The rules

Who runs the awards

The Elite Wedding Society Awards are organised by Karen Pretorius, trading as Elite Wedding Society (sole proprietor), contact info@eliteweddingsociety.co.za. A copy of these rules is available free of charge to anyone who asks.

Dates

Entries open on 1 January 2027 and close at 23:59 on 28 February 2027. Judging and Couples' Choice voting run from 1 March 2027 to 31 March 2027. Winners are announced in April 2027. Entries received after the closing time are not accepted.

Who can enter

The Photographer Awards are open to professional wedding photographers working in South Africa who have an approved listing on Elite Wedding Society. Couples' Choice is open to couples with a verified account whose photo was taken by a photographer who confirms the entry. Entrants must be 18 or older.

The organiser, the organiser's own photography business, the judges, anyone who works for or advises the organiser, and their spouses, life partners, business partners and immediate family members may not enter or receive a prize.

Categories

The Photographer Awards have these categories: Best Captured Moment, The Unexpected Moment, Children at Weddings, Bridal Portrait, Couple Portrait, Traditional Ceremony and Best Album. Couples' Choice has Engagement Shoot of the Year and Couples' Favourite Photo. Photograph of the Year is chosen from the winners, as explained below.

How to enter

Photographers enter from their vendor profile and may submit up to three photos in each single-photo category. Each photo may be entered in one category only; a photo entered twice may be disqualified in both. Couples enter one photo per Couples' Choice category and tag the photographer who took it. The photographer receives an email and must confirm the entry before it appears. Entries must be photos taken at real weddings or engagement sessions between 1 January 2025 and the closing date.

Best Album is for one album per photographer: 6 to 15 spreads from one wedding, uploaded in album order. Every photo in it must be the photographer's own; the layout may be the photographer's or an album designer's. No spread, including the cover, may show a studio name, logo or watermark. Photos in an album may also be entered on their own in a single-photo category.

By entering, you confirm that the photo is the photographer's own work, that you have the right to enter it, and that the people shown in it have agreed to it being entered. If a photo shows a child (anyone under 18), a parent or guardian of that child must have agreed to it being entered and shown. We may ask for proof of that agreement and remove an entry if it can't be given. Normal editing (colour, exposure, cropping, retouching skin) is fine. Adding or removing major elements, combining several photos into one or creating images with AI is not allowed. Photos must not show a watermark, logo or signature, so the judges can't tell who took them.

How winners are chosen

Photographer Awards are decided by a panel of at least three judges with wedding photography or industry experience. Judges see entries without the photographer's name, score each entry for storytelling, light, composition and the moment, and declare any connection to an entry so they can step aside from scoring it. Best Album is scored as a whole for storytelling, light and colour, layout and flow, and consistency. The judges' combined scores decide the winners, and their decision is final.

Photograph of the Year goes to the category winner with the highest average score from the judges, across the single-photo categories (Best Album is not included). If two winners are tied, the judges choose between them.

Couples' Choice is decided by public vote. Only couples with a verified account may vote, with one vote per category. Votes cannot be bought, and no purchase or payment of any kind gives anyone a vote or an advantage. Entries that receive votes through fake accounts, vote trading or any other manipulation may be disqualified.

Prizes

Every winner receives the title “Elite Wedding Society Awards 2027 winner” in their category (and the Photograph of the Year winner that title as well), an Award Winner badge on their profile, and a feature on the home page and our social media. Any sponsor prizes, with their value, will be published on the awards page before entries open. Prizes cannot be exchanged for cash.

Winners are told by email and asked to confirm within 14 days. If a winner can't be reached or doesn't meet these rules, the prize goes to the next-placed entry. Winners are never required to pay anything to receive a prize.

Use of photos

Photographers keep the copyright in their photos. Entrants allow us to show entered photos, always with the photographer's name, on the awards pages and in posts and emails about the awards, for the awards year and the year after. We won't sell the photos or use them in paid advertising for anything else without asking first.

Personal information

We use entrants' and voters' details only to run the awards, contact entrants and winners, and keep the records the law requires. Our Privacy page explains how we look after them. We keep records of the awards, including entries, scores, votes and winners, for at least three years.

Changes and disputes

If something outside our control affects the awards, we may change dates or categories and will announce changes on the awards page. If you have a concern about an entry, a vote or a result, email info@eliteweddingsociety.co.za and we will look into it. These rules are governed by South African law, and nothing in them limits your rights under the Consumer Protection Act.