The best wedding photos of the year

Armen Hambardzumian won the Black and White category with a poignant photo of a bride's grandfather after the wedding ceremony.

"For me, wedding photography is about documenting the connections between generations — the emotions and memories that live on through time," Hambardzumian wrote.

The winning photo in the Break the Rules category was taken by Traci Edwards in the North Cascades.

"To me, this image is about Tammy and Eric being engulfed in the incredible mountain peaks of the North Cascades in the morning sunlight romantically in their own bubble of bliss, sharing their day together," Edwards wrote.

Oli Prince took the top prize in the Couple Portrait and Emerging Artist categories with a photo highlighting a bride and groom on a stormy mountainside.

"Under dark storm clouds in the Cuillin Mountains, Scotland, the couple held each other as the wind tore through the valley," Prince wrote. "Her veil was ripped into the air, twisting above them like part of the storm itself."

In the Dance Floor category, Jeff Tisman won with a creative angle.

"The dance floor was rocking at this point," Tisman wrote. "I lay the camera down low and captured the moves through the legs of another dancer."

Alessandro Biggi took the winning photo in the Epic Location category at San Pietro Church in Porto Venere, Italy.

"On a summer day, right after the intense passage of a storm, the sky opened to reveal a sublime, almost ethereal light that enveloped the scene in an atmosphere suspended between dream and reality," Biggi wrote. "The bride, wrapped in her elegant grace, stands silently before the infinite, seemingly captured by the poetry of the sea as it opens through the ancient columns — witnesses to countless stories, loves, and legends."

Tony Iskra's photo of an intimate Iceland elopement earned first place in the From Above category.

"Iceland's raw wilderness, black sand beaches, cliffs, waterfalls, and that quiet sense of awe were exactly how they envisioned their special day," Iskra wrote.

The winning photo in the I Do Crew category, taken by Moment Picture, showed a bride and her parents sharing a tender moment.

"Just before the ceremony, her parents asked for a quiet moment — a final act of love," a representative for Moment Picture wrote. "With trembling hands and full hearts, they placed the veil over their daughter, not just as a tradition, but as a sacred blessing. This veil, woven with grace and care, became a symbol of everything they wished for her: love, strength, protection, and peace."

Sammie and Micah Chaffin used vintage lanterns to create this cinematic shot of a bride and groom, winning first place in the Lit! category.

"During blue hour, the orange lantern light perfectly complemented the deep blues in the sky and ocean, as well as mirroring the orange in the last traces of the sunset," the Chaffins wrote.

Katy Homan took the winning photo in the Solo Portrait category of a bride leaping into the air.

"We want to capture not just what the day looked like, but what it felt like, too," Homan wrote.

The Engagement/Non-Wedding category winner, and the contest's overall Runner-Up, was taken by Maddie Mae during a Utah engagement shoot.

"To create this image, we woke long before sunrise and drove a serious 4×4 road in complete darkness with an experienced guide," Mae wrote. "From there, we hiked by headlamp to reach this massive sand dune in a cave before anyone else arrived. I knew the perfect light hits the back wall only at sunrise, so the timing was critical, and it was more than worth the effort."

David Scholes was named Grand Winner of the contest with a whimsical photo of a young wedding guest admiring the towering cake.