Association Rules

Are you a passionate wedding photographer ready to take your work to the next level? At the PROWED Association, we celebrate the artistry, creativity, and diversity of wedding photography from every corner of the world. Our inspiring and welcoming platform is built for both professionals and emerging talents — because everyone deserves a chance to shine.

Still wondering whether to join? Here’s why thousands of photographers trust the PROWED to grow and get noticed:

• Show your talent to the world
  The PROWED opens the door to a truly global audience. With thousands of visitors from dozens of countries, this is your opportunity to get your work in front of future clients and photography lovers. We care about quality, not quantity — which means your best photos can truly stand out.
• Try it completely free
  Signing up is easy and free. As a new member, you can upload 12 of your best wedding photos right away, and then add one more every week — up to 25 Portfolio images. Want even more visibility and benefits? Unlock your full potential by upgrading to a PREMIUM or SUPERIOR membership plan.
• Get recognized and rewarded
  Your work will not go unnoticed at PROWED Association. Whether it’s your photo being awarded Photo of the Day, your name highlighted as Photographer of the Week, or winning the title WORLD TOP 100 WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS or COUNTRY TOP 25 WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS – there are countless ways to gain recognition and show the world what you can do.
• Win prizes and boost your career
  Each year, we host the prestigious contest PROWED GLOBE AWARDS — an exclusive photo contest celebrating the best in wedding photography. The 1st place winner receives 1300 € in cash and additional material prizes. Medal-winning photos are also published in our book ANNUAL PROWED BOOK, giving you lasting exposure among the best in the industry.

Curious to learn more about the PROWED? Read all our Association rules first, or get in touch with our friendly team — we’re here to help you get started!

Are you a wedding photographer — professional or amateur? You’re welcome here! Joining the PROWED Wedding Photographers Association is easy and open to anyone passionate about wedding photography. Simply navigate to the Sign up. Then, complete your profile with your real First and Last Name, city, country, professional status, and links to your social media.

To get your profile verified and visible in our photographer catalog, you must upload at least 12 wedding photos in the section Portfolio. Our editor will then review your profile and social links — verification usually takes up to 48 hours. Once logged in for the first time, don’t forget to upload a clear photo of your face and update your specializations and business info to complete your presence on the platform.

No — each Account must belong to an individual photographer, not a studio or agency. All profiles must use the photographer’s real first and last name. The camera button is pressed by a human — not a logo, not a studio, not an alias. We want to highlight you, the artist behind the lens. If you’d like, you may upload your studio logo as your profile picture but we strongly recommend showing your real face. Brides and clients love to know who they’re trusting with their memories.

If your studio includes multiple photographers, each person should create their own individual Account. Please be fair and collect achievements and points only under your own name. You can still mention your studio or business (if different from First and Last Name) in the section Profile under Business or Studio Name field Account Settings ➤ Profile.

Yes — joining the PROWED Association is completely free! When you sign up, you can instantly upload 12 of your best wedding photos to start building your Portfolio. After that, you can add one new photo each week, up to a total of 25 photos in your Portfolio.

Want more flexibility and visibility? If you’re ready to boost your presence and compete at a higher level, you can upgrade to a membership plan with additional benefits and faster Portfolio growth. With the SUPERIOR membership level, you can upload up to 6 photos per week, and there is no total limit on the number of photos in your Portfolio. Find out more about the options available on the Membership & Pricing page.

After you upload a photo, it enters a review queue. Our editors manually review all submissions based on creativity, emotional impact, and technical execution. If your photo meets the quality standards, it may receive a Ribbon such as Photo of the Day, Week, Month or Year.

Members with a free Account are reviewed based on editor availability, typically once per month. For PREMIUM Accounts and above, photos are checked by the editors every week, usually on Mondays.

• 6 photos per week for SUPERIOR members
• 3 photos per week for PREMIUM members
• 1 photo per week for members with a free Account

To keep the quality high, please don’t submit your entire archive — select only your very best shots. As noted below, uploading the same photo repeatedly is not allowed. Thank you for your patience. Our editors need time to carefully check each photo.

