Association Rules

Why should I join PROWEDaward?

Are you a passionate wedding photographer ready to take your work to the next level? At PROWEDaward, 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 PROWEDaward to grow and get noticed:

Show your talent to the world
PROWEDaward 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? Join as a PREMIUM or SUPERIOR member and unlock your full potential.
Get recognized and rewarded
At PROWEDaward, your talent won’t go unnoticed. Whether it’s being spotlighted as Photo of the Day, named our Photographer of the Week, or being featured as a WORLD TOP 100 Photographer of the Year or a COUNTRY TOP 25 Photographer of the Year — there are countless ways to earn recognition and show the world what you’re capable of.
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 photos are also published in our PROWED Annual Book, giving you lasting exposure among the best in the industry.

Curious to learn more about PROWEDaward?
Still have questions? Visit our Association Rules section or get in touch with our friendly team — we’re here to help you get started.

When and how is the WORLD TOP 100 WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS and COUNTRY TOP 25 WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS final result announced?

Every year, around February, we officially publish the list of the WORLD TOP 100 WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS and the COUNTRY TOP 25 WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS based on the Annual Score from the given year.

The most active photographer in the given year will be awarded as the TOP 100 PHOTOGRAPHER of the YEAR or COUNTRY TOP 25 PHOTOGRAPHER of the YEAR. Only flags and medals awarded for the given year will be counted towards the FINAL RESULT.

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 globally. This ensures transparency, motivation, and well-deserved recognition for the most active and successful members of the given year. The Final Results are presented as an official announcement — not as a live or ongoing ranking — and are visible on the HALL OF FAME section and our socials.

The WORLD TOP 1, 2, and 3 WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS 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 WORLD TOP 100 or COUNTRY TOP 25 titles — these rewards have been moved exclusively to the PROWED GLOBE AWARDS winners.

What is the difference between Catalog and Annual Ranking?

The Catalog now featured only active members with AMBASSADOR, SUPERIOR, or PREMIUM plan, proudly sorted by their Global Position. This exclusive view highlights photographers who are the most committed and engaged on the platform. Membership level determines visibility priority, and the Global Score within each level reflects their long-term success and achievements across all years.

The Annual Ranking reflects the performance of photographers within the given year only (e.g., 2025). Only points for Flags (Photo of the Day, Week, Month, Year) from that specific year are counted — including those earned from medals awarded in the PROWED GLOBE AWARDS, if you participated. This makes the Annual Ranking highly dynamic and competitive — a great motivation to stay active and keep earning fresh flags and medals.

How are the Global Score and Annual Score calculated?

The Global Score represents the total number of points a photographer has earned from all awarded flags and medals over time. It reflects the photographer's overall achievements on the platform. The Annual Score counts only the points earned within the given year (e.g., 2025). It includes only the flags and medals awarded during that year, making the Annual Score dynamic and focused on recent activity.

The Global Score shows a photographer's long-term success, while the Annual Score highlights the results achieved in the most recent year.

Who can join the association, and how can I do it?

Are you a wedding photographer — professional or amateur? You’re welcome here!
Joining PROWEDaward is easy and open to anyone passionate about wedding photography. Just click on Sign Up.

Then, complete your profile with your real First and Last Name, country, professional status, gender, 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 Portfolio section. 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.

Can I register as an agency or studio?

No — each account must belong to an individual photographer, not a studio or agency.
PROWEDaward celebrates the talent and personal vision of each photographer. That’s why 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 Full Name) in the Account section, under Business or Studio Name.

Is signing up free?

Yes — joining PROWEDaward 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 1 new photo each week, up to a total of 25 portfolio images.

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.
Find out more about the options available on the Membership & Pricing page.

How many photos can I upload per week?

Upload limits depend on your membership level:

6 photos per week for SUPERIOR members
3 photos per week for PREMIUM members
1 photo per week for free accounts.

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.

Photo review times:
Photos submitted by SUPERIOR and PREMIUM members are reviewed weekly.
Photos from free accounts are reviewed based on editor availability, typically about once a month.

Thank you for your patience while our editorial team carefully curates each submission.

How many photos can I have in my Portfolio?

SUPERIOR members: Unlimited photos
PREMIUM members: Up to 100 photos
Free accounts: Up to 25 photos

We believe in keeping portfolios high-quality and environmentally responsible. That’s why unflagged 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 flagged 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.

What happens after I upload a photo?

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 flag such as Photo of the Day, Week, Month or Year.

Photos from SUPERIOR and PREMIUM members are reviewed weekly. Free accounts are reviewed based on editor availability, typically once per month.

Can I upload photos taken during workshops or seminars?

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!

Can I upload a photo again if it has already been awarded a flag?

No — once a photo has been awarded, it cannot be submitted again.
Your portfolio functions like an ongoing competition, and re-uploading the same image — even in black-and-white, with slight edits, or minor cropping — is not allowed. If our editors identify a newly submitted photo as a duplicate, it will not be reviewed.

