Destination Wedding Photographer | Beautiful Wedding Photos | Examples of Amazing Wedding Photography
As a traveling wedding photographer, here are some of my favorite, most beautiful, and most meaningful wedding photos from recent years
Photos by destination wedding photographer Kathryn Cooper Weddings
What Makes a Wedding Photo Beautiful?
As an experienced wedding photographer who has captured hundreds of unique elopements and weddings, I see beauty in a slightly different way.
Ask yourself this: If you were about to look at an album of beautiful wedding photos, what would you expect to see? I believe most would expect to see posed portraits of a bride alone, or a bride and groom looking at the camera and smiling. Perhaps you’d expect to see a black and white photo of a bride standing in a doorway with light seeping in.
Don’t get me wrong–those are definitely beautiful wedding photos, but at some point, you want something new and exciting. Something more meaningful and less expected.
To my wedding photography eye, beautiful wedding photos…
– Show emotion
– Are inclusive, with couples of all types
– Offer a more candid, documentary look at the wedding day
– Are FUN, and not so serious
– Show a variety of close-up and far-away shots that let you travel with your eyes
So come with me and enjoy 100 beautiful wedding images, from the USA to Indonesia. Scroll further down for locations, tips on how to take gorgeous wedding photos, and more.
[All photos © Kathryn Cooper Weddings | www.KathrynCooperWeddings.com]
For usage and inquiries, contact me here or email info@KathrynCooperWeddings.com.
100 Beautiful Wedding Photos from Around the USA & World
[More gorgeous wedding photos are pictured below]
Where Were These Photos Taken?
Although I can’t label each photo directly (doing so would mean a text overlay and thus distract from the beauty of the photos), these photos represent just a few of the images I’ve taken in the past few years. I’ve photographed weddings for over a decade, and in that time have called Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands, California, and New York home. Before that, I lived in several locations outside of the USA as well, including in Malta, Thailand, and Indonesia.
These photos, most of which I took in the past 2 or 3 years, are from places such as:
- Yosemite National Park, California
- A backyard in Pennsylvania
- Minnewaska State Park, New York
- Bali, Indonesia
- Manchester, Vermont
- Sapphire Beach, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Grand Central Terminal, New York
- Redwoods, California
- Journal Square, New Jersey
- Ithaca, New York
- Sahara Desert, Morocco
- Columbus, Ohio
- Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho
- Ithaca, New York
- St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
- Bagan, Myanmar
- Westchester, New York
- Big Island, Hawaii
- Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
- so many more
I’m lucky enough to be a destination wedding photographer based in New York and California. This means I photograph all over the Northeast and New England, and also get to capture exotic weddings in diverse locations around the globe.
About the Photographer
I’m Kathryn Cooper, and I am the owner and lead photographer at Kathryn Cooper Weddings. Though I love taking beautiful wedding photos, my niche is unique, creative, adventurous elopement and wedding photography. I aim to not only capture the beauty of the couple and location, but the fun, emotions, and spontaneous moments of each day with my quirky style and unique perspectives.
That said, I don’t only take creative photos. I love capturing beautiful moments and amazing days, and wanted to showcase just a few of the many beautiful photos I capture during every celebration.
How to Capture Beautiful Wedding Photos
Photographing amazing moments and beautiful people is a big part of why I’m an elopement and wedding photographer, but it’s not always handed to you on a platter. As a professional photographer, you have to know how to find the light, the beauty, the positions, and the moments in order for everything to look great.
Beautiful wedding photography starts with understanding your customer, and getting a sense of what THEY want. What’s beautiful to them may be ridiculous to others, or interpreted differently. Typically, people choose their wedding photographers based on aesthetic, so you generally know people want what you do.
When you get a couple (or throuple!), understanding their personalities, and how they feel comfortable, is vital. While Westerners may love a great kissing photo, it’s important to understand that some couples may not be allowed to kiss, or even able to hold hands. Again, knowing who your clients are and what feels comfortable to them is incredibly important.
Taking Beautiful Wedding Photographs
Once you know your clients, it’s about using your style, the location, the time of day, and the lighting to your advantage.
No one looks fantastic at 2pm on a hot day, with harsh shadows, squinting eyes, and sweat running down the face. This is why photographers prefer to take photos in the soft early morning or beautiful evening light (golden hour/blue hour). That’s not always possible, so finding a place that works for your aesthetic is vital. For me, that’s usually finding a shady spot, or working with the light to create interesting textures or purposeful shadows.
For beautiful bridal portraits, I like to find an evenly lit location so the true colors come through. Sometimes I’ll go for a cool silhouette, or take my groom to a unique architectural location. Whatever I do, I aim to get close-up portraits done earlier in the day, before suits, hair, and makeup is messed up. Late in the day, when lighting is typically better, I take my more fun, unique, and quirky portraits.
So there you have it: 100 of the most beautiful wedding photos I’ve taken in the past few years. Enjoy, and reach out with any questions!~
A great representation of your work over the years and your ability to shoot any type of wedding!!! My favorite photo is the beard flowers! So unique