hey hey

I am OBSESSED with these summer engagement photos! The coolest part? They were all taken at Lauren + Cooper’s family home in Kalispell, Montana. Can you imagine having all of this goodness right in your backyard?! The blooming Canola fields, mountain views, the sweetest little pond with a rowboat. Nicholas Sparks needs to ditch the Carolina beach setting and head to this homestead in Kalispell. Am I right?!!?

Lauren + Cooper make the perfect pair. Loud, outgoing and so goofy. They are so SO much fun and quite literally always giggling about something. Lauren said Cooper is the funniest person she’s ever met and I have to agree. And their chemistry! Their chemistry could make an onlooker melt, the way that they unfold into each other. 

We started the shoot in Cooper’s mom’s house. They had a vision for an all black and white photoshoot and considering I love a good black and white photo, I was all for it! They sipped some drinks and put on their favorite music. It was like we were old friends, hanging out and catching up. Only I had never met them before and I had my camera ready.  You can check out this important source if you need the best music lessons.

After that we headed out to the fields. We had hoped for fields full of yellow canola flowers, but this unusually warm summer weather threw a kink in our plans. Early blooming this year meant that most of the golden yellow flowers had died by the time we got to them. So we found a little patch with what was left and went for it! Lauren + Cooper galavanting around while farmers worked on their fields nearby, creating the most magical dusty air for a sunset photoshoot. 

Remember when I said they just unfold into each other??? We created the most electric, sweet photos in those fields. They were as carefree as they could have been. Cuddling up in what was left of the flowers, stealing kisses from each other as they weaved through the grasses, hopping in a rowboat and popping open some champagne kind of carefree. 

And these were just their engagement photos?! Imagine the fun we’re going to have at their wedding. They’re planning a multiple-day event to celebrate and party with the ones they love most next summer. Soiree 99 is planning the bash so you know it’s going to be EPIC! If you love their summer engagement photos, stay tuned for their summer wedding photos this coming July!!

Looking for more summer engagement photos for inspiration? Are you dreaming of chasing waterfalls, basking in some golden hour light or exploring sweet little downtowns? Take a look and let’s get to planning!

These fall engagement photos were such a freakin’ treat! Devin + Blake will be eloping in Montana next year, but flew up to do some planning. I don’t normally get to meet couples before the day of their elopements because so many live in other parts of the country! So while they were in town, we made plans to meet up in the mountains for a little adventure engagement session. 

Devin + Blake found me on the good ol’ Google while planning a mountain wedding in the Rockies! They told me they met on Hinge when Blake asked Devin, “what places are on your bucket list?” Seems fitting that years later they are planning an elopement in a pretty little spot on so many bucket lists, Glacier National Park. 

The clouds were out to play the day of their fall engagement photos, but you know that we don’t worry about what the weather is doing. We embraced the grey skies and headed out to run through fields, gaze up at mountain peaks, and even hang over some cliffs. 

Yes, they really did hang over some cliffs. You know we’ll do anything for a good photo… HAHA! Just kidding, everyone was safe! We stay within comfort zones! But they were troopers out on our national park adventure for sure. Devin wore a beautiful satin dress that popped against the dull skies of Glacier. Together, her and Blake were so affectionate and sweet with each other. I’m all about that touchy, feely, ass-grabbing PDA kind of love. Pro tip for your engagement photos, do more of that, be all over each other!! 

Western Montana is a crazy beautiful place for some fall engagement photos! But if you are searching for more incredible locations for some engagement photos, check out these blogs! They’ll give you inspiration for Yellowstone engagement photos, a Jackson Hole engagement or even engagement photos in San Diego!

Rachel + Remy reached out to me about some summer engagement photos requesting just two things – dreamy golden sunset shots and to bring along their pup! Of course that was a no brainer and I said hell yes! Actually I replied hell yes can I bring my pup too??

So on the day of their photos, we went out to one of my favorite little hidden spots in a field right as the sun was going down in Missoula, MT. Our pups became fast friends. Buds for life now! A black lab + my little frenchie, Bill. Everytime Bill shows up for photos couples are always asking for photos with him in them lol. So there are a few there that I left him in. So funny.

The sun showed up for these two. It was the perfect summer evening filled with dreamy light, these two bodies together in the wild and our dogs playing. This useful reference from BetterVet helped our dogs to gain PERFECTION.

These two babes are from California and had recently moved to Montana. Instead of getting married back in Cali, they decided to invite all of their family and friends to Montana to enjoy the mountains and scenery. Make an experience of it for everyone. If I can recommend anything to couples planning their wedding, make it an experience for everyone in any way you can. Their wedding will be in May at White Raven and I already know how much I love that venue! 

