Today, we’re thrilled to announce the 30 winners of our On Location Contest! Chosen from over 3500 submissions, these 30 stand-out shots give us a sense of place captured with skill and creativity. From the streets of Cartagena, Columbia to a cave in Bali, to the rooftops of Santorini, Greece, these photos captured in picturesque places all over the world are stunning examples of destination wedding photography. You may recognize some of the iconic places immediately while others, though they might not be as well-known, will show you how extraordinary destination wedding photography can be no matter where the location.

Our 30 winners, chosen by our judges Blair deLaubenfels and WBWP Managing Editor Jacqueline Tobin, include compelling couple portraits, loving exchanges of vows and fun-loving, joyous reception shots that capture a sense of place with skill and creativity. Below you will see a glimpse of the full collection with stories behind each photo. Read on, then visit our full award gallery for a look at what’s possible in destination wedding photography from capturing natural wonders to showcasing venues and architecture.

Natural Wonders

Many of the winning images give a bird's-eye look into the breathtaking natural wonders from around the world. Kudos to Angela Nelson, who captured this drone shot of Hamoa Beach in Hana, Maui. We are vibing on the composition and painterly feel as well as the jeweled tones of the water and the movement of the bride and groom as they stroll along the sand.

Says Nelson: “This beach was so special to the couple as bride Mahie spent a lot of her childhood in Hana and the surrounding areas. Believe it or not, this was my first time flying my drone and I really wanted to highlight the contrast of this beach—which has been named one of the top 10 in the world—with its salt and pepper sand and stunningly blue water.”

The gorgeous photo of the couple below from Adventure & Vow was taken in Sedona, Arizona. According to photographer Traci Edwards, " the location is stunning, but quite limiting in where and how you can shoot. We love adding this image for our couples collections to add more diversity and a dynamic photograph to their gallery. This day we were lucky to get an absolutely stunning sunset. To get this shot it does require a little bit of scrambling for the couple which we always assist with plus extra hands from my partner who always helps carry my cameras so they do not get too banged up!”

Architecture

Photographer Ben Connolly describes his award winning below from The Chapel Montville in Montville, Queensland Australia like this, "I was taking the last photo of the night, after a rainy day that featured one of the most vibrant rainbows I've ever seen so we had to run to the rear of the chapel to catch it. The chapel has a polished white Onyx floor with gold particles in it which is very reflective. I simply lit the couple inside the chapel and framed it so that I could get some reflection off the floor while also showing the unique backdrop where the chapel is located. 

Luckily the rain had just cleared leaving everything wet and shiny for very deep color tones and some really nice colors in the sky while still being able to see the coast on the horizon.”

Our next award winner was a magic moment for destination wedding photographer, John Makris. Taken in Paphos, Cyprus, where there are over a dozen sites with Roman ruins, Makris chose this one for the amazing lighting and atmosphere. Describing the ease of taking this shot he said " I didn't even need to use flash or a reflector. Guiding the bride to do a small step forward, she immediately had perfect light on her face and body". We couldn't agree more.

Venues

To showcase the performers at this wedding reception in MK Dons Stadium in Buckinghamshire, England, Rahul Khona of f5 Photography tells us, "I saw the bride and groom make their entrance, and then as they walked in circus artists hanging from the drapes started their performance. They both looked in opposite directions giving this a spontaneous look, but what you don’t see is there’s over 1,000 guests at their reception plus all the staff looking on. I managed to crop out them all out by getting lower and shooting the couple looking higher up as they were both stood on a podium.” We love the way the photo draws you to the couple and the performers are a bit of a surprise.

For our last glimpse into our award-winning collection of destination wedding photography, Portugese wedding photographer, Miquel Ponte, saw a great angle on the scene and took it. Ponte says "This photo was taken at the Ribeira Brava Church, Madeira Island, Portugal, during the popular saints season which is usually marked with very colorful decorations. The couple turned everything white for their wedding and when I saw all the lines taking my eyes to the church door and I had to take it.”

We're grateful you did, Miguel. Such a great addition to our On location Award Gallery!

Take a trip to our Award Gallery to see all the winners and exceptional shots of fashion, portraits, moments and photography concepts from over the years, and fall in love with wedding photography!