This month, we’re celebrating the newly designated 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography 2021, our annual competition that spotlights talented wedding photographers from around the world for moving the industry in exciting directions with their creativity and aesthetics. Follow us on Instagram to see a daily takeover from each one of the Rising Stars you see here, who are sharing behind-the-scenes insights on some of the photos they submitted to the judges for consideration. This selection in particular grabbed us for the various ways that the photographers captured whimsical, candid wedding photos of pure, unadulterated joy and emotional connection (despite challenges that arose during the day), as well as sweet, stolen moments of tranquility.

Wedding photographers Emma and Rich, who also happened to be married to each other, are based in the seaside town of Scarborough in the UK and are known for taking fun and creative images.

This image, they say, is pure, unadulterated, 100 percent Emma and Rich. “This was the image that made us realize that not every photo we take at a wedding has to be a ‘wedding photograph.’ When we started out, Emma got caught up in taking all the expected and traditional shots we thought had to be taken at a wedding. It was only when we let that expectation go and shot the day as it happened and the people as they were, that everything started to click into place for us. The pictures were a true representation of the day and of everyone’s personalities; they became real.”

For this image, the duo had to lie down to stop the couple from blending into their surroundings, and to make them feel a little larger than life. “Then we let Laura and Andy run at us on space hoppers and kept shooting. Even when it gets scary, we always keep shooting!”

View Emma and Rich’s entire submission of images to the 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography competition and read more about their approach as wedding photographers.

Bernadeta Kupiec is an adventurous elopement and intimate wedding photographer based in Fife, Scotland.

She says this wedding was the most relaxed, intimate one she has ever photographed. “Its most important point was the meeting with family and friends after many months, sometimes years, of separation,” she says. “Until a week before, we didn’t know if the wedding would take place due to Covid restrictions related to traveling from France to Scotland.”

But nothing could spoil the happiness and joy in the air, despite challenges that arose from the very morning, she says. “The celebrant’s car broke down and he was more than 30 minutes late. During the ceremony, flying ants first attacked the side where the bridesmaids were standing. And then while tying the traditional knot and Evan and Marion’s hands were connected together with green and blue ribbons fluttering over them, the ants attacked Marion.” Kupiec says everyone had to eventually move to a tiny wooden cabin nearby, with their chairs, and Marion and Evan were able to finish their oaths and the exchange of rings.

View Bernadeta Kupiec’s entire submission of images to the 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography competition and read more about their approach as wedding photographers.

Jen Boris, a destination wedding photographer based out of Detroit, Michigan, loves telling “compelling stories for modern, sophisticated couples who appreciate classic, timeless photography and seek exceptional experiences in life and on their wedding day.”

This photograph, says Boris, was taken in Chicago at the iconic St. James Chapel, inspired by Notre Dame in Paris. “I knew I wanted a photo of the bride exiting the church where its gorgeous architecture would be on display. I didn’t tell her I was waiting outside to photograph the exit (I love to catch my couples with their guard down when they’re being authentically them) and once the doors opened, it was ‘operation keep the bride dry’ as her newly minted husband and a groomsman ran her to the waiting limo with umbrellas.”

Boris adds that the energy and movement that shines through in this image—”the way her dress is bunched up in her arms, the smile on her face embracing the full experience of her spring wedding day despite the snow, sleet and rain, and the fact that they weren’t camera aware”—all combine to make this one of her favorite photographs.

View Jennifer Boris’ entire submission of images to the 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography competition and read more about their approach as wedding photographers.

Andrea Verenini, a wedding and elopement photographer from Italy based in the UK and working worldwide says bridal prep is one of his favorite parts of the day.

“It’s all about transformation, expectation, candid moments and unfiltered emotions. I love it,” he exclaims. “This photograph was taken during the final moments of bridal prep. Two bridesmaids are delicately fixing the dress of the flower girl and I like the shot because it evokes a timeless sense of ritual to me that transcends time and place.”

Backlighting allowed him to create silhouettes of the bridesmaids that, he explains, helps to move the attention to the little girl and her dress, which seems to almost glow in the moment. “I remember being drawn to this scene as it unfolded silently in a corner of the room,” he says. “As I was shooting, I wanted to make sure that the flower girl was perfectly framed by the silhouettes of the bridesmaids, so I kept adjusting my position slightly as the bridesmaids moved and worked. I wanted each hand and arm position to be just right so I waited and wiggled, and kept shooting until the right moment presented itself.”

In the end, Verenini decided to turn the final image into a black and white to simplify it. “A good black and white abolishes unnecessary distractions, and really makes it about the quality of light and emotion in the frame.”

View Andrea Verenini’s entire submission of images to the 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography competition and read more about their approach as wedding photographers.

Mariana Pierce, based in Mexico City and L.A., says that in this image, as the bride and groom walked amid giant cacti, they held on tight to each other. “They said the place made them feel like they were in a wonderland; like a festive, vibrant, mystic land. And I knew what they meant. I felt it too.”

Pierce says that on her journey as a photographer, she has discovered that who she is and where and how she grew up will always reflect on how she photographs life. “It’s the feeling I carry with me wherever I go, wherever I shoot. I carry the colors, the warmth, the simple love. I carry my culture, my story and do it proudly. By owning your past and mixing it with your present as a photographer, you develop a style of your own. As a Mexican, my background was ringing church bells and long family tables, vibrant colors, loud laughter, candid moments and intricate indigenous patterns.”

View Mariana Pierce’s entire submission of images to the 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography competition and read more about their approach as wedding photographers.

Pyry Kantonen, based in Helsinki, Finland, says that a lot of the time, weddings are about people eating stuff and “we all know that’s not the best time to stick a camera in front of their faces. Nevertheless I do it. It tends to create these slightly awkward moments when people realize I’ve just eternalized them half a potato in their mouth. Yet I’ve found that these candid moments can easily be turned into jokes and laughter. And click, that’s when the real photo is taken.”

Kantonen says he never submits those eating images of people with open mouths and half closed eyes. “They’re just bad photos. But in this photo, I actually managed to do the impossible and get a good picture of a candid moment of people eating. And it instantly became one of my favorites.”

View Pyry Kantonen’s entire submission of images to the 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography competition and read more about their approach as wedding photographers.

Sebastian Bravo, of Arte Visual MF in Mexico, says that “among all the drama of the wedding day, spending 5 minutes in tranquility, as shown here, can give us a space of intimacy and romance.”

He adds: “What is most important to us as photographers? Connection and trust. Trust is the best tool that we are going to have throughout the wedding day as we document one of the most important days of each couple with candid moments that reflect who they are. It truly becomes special when they totally trust you and then an understanding comes through the light, composition and movement, combining everything to achieve an excellent result.”

View Sebastian Bravo’s entire submission of images to the 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography competition and read more about their approach as wedding photographers.

Dig into our Photo of the Day archives for even more compelling and eye-catching portraits and creative photo concepts.