Entries open 1 January 2027
Elite Wedding Society Awards 2027
Celebrating the photographers who capture South African weddings, from the first umembeso song to the last dance, and the couples who trusted them with their day.
Judged by a panel
Photographer Awards
For wedding photographers listed on the site. Each photographer may enter up to three photos per category and one album. A panel of independent judges scores every entry without seeing who took it, for storytelling, light, composition and the moment.
- Best Captured MomentThe emotional peak of the day: the vows, a father's face at the first look, the tears. A real moment, not a pose.
- The Unexpected MomentThe unplanned, the funny and the chaotic: the dog with the rings, the gust of wind, the flower girl who lay down in the aisle.
- Children at WeddingsFlower girls, pageboys and the kids under the tables. A parent or guardian must agree to the photo being entered.
- Bridal PortraitThe bride on her own, or the groom on his.
- Couple PortraitThe two of them, and nothing else in the frame that matters.
- Traditional CeremonyUmembeso, lobola celebrations, umabo and every tradition in between.
- Best AlbumOne wedding, told across 6 to 15 album spreads.
- Photograph of the YearThe highest-scoring photo among the category winners.
Voted by couples
Couples' Choice
Couples enter their favourite photo from their engagement shoot or wedding day, tagged with the photographer who took it. The photographer confirms the entry before it goes up. Then couples across the country vote: one vote per category, from a verified account.
- Engagement Shoot of the YearCouples enter their favourite engagement photo, with their photographer's blessing.
- Couples' Favourite PhotoThe one photo from your wedding day that says everything.
How the year runs
- 11 January – 28 FebruaryEntries openPhotographers enter from their profile. Couples enter with their photographer's blessing.
- 21 March – 31 MarchJudging and votingThe panel scores the Photographer Awards. Couples vote for Couples' Choice.
- 3April 2027Winners announcedWinners are featured on the site and get an Award Winner badge on their profile.
Free, and fair
Entering is free and voting is free. Votes are never for sale, and nobody can buy a better result. Judges declare any connection to an entry and step aside from scoring it. The organiser's own photography business does not enter, and nobody judges alone.
Photographers keep the copyright in every photo. By entering, they allow us to show the photo on the awards pages and in awards posts, always with their name. Couples who appear in a photo must have agreed to it being entered, and a parent or guardian must agree for any child.
Winners get an Award Winner badge on their profile, a feature on the home page and our social channels, and any sponsor prizes we announce before entries open.
Be the first to know
Leave your email and we'll tell you the day entries open. Photographers: if you're not listed yet, apply to join now so you're ready.