Cody and Melissa are two very kind people. It doesn’t take long to realize this, whether you’re going into Melissa’s shop (she owns Hands to Art in Coeur d’Alene) or whether you need help working on a car (Cody loves cars), these two are thoughtful and kind. I saw this a lot at their wedding, when things would go wrong, or late, it was awesome to have a bride and groom that were willing to just go for it. They could see the point - to get married - and everything else was just window dressing. Their wedding at the Chateau Rive was beautiful, and i’m so excited that I get to be the one to share these memories, these moments with you.

Fall Family Photos with The Forge Family in Coeur d'Alene

Several years ago I had the chance to meet the Forges. They are two people I hit it off with very quickly. They are easy to talk to, funny, and kind (those things don’t always go together). Over the years though, we’ve ran into each other multiple times, at multiple weddings. So when Parker texted me out of the blue to ask me to do their family photos I was absolutely excited. Not only because I didn’t know their family had grown from two to three, but also because I genuinely like them. So this small fall photo session was a blast, from catching up with them, seeing their beautiful baby boy, and getting some amazing fall colors. Here are some of my favorites.

Fall Engagement Shoot at Round Lake with Chris & Ashley

They met online - as so many people do these days - on Hinge, to be exact. I asked what the difference was between Hinge and Bumble, or Tinder, and basically it is a little less about hookup culture and more about looking for actual, serious relationships. In this case, exactly what both Chris and Ashley were looking for.

Fall Family Photos with the Kernodle's

The last couple of years i’ve had the chance to take family photos with the Kernodles. First in 2021, then again last year in 2022. And while these are short family sessions, i’ve absolutely loved getting to know this family (now a family of four!) over the last couple of years. This was magnified by getting to see them, and getting to know their family more when I had the chance to shoot a wedding this year (shout out to Skyler and Kristin!) where Sheldon was a groomsman, and of course the whole family was there. That said, i’m excited to share some of my favorite family fall family photos from them this year.

Sean and Tyler's Rainy Engagement Downtown Coeur d'Alene

They met as so many other couples do these days - in an app. Sean told me that he was first drawn to Tyler because she "seemed like a normal, genuine, human" which is not very common in the dating apps. In their case though, it was on Bumble, which means the girl needs to reach out. So Tyler reached out to Sean and said something like "Oh you play music? That's awesome! What do you play?" Which immediately grabbed Sean.

Setzer Family Photos in the Spokane Valley at Mirabeau Park

The first time I ever met this incredible family of four was the day we did their photos. And while we didn’t get to spend that much time together, it was clear pretty quickly that we had a bunch of things in common (even down to our college, which is very small!) There was no doubt in my mind that I really liked this family, and my only regret in walking away was that we couldn't have spent more time getting to know each other. That said, I am super excited that I get to share their family photos here, and I hope you love them!

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.