Photo contests inherently involve a degree of subjectivity, and we understand that not every image in our collections will resonate with everyone. That said, we strive to curate collections that speak to a diverse audience and represent a wide range of photographic styles, cultures, and expressions of love.

Here are some elements we’ve noticed that consistently define our winning images:

• Emotion captured with exceptional technical skill

• Strong storytelling through imagery

• Incredible use of light and composition

• Unique and unexpected moments that stand out

The Selection Process

Our judging process involves both the Junebug team and guest photographer judges, utilizing a point-based system. Submissions are anonymized to ensure impartiality, and judges individually review thousands of images, narrowing them down to their top selections.

From there:

1. Judges sort their selections into folders, and each image receives points based on a weighted system.
2. The top 50 images are determined by these points and then reviewed as a collection to ensure diversity in style, representation of couples, and overall "wow" factor. At this stage, submissions remain anonymized.
3. Anonymity is removed for fact-checking to ensure compliance with submission guidelines and to confirm that no photographer is overly represented. Each winner is limited to one photo in the collection.

Finally, the top 50 images are shared with our guest judges for one last review before we prepare the gallery for release. We’re incredibly proud to attract submissions from some of the world’s best photographers while also showcasing emerging talent.

We’re honored to collaborate with guest judges who we consider industry experts. Each year, we carefully select judges to ensure a diverse representation of styles and regions within the photography world.

This year, the judging panel included renowned wedding photographers The Photo Lab, The Hendrys, and The Caryls, alongside the Junebug Weddings team. Their expertise and unique perspectives played a key role in curating this year’s stunning collection.

In past years, epic landscape shots dominated wedding photo contests—think sweeping mountain ranges with tiny silhouettes of couples—or candid, playful moments that captured optical illusions or spontaneous joy.

This year, we’ve seen a shift in focus. Editorial-style poses have taken center stage, blending the natural interaction of candid moments with a touch of creative direction. These photos feel authentic yet elevated, freezing the magic of couples engaging naturally in stunning, artful ways.

Another standout trend is the rise of elopements in extreme locations. More couples are choosing adventurous, intimate ceremonies in breathtaking settings, embracing the beauty of small, meaningful moments over traditional celebrations.

These evolving trends highlight the creativity and diversity of modern wedding photography.

As technology evolves, particularly with advancements in AI, we’re continually refining our contest to ensure its integrity. For the 2025 contest, we’ll maintain our policy of excluding images with generative AI from winning. While we allow technical edits, such as object removal or stylistic adjustments, we draw the line at anything created entirely with AI.

Looking ahead, we may implement a requirement for photographers to submit raw images alongside their final entries. This would help us verify the authenticity of submissions while continuing to celebrate the creativity and skill of our photographers.

We’re committed to preserving the artistry and authenticity that make our photo contests so meaningful, and we’ll continue adapting to ensure a fair and inspiring platform for everyone.