The Long Road to Becoming a Top 10 Wedding Photojournalist
Fifteen years ago I wanted to win awards because I thought they proved I was a good photographer. Young artists tend to be self-conscious and I was no different; I was searching for validation in a very objective field.
Today I value photography awards for a different reason.
These wedding photojournalism awards go to photographs that weren't manufactured, styled, or generated. They're made from real people trusting us to quietly observe one of the biggest days of their lives.
In a time when AI can create a perfect wedding that never happened, I believe authentic moments have become more valuable than ever.
That's the work I want to keep making, to keep preserving the REAL celebrations of this life.
How I became a WPJA top 10 photographer for the year 2025
When I set a goal to rank among the top wedding photographers in the U.S. through the Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA), I knew it would take years of consistent work. This year, I placed 8th in the nation, a milestone that feels both surreal and deeply full-circle…
But, let's back up. I still remember it clearly.
Sitting at that old wooden desk I’d scored off Craigslist, tucked into the corner of our inner-city bedroom behind an IKEA fabric divider I hung to create an “office”, the streetcar would chime below our window every 11 minutes as I finally filled out the application.
I’d been quietly following the Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA) for years. Long before I applied, I’d pore over their quarterly award galleries, inspired by the raw, unposed moments captured by the best documentary wedding photographers in the world. I'd shoot every wedding aiming to be good enough to be one of them. But that day in Portland, I hit finally “submit” and sent in my wedding photography portfolio for review.
When I was accepted, it felt surreal. I was officially a WPJA photographer and not long after, I saw my own work honored in their international awards gallery. That very first award, an engagement portrait I’d taken, remains one of my favorite memories from the early years of this work.
Fast forward 15 years. I’ve further built my career, renovated two homes, moved cross country twice, and had our 4 sweet children along the way. I’ve photographed more than a hundred weddings and picked up more awards sporadically as I've participated in waves, but this year brought something I didn't see coming.
When I captured Stacey and Mike’s wedding (yes, the one with that viral dance video to Lil Jon’s Snap Yo Fingers) I had no idea the dance floor video or my images would become such a defining part of my year. Not only did their celebration explode with over 100 million views on TikTok and Instagram, but three of my images from their wedding placed in the first quarterly WPJA competition, launching me into the international ranks.
What is the WPJA Ranking?
The Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA) is an international organization founded in 2002 that recognizes excellence in documentary wedding photography: focusing specifically on real, unscripted moments rather than styled or staged work.
WPJA rankings are determined by performance in a series of international photography competitions held throughout the year.
Photographers submit images captured at real client weddings, and those images are judged by panels of professional photojournalists and news editors, not wedding industry influencers or popularity metrics.
Each image that places in a contest earns points, with higher placements earning more. Rankings are based on cumulative points across all contests within a single calendar year, meaning consistency, not just a single standout image, is what determines who rises to the top.
Because:
- Images must be from real weddings (not styled shoots)
- Work must be created within that specific year (no portfolio recycling)
- Judging is done by independent, highly experienced editors
The WPJA rankings are widely considered one of the most credible and rigorous measures of excellence in wedding photojournalism worldwide.
What makes this especially meaningful is that WPJA rules require:
- All submissions to be from the current calendar year
- Real Wedding clients: No staged environments, styled shoots, models, or workshops.
- Judging is done by real working photojournalists
In other words, this ranking isn’t based on a curated “best of” portfolio built over many years, it reflects real performance, in real conditions, within a single year.
I’m humbled and thrilled to be sitting as a Top 10 Wedding Photojournalist in the United States
by the Wedding Photojournalist Association at the moment. If I can sustain this with more awards through out the rest of the year, I have a shot at an official title for 2025. This is nearly hilarious as it's the highest accolades I've earned in wedding photography and yet I'm currently shooting very little. Well, I'm ready to change that. I can only submit work from this calendar year in the remaining 2025 photography competitions, so I need to shoot more 2025 weddings. And I'd be excited to do that anywhere.
I'll always be a documentary-style destination wedding photographer.
My love for exploring new places and documenting love stories will continue to keep me traveling with my gear without adding any additional cost to my rates. I eat the travel cost because it's so fun and exciting to have an excuse to change scenery. We currently live in Sandpoint ID so I'm excited to also focus on being a top North Idaho wedding photographer, naturally serving Coeur d’Alene, and Spokane areas too.
This recognition is personal because I’ve built this business myself from the ground up, and I’ve built it to reflect what I care about most in photography: meaningful imagery highlighting sincere connections and stories.
Thank you to my clients who trust me with their stories, and to the WPJA for continuing to bring the international community of wedding professionals together. It's a beautiful thing to have a place to see one another's best work and continue to inspire one another. Currently, there are 232 working wedding photojournalists in the U.S. affiliated with the WPJA, with hundreds more based throughout Europe, South America, and Asia. It’s an international community of artists who believe that wedding photography is about more than poses: it's about capturing real moments, emotion, and connection through honest, artistic storytelling. I'm so excited to be coming back into this work with such fresh invigoration.
Here’s to another 15 years of being inspired, to more real moments, more movement, and more love captured just as it felt. And to continuing to pick up more awards throughout the rest of the year to gain an official title for the year 2025. If you know someone getting married later this year that doesn't have a photographer yet, holler at your girl!
UPDATE: I made my goal to the WPJA's 2025 Top 10 Wedding Photographers in the USA! I'm ranked at Number 8!
Check out this new WPJA Top 10 Photographers blog for an update including links to all 10 award-winning wedding photographers and to see where Sam Moore from So Many Moments Photography ranked!
Fifteen years ago, I would have been chasing this kind of recognition for validation. Now, I'm chasing it for continuing to value and highlight real human connection. To create honest work of beautiful wedding days.
If you're planning a wedding yourself, I'd love to invite you to view more of my wedding photography portfolio on my website, notice that my pricing is always clearly published online, and be sure to check out our Guide for Hiring a Wedding Photographer too, complete with helpful questions to ask when interviewing artists.
