Personal: Hiking in the Mountains of North Idaho at Sunrise

Most people don’t do sunrise hikes - or have ever done them. I’m telling you, you’re missing out. While I absolutely love sunset, and I love being at weddings, and getting to know people, and capturing the emotions of people in some of the best parts of their lives, I also love this. Nature. The warm glow of the sun just before it crests the horizon. There are moments up in the mountains that can feel surreal, and you can spend the whole time just looking out going “wow”. It’s not really something that can be put into words, just as emotion always seems to be lacking a word that truly fits it.

Destination Photographer: Jacob & Allison's Airbnb Wedding

Something that has become so common this year is weddings going from 200 guests to 30 guests (or less). The number of guests at every wedding i’ve photographed (save maybe a couple) has been drastically reduced, and actually, i’ve really loved it. It’s let me get to know the people that are at the wedding even more, and hasn’t really made the day feel all that much smaller. Look no further than Jacob & Allison’s wedding, where just before their wedding the state of Washington changed the rules and required all ceremony’s to be under 30 people.

Destination Wedding: JD & Kara's Big Sky Wedding

I met JD and Kara a couple years ago at another wedding (Kara was the maid of honor). That wedding was a blast, and we had so much fun. So when Kara asked me to be at her wedding, I knew it was going to be a blast. Now, this summer isn’t quite what I expected (or anyone else) and so there were a lot of unknowns as we got closer and closer to July 4. But, true to their personalities, JD & Kara made something amazing happen. They had an incredible wedding, in an incredible place, with some truly amazing people - in the middle of a pandemic. The whole wedding was beautiful, touching, and filled with emotion and great moments. The fact I could be there, to capture it all, can only be thought of as a privilege. Now I get to share some of my favorite photos from this Big Sky wedding with you, and I hope you love them.

2019 Review: Some Favorite Sunset Wedding Photos from 2019

As a wedding photographer, i’m faced with a lot of challenges every wedding day. What type of lighting will we have for portraits, for the ceremony? What does the reception look like? Is there going to be a sunset, and if so, where will that take place? The thing is, not every venue has a great view of a sunset (some have mountains in the way) and others may end up with weather that prevents the sunset. So often we then need to ask, “is it still worth it?” For me, the answer is always yes.

Wedding Photographers: Joe and Alison's Incredible Montana Wedding

Joe and Alison had one of my favorite weddings of the year in beautiful Montana, just outside Glacier National Park. It wasn’t my favorite because it was so beautiful (which is was) or because there were people there that I knew (which I did). Those things certainly made their wedding even more amazing. No, my highlight was the people - both the Mitzel family (whom I have grown to highly enjoy, both for their compassion, kindness, and love for life) as well as the Lunde family (whom I got to meet for the first time at this wedding). Joe and Alison are two amazing people, two people I would have been friends with had our lives crossed, and two people I felt so privileged to be chosen to capture one of the most important days of their life. So here are some of my favorite photographs from their incredible Montana wedding.

Montana Wedding Photographer: Dillon & Mariah's Montana Lake Wedding

Dillon and Mariah had an incredible day, from the beautiful home in the forest that Mariah got ready at, to the incredible Cedars we did portraits at, and finally to that amazing sunset late into the evening (sunset that day was almost around 10pm). The thing is though, it was Dillon and Moriah who made their day special. It was these two who were kind, and generous, who laugh and look at each other with such kindness. Look no further than their first look, and the way Dillon looks upon his beautiful bride to know the love they share among each other. Or the single tear that came down Mariah’s face as she walked down the aisle to say “I will love you and no other” in front of her best friends and family. I loved being there, and i’m so excited to share these photos with you. :)

The Blog

Brent Looyenga is a Spokane wedding photographer based IN SPOKANE WASHINGTON and Coeur d’Alene Idaho area. He loves people and specializes in wedding, engagement, family and senior photography. You can like Looyenga Photography on Facebook or follow them on Instagram.