The 20 Best Wedding Photos of 2017

Most couples will say that wedding photography was one of their main priorities, and therefore one of their largest big-day investments. There's a good reason for that: After the party is over and your guests have gone home, the pictures of your wedding day are all you have left to help inform your memories. And don't you want to remember every last detail that you spent months (or years!) pouring over?

While we do love those detail shots, there's something about a couple's portraits that always stick with us. That's why we combed through the last years' worth of real weddings to highlight our absolute favorite photos. Sound fun? It was, but that didn't mean it was easy. With so many unique celebrations and stunning pairs, choosing just 20 photos was no small feat, but we ultimately resurfaced the snapshots that we simply could not forget.

From formal celebrations and at-home parties to rustic nuptials and seasonal events, this collection of photos represents a wide variety of weddings. If you're planning a summer wedding, do and Keisha and Luke did and pose for photos in a sunny meadow. Tying the knot in the winter? Ashley and Hughes took a gondola ride to the top of Aspen Mountain for their snow-dusted first look. Fashion-forward couples may want to steal a page from Lindsey and William's or Carey and Eric's books: Both couples brought in seamless backdrops for their formal portraits, and the results were so timeless and chic.

If you're ready to see the best of the best of 2017's real weddings then click through here. Revisit 20 of our favorite wedding photos from the last year, then let these double-take-worthy images inspire your own wedding album.

"We didn't want to focus on the location, but on the people," bride Lindsey says of her and William's fashion-forward wedding in Washington, D.C. So instead of posing in front of capitol landmarks, the duo had a custom seamless gray backdrop made to give their photos a timeless look.

For this fashionable couple, only an incredibly cool wedding would do. That's why Alexis and Zach planned to tie the knot in Italy, where the rolling hills of Tuscany and this incredible venue served as their backdrop. It's no wonder they took portraits in this striking courtyard.

Rebekah and Chris tied the knot on a crisp autumn day in Tennessee, so it was only fitting that their wedding portraits highlight the season. Changing foliage and fallen leaves were the ideal backdrop for their newlywed photo shoot.

When you tie the knot in the heart of Palm Springs, you're basically required to pose with the locale's mountains and natural foliage as your backdrop. That's exactly what Lisa and Louis did, and the punchy bougainvillea and trailing palms perfectly captured their wedding destination.

For this couple's chic destination wedding in Palm Springs, every detail infused the celebration with a healthy dose of style. For their formal portraits, George, right, wore Givenchy, while Shawn, left, chose Alexander McQueen.

There was a lot of love about Christine and Benjamin's pastel-hued New Orleans wedding, but this portrait, which showcases the bride's high-low feathered wedding dress, may just be the best of all.

Mahncy and Anish made it official with a colorful Indian wedding in Napa Valley, California, and their portraits showed off the couple's incredible traditional attire. The couple purchased their ensembles—plus outfits for the rest of the family—in India over the course of just a few days.

Christina and Shaina wanted their Florida wedding to celebrate the area's rich history, not just the state's beautiful beaches. So the duo planned a wedding at a historic venue and used orange groves, Spanish architecture, and overgrown gardens as their inspiration. They took all of their portraits on the grounds of the property, too.

This fashionable twosome planned an equally stylish wedding in Chico, California, so it's no surprise that their photos are worth a second look. Our favorite shot of all is this portrait of Carey and Eric, in which the couple poses in front of a backdrop made from the very small wallpaper that hangs in their bedroom.

With a backdrop as stunning as Miami's Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, it's no surprise that Natalie and Jamey wanted wedding portraits that captured the incredible architecture. This beautiful shot of the couple kissing on the stone balcony perfectly captures the spirit of their Cuban-and-Texan-inspired celebration and the party's venue.

College sweethearts Anne and Staton tied the knot at their alma mater, University of Virginia in Charlottesville. As a lieutenant in the United States Navy, the groom wore his uniform, and this snapshot of the couple getting ready to leave in their vintage white limo feels so timeless and lovely.

Brian and Gene wed on a family farm in Maryland, and the entire celebration was planned in just one month. To emphasize the winter season, the grooms wore rich fabrics, like velvet and flannel, in deep, warm hues.   

For this ski-obsessed couple, a winter wedding in Colorado was a natural fit. Ashley and Hughes posed for portraits with the snowcapped Rocky Mountains behind them after taking the gondola to the very top of Aspen mountain for their first look.

Brides Deb and Meryl planned a lively, colorful wedding in Philadelphia, and this photo only just begins to show the bright hues that their party pop. But it wasn't just the punchy flowers that caught our eye here—it's impossible not to see how in love this twosome is.

Meki and Ian's Detroit art museum wedding was packed with Scottish and Samoan influence, a nod to both the groom's and bride's family backgrounds, respectively. He wore a traditional Scottish kilt throughout the party, while the bride performed a traditional Samoan dance during the reception.

This couple's candle-filled wedding in Mexico was dripping with romance, but it's this portrait of Regina and Chris that we're entirely unable to forget. After leaving their ceremony, the bride and groom posed for a kiss amid a sprinkling of white flower petals.

JoAnna and Jay planned a New Year's Eve wedding with a burgundy color palette. The celebration was the perfect way to ring in the start of another year, and the photos of the event, especially the couple's portraits, were not to be missed.

Look at that view! Aislinn and Eric tied the knot at a church in Los Angeles, then surprised guests by transporting them to Malibu Rocky Oaks Estate Vineyards for a surprise reception with a seriously epic view. The couple posed for stunning portraits on the rocks near the estate just before sunset.

If you've tied the knot in Paris, like Colleen and Matthew did, how could you not pose for photographs with the iconic Eiffel Tower in the background? This twosome made a striking contrast against the cityscape behind them, thanks to the bride's bold red dress and the groom's sleek black tux.

Talk about picture perfect. Keisha and Luke's Oklahoma wedding venue—the very same property where the bride grew up—had so many beautiful spots for photo ops. The pair couldn't help but pose for portraits in this sunny meadow.