've wanted to capture for a while, but I could not find the right moment during a wedding. I had the chessboard in my car with me for weeks, trying to find the right place and moment to make this picture. The pictures and the idea were in my head all the time, just waiting for the best time and place.

So, during the after-wedding session, I saw a little hill and said to myself, "That's the place." I put the groom and the bride on that little hill, placed the chessboard on a chair, and told the groom to jump. It was a very tricky shot because I had to swap the screen of my camera to see what I was shooting, as one of the hands is mine (the one above the bride's head), and the other hand was the guy who was filming the after-wedding session. It took us around 45 minutes until the groom fit perfectly, or at least pleasingly, in between my colleague's fingers.

Andra Lesmana
Bali

When I took this photo, my attention was drawn to the joyful expression of the children involved in the game. They were so excited while celebrating the moment of cutting the cake. I was captivated by the sound of the clackers produced by their hand movements, indicating extraordinary coordination and happiness.

The idea to use forced perspective with clackers emerged naturally as I observed the children playing. I was inspired to capture their moments of happiness and cheerfulness in a unique and creative way. I tried to conceptualize and execute this idea by carefully arranging the camera position and shooting angle, so that the clacker balls appeared like eyeballs in front of the child.

What makes this photo so special is its simplicity, capturing the essence of happiness and innocence of children. The moment has a universal appeal that can be felt by anyone who sees it.

Adrian Fluture
Focsani

I always pay a lot of attention to children when i photograph. They are so natural. In this photo, i knew that those soap bubbles would give me something interesting. I armed myself with patience and photographed a lot ... until i got what I wanted. It took some time to figure out this frame, but it was worth it.

Pierpaolo Perri
Positano

As often happens, especially in Southern Italian weddings, there is a moment when all the guests who are at the bride's house come out to wait for her and, as per tradition, wish them luck and prosperity by throwing rice.

That day I too had gone out to wait for this moment and photograph it but the bride and her father still lingered a little inside with some closest family members while there were other people still going out. I had the feeling that something was happening so I ran in and saw this scene of the bride consoling her grandfather, who as you can see is wearing those oxygen tubes, who had burst into tears with emotion.

The photo was taken with a very wide focal length because there were so many people around and I literally had to squeeze myself into this scene and I was very close to Angela and her grandfather who only noticed me at the end when I lowered the camera after a series of about 50 shots. The moment is really intense, it encompasses not only what you actually see, but everyone can see themselves in a situation like this and I was the first to do it while I was there taking photographs.

Fabio Mirulla
Florence

I took this photo during a wedding in May 2023. We are in a villa in the heart of Tuscany, not far from the city of Siena. The weather conditions at the beginning of the ceremony were very unfavorable, but we didn't think a storm was about to hit. A few minutes after this shot, we had to run to conclude the ceremony indoors in a stable.

It's a "lucky" photo, one of those that probably happens once in a lifetime. Honestly, I didn't realize I had taken it at the moment. I discovered it during the wedding selection phase. Sometimes luck also plays a fundamental role in what we do. Being in the right place at the right time, for me, this photo is a clear example of that.

Jason Vinson
Bentonville

The funny part about this image is that the end result wasn't even planned. During portrait time, I was taking some simple portraits of the bride and groom walking along a trail. I even edited and delivered the files without seeing the real potential of this image. It wasn't until the image was featured in an online wedding publication that I noticed the cloud looked like an extension of the bride's veil. Once I noticed, I was able to add a slight crop as well as push and pull the file's dynamic range to help accentuate the visual. 

Martin Ellard
Swansea

I love photos of moments that make people laugh, and I'm always looking for a picture that tells a story or makes the viewer stop and ask, 'what's going on here?'

This moment came about while I was looking for photos after the wedding meal while everyone was relaxing outside. I heard an outburst of laughter in the distance, and as I came around the side of the venue, I found this flower girl wandering around calling "mum" and looking for her mother while wearing the photobooth horse's head and holding a toy phone. She walked straight past me, continuing her search. The laughter had been from a group of guests who had stopped their conversation at the sight of this girl wandering around. This is one of the funniest and most unique moments I've witnessed at a wedding so far.

Jason Vinson
Bentonville

The bride and I were walking into a parking garage to take some portraits when I saw the light casting onto the parking lot floor. I instantly knew I wanted to use this light, but I struggled for a bit trying to find a way to truly showcase it. I first tried dragging over a large trash can and balancing on top of it in order to show everything, but even that wasn't high enough. I then realized that there was a section of wall in the garage that I could climb into and then sort of shimmy my way across in order to get a good angle. This idea ended up working better because it got me high enough to show the entire pattern of light, but it also got me into a position where I was capturing the light from an angle I would not have initially been drawn to use. 

Jorge Romero
Guadalajara

This photo was a set of ideas that all began when the videographer told me that we could do something nice with the reflection of the shoes. He was taking a normal shoe photo, and he saw it. I used a flash with a snood to avoid polluting with more light in the mirror and the carpet. I had to go up and down stairs to find the best size for the shoes.

Andy Gaines
London

I'm always looking for different ways to tell a story and different viewpoints. During this couple's reception, the horah and dancing were typically epic and wonderfully chaotic, so after capturing many frames from inside the dance floor, I decided to try for some alternative angles.

