Weddings

The combination of symmetry and contrast in this image make it a very striking one. It makes for a very moody and well-balanced frame. I also love that there's a real calmness to the scene. On a day that doesn't seem to stop, with people constantly wanting your attention, and so many distractions, this feels like a quiet and peaceful moment between a newly married couple on their big day. This is a totally awesome picture! A very big well done.

This was very very close to top making the Top 10, and if it wasn't for the couple being blurred (which would have been almost impossible to achieve given the amount of ambient light in the shot), it would have taken the top spot. It's an incredible and absolutely stunning long exposure that could easily win another competition based around long exposures or cities. I can even see it being sold as a print, but given the brief of wedding photography, it just doesn't quite make it, unfortunately.

This is just simply a gorgeous image. It completely sums up that feeling you have on a wedding day when you marry your best friend. The couple is completely relaxed and happy, and it's an image that I'm sure they will cherish for many years to come. If they haven't yet printed it onto a huge canvas, then they should! The tones and depth within the image are spot on, but most of all, I love the simple off-centre framing of the couple - this makes it perfect.

This is another corker! A gorgeous image that has been very well framed and thought out. The depth to the image achieved by shooting though the vine leaves is excellent and really helps lead the eye towards the couple. I also love how relaxed and comfortable the couple seem - the photographer has clearly given them space, backed away, and in turn has been rewarded with an excellent moment. You don't always have to direct a couple, sometimes just positioning them and letting them be themselves is as much of a skill.

There's an amazing use of light here. The shot is expertly framed and well composed, the couple look very relaxed and natural, and the image has great depth to it. The corridor along the right really draws the eye, and I imagine a lot of photographers in this situation would struggle to find a shot that is as creative as this one. I'd love to see a colour version of this, but I can totally see why it was converted to black and white - it works exceptionally well.

If this couple only have this one image from their wedding day, then I bet they'd be over the moon with this - a beautiful moment in amongst cheering family and friends. The ambience of the image is incredibly striking, you can't help but feel as though you're there and part of the crowd, and that requires enormous skill. The editing of the image is also very well balanced - softer shadows and a little grain really add to the overall impact. An excellent image for the 2nd place.

This is a very classic image, and amazingly well captured. I absolutely love the brightness of the white and that it's just catching the edges of the newly married couple, giving them more shape and the image more depth than just a standard silhouette. This is an iconic church moment, and it's been executed to the very highest standard. The contrast, framing, sharpness and clarity are all spot on, and for that, is very worthy of a Top 10 finish. Top marks!

This is documentary wedding photography at its finest. This brilliant moment during the groom's preparation is not only well captured, but amazingly framed. Shooting through the slightly open door gives the viewer a sense that they're entering the room and are in the moment themselves, almost watching on. The choice of converting to black and white is an excellent one due to the contrast of the inner walls to the window. I would have liked to seen the shot at a slightly wider f-stop though, just to isolate the groomsmen from the foreground and background slightly more. But I'm being picky there - overall, it's a brilliant shot and a deserved Top 10 finish.

This is a stunning bridal portrait that any photographer would be proud of. The use of the veil to create negative space and contrast against the bride's face and hair is amazing. The framing of the bride's face off-centre is perfect. Her eyes really grab you and that combination with the negative space makes it a worthy Top 10 finish. In addition to the above, the editing is excellent - she has a lovely skin tone and the contrast is well balanced. This is an excellent portrait indeed.

Wow! With the composition and framing of this shot, it would always be a contender for the top spot, but throw in a lone seagull and you have a winner! This is as much art as it is wedding photography, and a very deserving winning image. The couple are also very sharp and well focused, and the location and the use of negative space is as good as you'll see. There is a slice of luck with the seagull, but you still have to bag the shot, and this could have easily passed by within seconds. Overall, a beautiful capture and image. Very well done.

Oh man, this was so close to making the Top 10. I love the framing and embrace of the couple, the light and balance of exposure is spot on, and the editing is perfect. My only issue, and the only reason it didn't make the Top 10, is that I just wanted to see the side profiles of the couple's faces. I want to see the kiss within the shot. Whether this was intentional or not, it was the only tiny flaw in an excellent image for me.

This is a gorgeous picture with amazing light and warmth. The flare creeping in, combined with the joy on the bride's face make this a brilliant entry to the competition. I also love the composition and weighting of the couple - it really makes for an engaging image. Competition for this category is tough, and the distance between the couple was the only issue that prevented this image making it into the Top 10. I'd love to have seen them a little closer, or with arms around each other's backs. Not seeing the groom's face or emotion is a very minor flaw for me in an otherwise excellent image.

This is an excellent and very well-executed frame. The simplicity of its framing and contrast between the floorboards and the flowers is second to none. I also love the editing and tones within the shot - all very soft and natural, but well balanced and still providing depth. The only reason this photo didn't make the Top 10 was its lack of people. A wedding is all about people, and as much as I love this shot, I just can't choose it for the final 10.

I can't decide whether this is a wedding image or a fashion shoot for Vogue, and I mean that as an enormous compliment. The framing of this image is sensational, the silhouettes of guests add a brilliant dimension to the frame make it an incredible and unique portrait of the bride. The conversion to black and white really gives it an extra kick, not that it's needed, but it really makes the silhouettes pop with that contrast. A superb entry!

This is such a striking image with an amazing use of off-camera flash. The umbrella really helps add depth to the couple's faces. This combined with the black and white conversion and high key contrast make it an excellent submission. If this was shot in the rain, and the light was refracting through the raindrops, it would have walked into the Top 10. It's just lacking that extra background detail that would have really made it for me, but I'm being very picky, and the execution of this shot is technically brilliant.