I’m once again thrilled to have placed several images in the Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA) competition. It’s a truly international wedding photography contest that showcases the top documentary wedding photography from around the world, and it was such an honor placing alongside many of my mentors and friends from around the country (and the globe!)

The first image is from a ceremony at the Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, MA, an absolutely gorgeous “living history museum”. It’s a really unique spot for weddings, and I was thrilled to have been invited by my good friend Kari to second shoot this wedding with her. Right before the ceremony I asked her if I could hang back with the bride and her mom to grab a wide shot of their grand entrance to the ceremony, and to document the moments leading up to this. Then it was simply a case of waiting for them to hit the exact right spot on the walk down and hit the shutter button. It scored 13th place in the Ceremony category, my first time placing in this category.

The second photo is a fun moment from the father of the bride toast at Nellie and Chris’ wedding. This is actually the third photo from their wedding to win an award – the first was a shot from the reception of some crazy dance floor shenanigans, the second was a moody-cool photo of the band playing. The judges left a really nice comment on this photo: “This is a humorous image. I suspect we have all seen speakers who drop their notes one after another after each page has been read. In fact, I’ve seen some who have obviously tied the act to a certain flair and charisma as index cards fly like grass from a lawnmower. But, in this case, it appears the act is mere function to the finish. What a fun and simple moment.” This photo placed 8th in the Toasting/Speeches category.

The final photo is from Katie and Andrew’s wonderfully emotional Alden Castle wedding this winter, which scored 13th place in the Emotion category. I really love that this photo was recognized because it was such a genuinely sweet moment, between some of the loveliest people I’ve had the pleasure to work with.

Many thanks to the WPJA for once again recognizing my work, and huge congrats to my friends who also placed this quarter.