CATEGORY DESCIPTION

The Wedding Category celebrates the art of storytelling through wedding photography captured on the actual wedding day. 

This category recognises photographers who excel in documenting real moments, emotions, and connections, all while working within the time constraints of a wedding. It rewards images that convey the true essence of the day, from the atmosphere to the love shared between the couple and their guests. 

CATEGORY INTENT

This category rewards photographers who portray the events of a wedding day with a focus on genuine moments that evoke emotion and connection. The goal is to celebrate images that capture the atmosphere, love, and emotional depth of the day in either a natural or posed manner, highlighting the unique story of each couple’s wedding experience. 

CATEGORY RULES

This is a MINIMAL EDITING CATEGORY and prioritises images that are captured in-camera with only subtle refinement.

Entries must:

• Represent the original capture truthfully
• Not add, hide or remove elements from the original capture (unless explicitly allowed)
• Avoid compositing or heavy manipulation

Only minor adjustments are permitted to enhance the original capture.

RULES:

1. Compliance with Global Rules, Terms and Conditions, and Spirit and Intent of the Awards 

All entries must comply with the Global Rules, Terms and Conditions, and the Spirit and Intent of the awards. This includes adherence to the principles of originality and ethical standards set forth by the competition. Images should represent the work of the entrant, and any entries that violate these guidelines will be disqualified. 

2. Eligibility

• Entries must have been taken at a wedding where the entrant was commissioned as the lead or associate photographer. 
• If entered as an associate, permission from the lead photographer is required. 
• Entries must have been photographed on the couple’s actual wedding day, including multi-day celebrations in recognition of different cultural practices. 

The following are not eligible for this category: 

• Styled shoots
• Engagement sessions 
• Hen/stag parties
• Trash the dress sessions 
• Elopements **

** Elopements for the purposes of the wedding category eligibility are considered weddings that have 10 or fewer guests in attendance

3. Allowed Adjustments

• Exposure, contrast, and colour correction (including black & white conversion)
• Cropping, straightening, rotation, and perspective correction
• Sharpening and noise reduction
• Removal of dust spots and minor distractions (e.g. small blemishes, stray hairs, a leaf)
• Light dodge and burn
• Subtle skin retouching that does not change appearance
• Perspective correction is permitted where it enhances an accurate and natural representation of the original scene. However excessive adjustments that distort or artificially exaggerates the perspective are not allowed

4. Capture Techniques

• In-camera techniques such as multiple exposure and intentional camera movement (ICM) are allowed
• Focus stacking and stitching are permitted for technical purposes only (depth of field or panorama), using images from the same scene and time, without adding new elements

5. Not Allowed

• Compositing or combining unrelated elements
• Removal of many minor or transient elements that cumulatively result in a significant change to the original scene
• Excessive retouching or manipulation that changes the original capture
• Any edit that misrepresents what was originally captured
• Any in-camera filters that change the original capture in a way that would not be allowed in post-production for a minimal editing category
• Any use of AI-generated content (as outlined in Global Rules 2.2)
• Any entry that misrepresents AI-generated elements as photographic work
• Adding non-photographic elements (except in explicitly permitted circumstances outlined in the category specific rules) 

6. Presentation (Digital & Print)

• Series must have a clear white gap between images or will be treated as a composite
• Non-rectangular crops must be presented on a white background (digital entries) – unless representing a print mat (see below)
• Computer-generated borders that simulate a physical print presentation (e.g. mat colour or mount) are only permitted for entries submitted for print judging and may be included in the required digital upload of those print entries. Such borders must be clearly distinct from the image.
• A thin stroke line (black or white) may be used to define the edge of the image only if the edge would otherwise not be visible 

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