• Unlimited photos for SUPERIOR members
• Up to 100 photos for PREMIUM members
• Up to 25 photos for members with a free Account

We believe in keeping portfolios high-quality and environmentally responsible. That’s why unawarded photos (photos without any point value) that were uploaded more than 2 years ago are automatically removed from our servers to reduce storage usage and our carbon footprint.

You can also manually remove older unawarded photos if you wish. Remember, visitors rarely scroll through hundreds of images — they usually focus on the first few pages of your Portfolio. Keeping it fresh and curated makes a stronger impression, especially for SUPERIOR members with large collections.

No — photos taken during workshops or seminars are strictly not allowed. Only images captured during a real wedding or an authentic wedding portrait session with actual newlyweds are eligible. Photos from engagement or date-style photo sessions are also no longer accepted.

If our editors determine that a submitted photo was taken during a workshop or seminar, the image will be removed, and any awards associated with it will also be revoked (if applicable). We’re committed to fairness and authenticity — real weddings only!

No — once a photo has been awarded, it cannot be submitted again. As your Portfolio is a one-year grading system, re-uploading the same image is not allowed, not even in black and white, with slight adjustments or minor cropping. The same goes for another frame of the same moment, taken a fraction of a second apart. If our editors find such a photo among your new submissions, it will not be reviewed.

Important: Portfolios are regularly checked for repeated award-winning photos. When the same moment appears more than once, the version with the lower score is rejected and deleted, and all points earned for it are deducted.

Yes, you can delete any of your uploaded photos from your Portfolio at any time. Deleting a photo frees up space within your upload limits. However, if a photo has received a Ribbon, deleting it will also remove the corresponding points from your Score.

The Annual Score counts only the points earned within the given year. It includes only the Ribbons awarded during that year (Photo of the Day, Week, Month, Year), additionally, points granted for Jury badge, received for participation in the PGA jury. This makes the Annual Score dynamic, competitive, and focused purely on yearly performance.

Your Score is updated daily by our algorithm at midnight (CET). You can check your current Score and Position anytime in the section Portfolio ➤ Score.

• Member level
• The number of achievements and Badges (such as Photographer of the Week)
• The number of loyalty coins

These additional factors promote long-term work and long-lasting engagement.

The FINAL RANKINGS are released annually, and the titles WORLD TOP 100 WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS and COUNTRY TOP 25 WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS are awarded according to the Annual Score for that year. The best photographers in the given year will be awarded as the World’s Top 100 photographer of the Year or Country’s Top 25 photographer of the Year. Only Ribbons awarded for the given year will be counted towards the Annual Score.

These titles are awarded only to photographers who meet the minimum required Score of 50 points and achieve a high enough Position in their country or worldwide. This ensures transparency, motivation, and well-deserved recognition for the most active and successful members of the given year. The FINAL RANKINGS are presented as an official announcement — not as a live or ongoing ranking — and are released on the page OFFICIAL RESULTS and shared across our socials channels.

The World Top 1, 2, and 3 wedding photographer of the year will receive the Trophy and a digital certificate of achievement. Please note that no financial or material prizes are awarded for the titles WORLD TOP 100 WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS and COUNTRY TOP 25 WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS — these rewards have been moved exclusively to the winners of the contest PROWED GLOBE AWARDS, as part of the new change in our rank system.

The TOP-RANKED catalog presents photographers ordered by their Overall Position, which is determined exclusively by the CAREER INDEX.

The CAREER INDEX reflects long-term performance and is calculated using a dynamic weighted algorithm based on the last 6 years of activity. Greater importance is placed on more recent results, while additional recognition is given for earned Badges, Medals, and active paid membership. The TOP-RANKED catalog is the primary public ranking displayed to visitors and couples.

