They met at a friends birthday party - yes, that means it was in real life! While the friend was mutual, they did not know each other. Shavonne, who had not really had a boyfriend at that point, nor did she know how to dance (although she says she knew, she just never had danced with someone else yet), was asked to dance by one of the cute guys at the party (aka, Tom). This wasn't a high school two-step situation. They were swing dancing! So Tom swung the "cute girl" around for most of the night, but at the end he left.

Kody and Stephanie's Rainy Day Engagement

They met on E-Harmony. It isn't really unusual someone would meet online (it's probably 90% of my couples meet online) But E-Harmony isn't the most common way. The interesting thing about this method over something like Tinder is that it asks you a lot of questions about you and who you are, and then "matches" you with people that are the most compatible. For Kody and Stephanie, in our area, there wasn't a ton of people.

EngagementsBrent LooyengaDecember 11, 2025Tubbs HillEngagement, Engagement Photos, Kody & Stephanie, Tubbs Hill

Matt and Kelly's Sunny November Engagement

Matt and Kelly met in person. IRL is how some say it these days. Back then, they were with a friend helping make an event happen, and since both are involved in their community, they ended up running into each other. They would then happen to meet again just a little bit later at No-Li Brewery. This second meeting was a big deal, because it was when Matt really started to notice Kelly - that is to say, he tried to hit on her. She was kind, super easy to talk to, and a lot of fun (plus she gave him and his friends a couple cups for free).

Justus and Meghan's Tubbs Hill Engagement

Justus and Meghan have such a cool story. One, they are one of those really rare couples that met in person - flesh and blood - so that already separates them. The other thing is their story spans about four meetings total, and has a lot of little details that are so interesting. But really, the first time they met, it was all fairly inconsequential. Meghan was working (she was a barista at the time!) when Justus and his friends came into the store, and they had very little time to talk. That said, they both caught each others eye but were ultimately not interested - they were both in relationships.

Seniors - John

I met John a couple years ago when I did his oldest sisters senior photos, then again a couple years later when I had the chance to photograph his other sister. So when I was contacted to do his photos, it was a huge compliment (as it always is when someone has seen your work, met you, and wants more). John wanted to show off his two trucks (which we clearly did) as well as capture some photos on the water, because that’s what he loves. I really enjoyed being there, and am pumped to share these with you guys.

Skyler and Sarah's Engagement Photos on Tubbs Hill

They met online - they both swiped right. The biggest problem with the whole thing though wasn't that they matched, but that Skyler was in Pakistan when it happened - yeah. So what that meant is they had to talk, and talk they did! First it was over the app, but then quickly moved to Snapchat and then to WhatsApp. They would start doing video calls "every once in a while" and would generally get to know each other.

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.