"WeddingDay's Best Wedding Photograph of 2026" Contest

Behind every unforgettable wedding moment is a photographer who knows exactly how to capture it. At WeddingDay Magazine, we’re lucky to work with so many talented photographers across the Midwest, and our annual photography contest is one of our favorite ways to celebrate your creativity, artistry and incredible work!

To wrap up 2026, we’re once again inviting Midwest photographers to showcase their talent in our annual photography contest. This year, we are once again accepting submissions in two categories: Real Weddings and Engagement Sessions. Ready to enter? Complete the contest form below and upload your favorite image for each category. Each photographer may submit one photo per category. Entries must be submitted by Sunday, November 22nd at 11:59 p.m. (EST).

Once submissions close, the photos will be shared on our Facebook page beginning Monday, November 23rd, where our 52,000+ social media followers will have the chance to vote for their favorites! We encourage you to rally your own followers, too, and invite them to show your work some love. Public voting will close on Monday, November 30th at 3:00 p.m. (EST), and we’ll announce the winners shortly after.

The winning photo from each category, selected by public vote, will be featured in our 2027 print Look Book, giving your work valuable exposure to engaged couples throughout the Midwest. But the excitement doesn’t stop with public voting! Our editors will also select two Editors’ Picks—one in each category—to be featured alongside the public-vote winners in the print issue.

We can’t wait to see the moments, details and love stories you’ve captured this year. Thank you for being part of the Midwest wedding community and for sharing your talent with us. Good luck, photographers!

Rules & Regulations

• One photo entry per photography business (You may enter just one category or both categories–your choice!)
• The submitted photo must be from a professional photographer based in the Midwest (the location of the photo may be anywhere!)
• The photographer must submit the photo his/herself (couples, feel free to encourage your photographer, but the submission must come directly from them!)
• The submitted photo must contain the couple (More people can be included in the photo, as long as the couple is pictured!)
• The submitted photo must be from a 2026 wedding and/or engagement session
• No watermarks, please!
• High resolution file size, requested (as they must be large enough for print, should you win!)