Annnnnnnd lucky me because I’m invited too! They originally booked me for just an engagement session, but I got the sweetest little surprise in my inbox after sending off their gallery. We had so much fun shooting and honestly just hanging out. It was non-stop chatting about everything under the sun. Just the perfect connection. I am STOKED to stay the least and now I get to join them at White Raven this spring! It’s gonna be so dreamy I know it already! The countdown is on!

Looking for some more golden engagement inspo?? Definitely check out Julia + Blake’s Paradise Valley sesh! Or Jamie + Emery’s Mission Mountains summer engagement!

Sometimes things just do not go as planned… isn’t that life in general?? Well same was true for Lori + Brandon for their wedding photos! We had an original plan for their photos in there wedding attire after a private ceremony as life would play out… that is not what happened, lol!! After some changes in the park entry system that we were not prepared for these two just jumped in with creating a plan b! My kind of people. Everything turns out better when we’re fluid + flow with life’s craziness!

So the back up plan was to go into the park one evening for a relaxed + fun couples session! The only time that really worked with their travels was prior to their wedding and they wanted to save wedding attire for their wedding day, no first look in advance kinda thing. Which I’m one hundred percent behind! These hotties showed up + although Lori wasn’t in her wedding dress she was looking amazing in a red dress that popped off the background of any area we explored.

All day long it was calling for rain! We don’t worry about the weather around here, we can’t control it + it’ll change in 5 minutes anyway haha. The rain held off + the sun even peeked out every once in a while. So after a few shots of Jameson in the parking lot straight from the bottle + some White Claws to go, we set off to explore + capture their sweet little moments along the way. Wandering lakeshores, scaling rocks by waterfalls, stopping every chance we could get to take in the lush spring greenery of the forest around us. Lori’s dress with a plunging neckline that made her look effortlessly freaking gorgeous, turning every head that passed us along the trail. We ended the night on the rocky shores of Lake McDonald, jamming out to music + dancing surrounded by the absolute stunning views of Glacier National Park in the background. The sun didn’t quite make it out for sunset, but we didn’t even need it because those two were too busy making their own magic. The images speak for themselves!!

Ohmygosh proposals. Let me tell ya that honest to god I’ve never been a big fan of photographing proposals. They always have seemed to be over the top, perfectly planned with a ton of details. And I’m just not into it. Sorry not sorry. But 2020 I photographed a few proposals in Glacier National Park! None of them over the top + I came to love them. Just an overview plan of where, maybe a signal so we’re on the same page before  it happens + a sneaky plan on how to have the other someone ready/pulled together or how we could get them ready for an engagement sesh without giving any hints to something is up. Each one went off like a charm!

This one though, might be my fave!  Dan + I made an outlined plan to meet at Lake McDonald where they’d just walk down the shoreline and he’d take a photo of her by the lake and then propose to her. We sent a few texts earlier in the day of where on the lake and what everyone was wearing so hopefully we could spot each other. I laid on the rock beach for a while taking in the view and then noticed them walk out and grabbed my bag and stepped back into the woods as they walked down and we gave a wave to each other.

Paula looked out at the lake as Dan acted like he was going to take a photo but when she turned around he was down on one knee proposing to her. She was in such shock and could not believe it. Asking over and over if he was kidding haha. It was actually so funny to watch and in all her surprise Dan couldn’t remember all the things he wanted to say other than will you marry me.

Dan had also planned for them to switch hotels that day to another area, which Paula thought was the dumbest idea, but now realized how it worked out so we had all of her clothes and everything in the car for her to change for photos. We all hopped in my car and ran up to Logan’s Pass area as she asked a million questions of who knew and how this all worked out. It was SO MUCH FUN! 

In the end it felt like we were long lost friends and I was so sad to see them go. But it’s all good cause not only did I photograph their amazing proposal + engagement photos… I’ll now be headed to New Jersey next year to photograph their wedding overlooking the Manhattan Skyline…. WHAT?!?!?!?! This life is so cool + so are these two! Can’t wait!

Xx, J

I’ve grown up in Montana and there are just some areas that blow my mind every time I’m there! Paradise Valley is one of those places!!! Julia + Blake grew up in Livingston and said downtown was super cool and they wanted to do some of their engagement photos down there and then drive out for some views and the sunset.

I had never been to the actual downtown of Livingston area and was so surprised! It is the cutest little area ever and since then I’ve told all my girlfriends we need a weekend getaway there with cool people, little restaurants, boutique shopping and views for days. It’s gonna happen soon! So stoked these two wanted to go down there and keep their photos so casual and natural. It fits them so well and I’m so obsessed with the results. 