Important: Portfolios are periodically checked, and if duplicates of an awarded photo are found, the version with the lower Score will be deleted and any points gained from the duplicate will be deducted.

Can I delete photos in my Portfolio?

Yes, you can delete any of your uploaded photos at any time from the Portfolio section. Deleting a photo frees up space within your upload limit. However, if a photo was awarded a flag, it will also be removed from your Score if deleted.

How can I check my Score and position?

To check your Annual Ranking, visit the Photographers section — you can also filter results by country and check your country position.
You can find your current Global and Annual Score and position anytime in the Portfolio / Score section.

How is the Score calculated?

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

If multiple photographers have the same Score, the system uses additional criteria to determine the position:

Member level
The number of achievements and badges (such as Photographer of the Week, Month, etc.)
The number of loyalty coins

These extra factors help reward long-term engagement and consistent excellence.

Why is my Score and position lower even though I have more flags and medals than a colleague ranked higher?

That’s because flags gradually lose their point value over time. After one year, their impact on your Score decreases progressively.

So even if you have more flags overall, your colleague may have newer and more valuable awards, which can result in a higher ranking. The Score system rewards not just quantity, but also recency and consistency.

How are flags and medals reflected in the Global Score?

For each flag or medal you receive, a specific number of points is added to your Score. These awards contribute to your Global Score, which reflects your long-term performance on the platform.

However, to keep the system dynamic and fair, older awards gradually lose their point value. This means your most recent achievements have the greatest impact, while older ones fade over time.

The value of each flag or medal is multiplied by a time-based ratio:

Last 12 months: 100% of the original value
One year ago: 80% of the original value
Two years ago: 60% of the original value
Three or more years ago: 40% of the original value

This gradual reduction ensures that the Global Score rewards consistency and ongoing participation. It also allows new members to rise in the rankings while still recognizing the accomplishments of long-time contributors.

What kind of flags can I earn, and how many points will I receive for them?

You can earn the following flags and point values for outstanding photos:

Picture of the DAY: 2 points

Picture of the WEEK: 5 points

Picture of the MONTH: 10 points

Picture of the YEAR: 15 points

Note: Flags remain visible on your profile, but after 12 months, their point value begins to gradually decrease. This encourages continuous improvement and fresh contributions throughout the year.

What kind of badges can I receive?

Top-performing photographers can earn the following prestigious badges:

Photographer of the WEEK: No points

Photographer of the MONTH: No points

Honorable Photographer of the YEAR: No points

COUNTRY TOP 25 Photographer of the YEAR: No points

WORLD TOP 100 Photographer of the YEAR: No points

Winner of the PROWED GLOBE AWARDS (1st, 2nd or 3rd place): No points^New

Jury Member of the PROWED GLOBE AWARDS contest: 150 points^New

Note: Badges never expire and remain visible on your profile as a mark of excellence and recognition.

Do you find the system complicated?

Don’t worry — everything runs smoothly behind the scenes.

Our algorithm automatically recalculates your Global and Annual Score every day at midnight (CET). This means that points for flags and medals (if you participated) are not added instantly, but will appear in your Score after the next daily update.

So even if you don’t see changes right away, your achievements are being recorded and will soon be reflected in your Score.

Can the rules change during my membership plan?

PROWEDaward reserves the right to make changes to the rules at any time during the validity of a membership plan in order to ensure fairness for all members.

This may include updates to photo limits, judging criteria, or photo submission guidelines. Any such changes will be communicated transparently and are designed to maintain a high-quality and balanced platform for everyone.

Can I request a partial refund if I cancel my membership early?

All membership plans, including the standard 1-year plan, 3-year plan, and Lifetime 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.

Recommendations

Here are some helpful tips to improve your visibility and results:

If your photo has already won an award in another contest, be sure to add this information when uploading it — it will be marked with a white flag as a special distinction.
Always include hashtags and the location for your photo. This helps us enrich the content when shared on social media, increasing both interaction and visibility.
Don’t forget to add your Instagram username in your Account. If we feature your work on Instagram, we’ll tag you so your audience can grow.
Share your referral link! Invite friends to join PROWEDaward and earn 66 loyalty coins for every new photographer who signs up using your link and purchases a Premium or Superior Membership. You can even use your coins to pay for your membership plan and in the future, it will be possible to use loyalty coins to purchase photos submitted to the PROWED GLOBE AWARDS and to buy the ANNUAL PROWED BOOK. More info is available in your Loyalty Program.

Picture Upload Guidelines

Photos taken at seminars or workshops are not allowed. Only photos taken 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 photos are not allowed.
Photos must be in JPEG format and saved at the highest possible quality (100%) to retain details.
Layouts, collages, watermarks, copyright, logos, text, signatures, and excessive use of Photoshop or AI in the photo are not allowed.
Only bleed photographs without borders are allowed.
Photos that contain pornographic, offensive, slanderous, 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 have obtained permission from any individuals featured in the entries.
PROWEDaward may use all entries for marketing and promotion purposes. No monetary compensation will be provided.
The photographs must not violate any applicable laws.