The ANNUAL RANKING catalog reflects performance within a single calendar year only. It is based strictly on Ribbons (Photo of the Day, Week, Month, Year) awarded during that year. This makes the ANNUAL RANKING highly dynamic and focused purely on yearly activity. Each year starts from zero, and only Ribbons awarded during that year count toward the Annual Score. This also means that even newly joined photographers have the opportunity to compete for top positions.

The CAREER INDEX is a dynamic performance metric calculated from the last 6 years of Annual Scores.

It uses a weighted algorithm where the influence of each year changes over time, placing stronger emphasis on recent achievements. In addition to Annual Scores, small bonus values are incorporated for earned Badges and Medals, and active paid members receive a slight percentage adjustment.

This structure rewards consistent long-term excellence and loyalty, while still allowing outstanding recent performance to significantly impact a photographer’s position.

To check your ANNUAL RANKING, visit the page Photographers — you can also filter results by country and check your Position in Country. You can find your current Score and Position anytime in the section Portfolio ➤ Score.

Don’t worry — everything is running smoothly behind the scenes. Our algorithm automatically recalculates your annual score every day at midnight (CET). This means that points are not added immediately, but will appear in your score after the next nightly update. Even if you don’t see the changes right away, rest assured that your achievements are being recorded and will soon be reflected in your score.

The PROWED reserves the right to amend the rules at any time during the membership period to ensure fairness for all members. These changes may include updates to photo limits, rating criteria or photo upload guidelines. Any such changes will be communicated transparently and are intended to maintain the platform’s high quality and balance for all users.

All membership plans, including the standard 1-year plan, 3-year plan, and 6-year plan, are non-refundable once purchased — even if you decide to cancel your membership before the end of the paid term.

The standard 1-year membership remains active until its natural expiration and can be renewed voluntarily. Longer membership plans offer a discounted rate compared to renewing annually. The discount is given under the agreement that the membership will stay active for the full duration.

• Upload regularly, not all at once. Ribbons for Photo of the Day, Week, Month and Year are what build your Annual Score. Every week you upload gives you a fresh chance to win one, so use your weekly limit instead of saving photos for later.
• Send only your strongest work. One outstanding photo earns more than ten average ones. Before uploading, ask yourself whether you would put the photo on the first page of your own portfolio.
• Complete your Profile. A profile photo, your city and country and your Instagram username matter: the country is needed for the COUNTRY TOP 25 rankings, and when we feature your work on Instagram, we tag you so your audience grows too.
• Add the location to every photo. The place where the photo was taken makes it easier to find in search engines.
• Mention awards from other contests. If a photo has already won somewhere else, add it when uploading and it will carry a white Ribbon.
• Enter the PROWED GLOBE AWARDS. Medals from the contest add bonus points to your CAREER INDEX and stay in your profile for years.
• Invite other photographers. Every time someone joins PROWED through your referral link and buys a membership plan, you earn loyalty coins. Everything about earning and spending coins is in the section Loyalty Program.

• Photos taken at workshops or seminars are not allowed. Only photos captured during a real wedding day or a wedding portrait session with actual newlyweds are permitted.
• Please upload photos with a resolution of at least 1400 pixels on the shorter side. Smaller images are not accepted.
• Photos must be in JPEG format and saved at the highest possible quality (100%) to preserve details.
• The following are not allowed: layouts, collages, watermarks, copyright marks, logos, text, signatures, or excessive editing and manipulation using Photoshop or similar photo-editing software.
• Only full-bleed photographs without borders are allowed.
• Fully AI-generated images and original photographs substantially reworked or transformed using generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, are not permitted.
• Only minor AI-assisted edits, such as noise reduction, sharpening, exposure adjustments, or removal of unwanted objects, are allowed, provided they preserve the authenticity of the original photograph; excessive edits or substantial alterations will result in disqualification.
• Photos containing pornographic, offensive, defamatory, or extremist content are not allowed.
• All photographs must be your original work and must not violate the rights of any third party. You must also obtain permission from any individuals featured in the submitted photos.
• PROWEDaward may use all submitted photos for marketing and promotional purposes. No monetary compensation will be provided.
• The photographs must not violate any applicable laws.