Bride and Groom at Lighthouse | Lake Michigan Destination Wedding | Destination Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

10-Year Retrospective

Exactly 10 years ago today (on June 8th, 2008), I photographed my first wedding. I was 23 years old and working as an intern photojournalist for a newspaper in Jackson, Michigan. So what better time than now to take a look back at our best wedding photos of the decade?

Before June of 2008, my only experience with weddings had been loitering by the bar while the person who thought it would be a good idea to drag me along reminisced with their friends and danced the Cupid Shuffle (or whatever the early 2000s version of the Cupid Shuffle was). I’d certainly never considered bringing my camera along. And anytime someone suggested I shoot weddings for a living, I would shake my head and furtively change the subject. I mean… wedding photography? Really? That’s one of the most artless and hackneyed professions a photographer could have, right?

Fast forward 10 years. I am now a full-time wedding photographer. Somewhere along the road, I had an epiphany. I realized that wedding photography doesn’t have to be boring. It doesn’t have to fit neatly into a box labelled “conformity.” It can be unique and it can be interesting and it can feed the soul instead of just paying the bills.

Over the past decade, Moira and I have seen so many cool places and met so many cool people that it’s difficult to imagine doing anything else. Tomorrow, exactly 10 years (plus one day) after shooting my first wedding, we’ll be shooting our 132nd wedding in Beaver Creek, Colorado. And the day after tomorrow, we’ll be shooting our 133rd wedding in Aspen.

To commemorate the first ten years, here’s a selection of our best wedding photos of the decade, starting with that first wedding in June of 2008, all the way up to present day. We hope you enjoy!

P.S. A huge congratulations to Anjali and Ryan on their 10th wedding anniversary. Many thanks to you both for taking a chance on a 23-year-old intern photographer. If it weren’t for you guys, I’m not sure what my life would look like right now.

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | Lake Michigan Destination Wedding | Destination Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Groomsmen Pranking Groom | Koenig Alumni House Wedding | Boulder Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Bride and Groom Leaving Ceremony on Motorcycle | Flagstaff Sunrise Amphitheater Wedding | Boulder Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | Dunafon Castle Wedding | Evergreen Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | The Manor House Wedding | Denver Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Bride and Groom Walking Through Park | Chautauqua Park Wedding | Boulder Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Bride and Bride First Dance | Hotel Boulderado Wedding | Boulder Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | Twin Lakes Colorado Wedding | Colorado Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Rustic Colorado Barn Wedding Photo | Twin Lakes Colorado Wedding | Colorado Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | Standley Lake Wedding | Denver Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Rustic Barn Wedding Photo | Wiens Ranch Wedding | Colorado Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | The Ranch Country Club Wedding | Denver Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Bride and Groom Sunset Wedding Photo | Pines at Genesee Wedding | Colorado Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Wedding Ceremony Wedding Moments | Brook Forest Inn Wedding | Evergreen Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Bride and Groom Kissing in the Rain | Kalamazoo Country Club Wedding | Destination Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | Fox Theatre Detroit Wedding | Destination Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Bride Crying After Ceremony | Ogunquit Maine Wedding | Destination Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Bride and Groom in the Woods | Ogunquit Maine Wedding | Destination Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Bride and Groom Riding Chairlift | Copper Mountain Wedding | Copper Mountain Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | Studios at Overland Crossing Wedding | Denver Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | Colorado Hindu Wedding | Colorado Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Sunset Wedding Photo | Spruce Mountain Ranch Wedding | Colorado Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | Apsen Meadows Resort Wedding | Aspen Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | Mile High Station Wedding | Denver Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Bride and Groom Denver Skyline | Mile High Station Wedding | Denver Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Bride Getting Ready | Beaver Creek Lodge Wedding | Beaver Creek Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | University of Denver Wedding | Denver Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Bride and Groom by River | Planet Bluegrass Wedding | Boulder Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | Planet Bluegrass Wedding | Boulder Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Bride and Groom Smoking Cigars | Chatfield Botanic Gardens Wedding | Denver Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Dinosaur Themed Wedding | Shadow Mountain Guest Ranch Wedding | Colorado Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | Shadow Mountain Guest Ranch Wedding | Colorado Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Sunset Wedding Photo | Mon Cheri Wedding | Boulder Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | Mon Cheri Wedding | Boulder Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | Wedgewood Boulder Wedding | Boulder Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | Cheyenne Mountain Resort Wedding | Colorado Springs Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Bride and Groom Nighttime Photo | Devils Thumb Ranch Wedding | Colorado Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Hindu Wedding Portrait | Cheyenne Mountain Resort Wedding | Colorado Springs Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | Grand Hyatt Denver Wedding | Estes Park Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Bride and Groom on 16th Street Mall Ride | Grand Hyatt Denver Wedding | Denver Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | Chief Hosa Lodge Wedding | Golden Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Bride and Groom Shoe Game | Chief Hosa Lodge Wedding | Golden Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Wedding Ceremony Bridesmaids | Race and Religious Wedding | New Orleans Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Cool Wedding Portrait Bride and Groom | Race and Religious Wedding | New Orleans Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | Mount Vernon Canyon Club Wedding | Golden Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Groom Crying Wedding Vows | Crooked Willow Farms Wedding | Colorado Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Wedding Party Smoking Cigars | Crooked Willow Farms Wedding | Colorado Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Bride and Groom Sunset Portrait | Boettcher Mansion Wedding | Denver Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Bride and Bride Kissing Grandpa | Denver Botanic Gardens Wedding | Denver Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | Grand Hyatt Denver Wedding | Denver Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Bride and Groom Night Portrait | History Colorado Wedding | Denver Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Wedding Details Hummingbird | Vashon Island Wedding | Colorado Springs Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Villa Vashon Wedding Ceremony | Vashon Island Wedding | Seattle Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | Vashon Island Wedding | Seattle Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Bride and Groom Dancing with Wedding Band | Greenbriar Inn Wedding | Boulder Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Bride and Groom Under the Milky Way | Purgatory Resort Wedding | Durango Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Bride and Groom Riding Gondola | Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Wedding | Beaver Creek Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | JW Marriott Cherry Creek Wedding | Denver Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Bride Getting Ready | Sonnenalp Hotel Wedding | Vail Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Wedding Guests Chugging Wine | Sonnenalp Hotel Wedding | Vail Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | Copper Mountain Wedding | Colorado Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Wedding Dress Wedding Details | Crooked Willow Farms Wedding | Colorado Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | Crooked Willow Farms Wedding | Colorado Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Bride and Groom Silhouette | Willow Ridge Manor Wedding | Denver Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | Denver Wedding | Denver Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Father Daughter Dance | Mary's Lake Lodge Wedding | Estes Park Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Wedding Ceremony Hawk Ring Bearer | Evergreen Lake House Wedding | Evergreen Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | Evergreen Lake House Wedding | Evergreen Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | Wedgewood Boulder Creek Wedding | Boulder Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Best Wedding Photos of the Decade | White Own Ranch Wedding | Colorado Wedding Photographer | J. La Plante Photo

Similar Posts