First, I photographed the dance floor from far back and wide, then I went up on the balcony. This was a perfect viewing point that showed the context of the scene and the crazy party unfolding below. Using the railings to balance the camera allowed me to vary the shutter speed to try to emphasize the movement a little more. I tried various combinations of shutter speed, from about 1/10 second up to about 1 second.

I also varied, adding off-camera flash into the mix too. It's always a bit hit-and-miss using such slow shutter speeds, but this frame managed to sufficiently freeze the bride and her expressions of pure joy while still giving enough movement and chaos to the rest of the scene, which was exactly what I was hoping for!

Fabio Colombo
Milan

Before the reception, friends often gather to prepare some pranks for the bride and groom and give free rein to their creativity. In this atmosphere of sharing and spontaneity, the bride was thrown into the air—an incredible and exciting moment! Immediately, I felt an immense emotion. I had taken a special photo.

Jonathan Coates
West Midlands England

Joanna & Daniel are a lovely alternative couple and their wedding was very relaxed, filled with laughter and fun from start to finish. They an extremely close set of friends and I really wanted to make some quirky images for them alongside the “usual” whenever the opportunity presented itself.

This particular image came at the end of a short portrait run where we chased a sunset. We had just created some lovely romantic backlit pictures when we came across some of their friends enjoying the grounds of the venue. With only a few minutes left before we had to get back to the venue, I noticed the large, stretched earlobes of this guest and quickly stopped the couple, asked them to embrace, and rushed around to see if I could frame them inside the hole. I got as close to the guest as I could while still keeping his face in the frame to add to the funny vibe.

I’m sure this won’t be a picture they hang on their wall, but I know it’s one they will smile at whenever they look through their album, and that’s exactly what I wanted from it.

Carlos Santana
Madrid

Fue un momento genial…. Nos encontramos en la ciudad de Toledo, en España. Con Sandra y Alberto los protagonistas de esta magnifica Boda. Terminando la sesión de pareja en la zona alta de Toledo, teníamos que bajar en el ascensor para dirigirnos al parking. Dejé que bajaran ellos primero junto con mi asistente… mientras tanto me asomé al mirador y justo debajo del todo me encontré el coche aparcado y la flecha que indicaba la dirección hacia el parking… rápidamente llamé a mi asistente al movil y le pedí que indicara a la pareja que caminaran por medio de la carretera hacia el parking, y al asistente le pedí que los siguiera por delante apuntando con un Profoto A1 para iluminarles. Realicé la fotografía con un 200 milímetros. Encuadre, composición… todo cuadraba!!!!

Sylvain Bouzat
Lyon

This photo was taken after a wedding ceremony near Geneva. The bride and groom were covered in rose petals as they left the church. As is often the case, I wait for the in-between moments and continue to focus on the action. At this point, the best men and bridemaids began to clean up the rose petals on the floor, while the children, as is often the case, played at throwing and re-throwing the petals. I sensed that a scene with several layers was taking shape, so I continued to shoot until all the characters found themselves by chance in a legible and interesting configuration. In this photo, each group of people performs an interesting action, and I found the alignment of the brooms very interesting.

Luca Gallizio
Bolzano

This image was taken by me during the wedding of Annesophie and Dario, an American couple that chose Bolzano for their wedding. Just at the end of the ceremony, when they were walking to the wedding venue, I saw this extreme backlight coming from the building on the central road of Bolzano. It's called Via dei Portici. The building made this light exactly like a triangle, so I decided to shoot from behind the couple, and just at the end of the light, when I was shooting really fast, they put their hands just above their heads. I immediately thought that I was really lucky in that moment, but I actually realized that it was so good just after the editing time.

Adrian Fluture
Focsani

I love capturing funny moments in photographs. A picture from a party where one of the guests grabbed a drum and started using it with great energy remains one of my favorites. Initially, I tried to capture this captivating moment, but my attention quickly turned to a woman dancing nearby. I managed to combine the two scenes into one picture. It was a bit risky, as a few times the drumstick he was using came dangerously close to my ear.

Antonio Sgobba
Bari

I've been engaged for many weddings thanks to this photo, which I almost didn't take. Brides often tell me, "I chose you for the photo of the bride with her grandmother." What few know is that this sweet lady isn't the bride's grandmother, but her aunt.

I took this photo in the bride's garden, just a few minutes before leaving for the church. While the bride was about to get into the car, the old lady arrived; she wanted to see the bride before she left. I hesitated for a few seconds without taking the shot; the moment was so magical that I was enchanted just watching it. Luckily, I snapped out of it and took this photo a moment before the magic ended, as if someone had shouted in my head, "Wake up! You're about to miss the most important photo of your life!"

Gabriel Scharis
Amsterdam

One of the most important moments during the wedding is the moment of exchanging the rings. In your first years as a wedding photographer, this moment must be captured exactly right. But when more experience kicks in, you learn to capture this moment faster and faster and then time is left for creativity. I noticed the look of the little girl, and I tried to capture her expression just before the ring hits the finger, and it all comes together in one frame.

Loren Noyes
Toledo

This moment is incredibly special to me and one I'll forever carry with me. The wedding was on a beautiful summer day with only 11 people in attendance. Every guest was of the utmost importance to the couple. The bride's grandfather was wheelchair-bound and blind if I remember correctly. Immediately after the ceremony concluded, the bride walked back up the aisle to share a moment with her grandfather. She cried, he cried, and I cried. There weren't any words shared, but the emotional bubble around us was profound and powerful. You could just feel it. All I could hear in my head was, "fill the frame with what matters."