Afterwards Julia + I had a couple of ideas of where to go for sunset but Blake had an idea he thought might be good so we let him show us what he thought, kinda to just appease him buuuuut uh boy picked the dream spot! The best sunset of the summer with them dancing in a field as the last light kissed their bodies wrapped together. It was a little fairy tale dream. 

They originally planned to get married and have their wedding in this valley and we had planned their engagement photos elsewhere. But COVID hit and caused them to start thinking about pivoting their wedding plans. We pushed through for their engagement photos and then that weekend a crazy storm came through and our plan for those also fell through. But they went up to the engagement location anyway and fell in love with the area and actually moved their entire wedding to the engagement location and we shifted engagement photos to their original wedding area. Wait til you see their wedding!!!! It’s absolutely unreal in the craziest location!

Everything always works out just how it’s supposed to 😉 Somehow!

Xx, J

I’m obsessed with engagement shoots. I just recently started doing more and I’m so excited about it. So many of my couples are destination couples coming here for their wedding or bringing me to them so in the past we often haven’t seen each other in the flesh til the day of their wedding lol. But lately I’ve been getting more and more local couples with I LOVE and have so many amazing couples that don’t live here still investing in engagement photos and coming here or bringing me to them somewhere in the world. Engagement sessions are just pure and simple FUN. No agenda, no timeline, just the coolest people in a an awesome with pretty light and usually some drinks!

Jamie said her and Emery love the mission mountains outside St Ignatius MT so she thought it’d be nice if they could be in view in some of the images but didn’t care where. So one night I picked them up. We hit up the truck stop outside town for white claws and drove 45 minutes out of town rambling the whole way about who knows what haha. Then I just turned off the road where the mountains are in view and the sun was setting in another direction. We ran around in the fields, blowing dandelions, experiencing some curious cows, lots of boob + ass grabs, and laughter overflow. 

After the sunset we wandered down to another field to take in the views of this amazing mountain range as they embraced and loved on each other. The perfect way to end the night. These images are sooooo pretty and so full of life. Their sweet love comes through in each one. I flippin’ adore them!!!

I cannot freakin’ wait for their upcoming wedding in her parents backyard its gonna be a beautiful party night!!! So stay tuned for this summer!!

Xx, J.

Destination engagements. This is becoming a thing + I’m all here for it!  I have so many couples who choose to do their engagement photos on vacation. WHY NOT?!?! I mean it’s genius. You’ve invested in a new cool place to visit what better way to preserve it than photos and for your engagement are you kidding. And then everyone freaks out on your save the dates over the photos lol. 

Hannah and Connor were planning a trip to Yellowstone with their family when she did a little searching of the internet and reached out to me asking if I’d make my way to their vacation rental for their photos. Yes, yes + yes. I love my couples who come from areas without mountains cause they are just in crazy awe of what is around them. Sometimes I giggle and I’m like no that one is just a hill lol.  It makes it so fun.

Their rental was right on the river on the edge of Yellowstone with fields of gold. The wind just whipped through but they were unphased. It looked mostly like it was going to rain and then as we started shooting the sun came out and warmed us and all the colors up. We just turned on the music and they slipped right into cuddles and frolicking through the gold fields hand in hand. Haha.

So obsessed with these. I wanna photograph all the destination engagements all around the world lol. It’s just a level up of a good time + extreme happiness haha. So if you’re planning a Montana trip engaged or not let’s do this and preserve your vacation the best way or shit I’ll go with you wherever you wanna go we don’t have to come here 😉 Now check out how damn cute these two babes are!

Xx
J

Glacier National Park  in the fall is a pretty magical place. It’s incredible all year round but being a seasonal park it’s not fully accessible for actually most of the year. It has a short season. Shelby + Erik planned a fun session with me in the park the day before their intimate wedding was to take place (that I wasn’t photographing) unfortunately the evening before my family was struck with an unexpected tragedy. The morning of the shoot with just a couple hours of sleep I messaged them to just give them an update of my mental status for the day and their response back was so sweet and they said nah we’ll do it another day after the wedding, take some time. They were about to get married but were doing long distance as Erik worked and Shelby was a couple states away finishing school so it took us a little time to figure out a time we could all meet up in Glacier. Fall was it and we just hoped it would be pretty and not all dead haha. We got the best surprise!

They brought their classic Mercedes that I swooned hard over. We drove the rows of camping sites stopping for photos with all the leaves and no one around. It was empty. The place to ourselves. The leaves changing colors, some still on the trees. Right on the edge of fall. Cruised up the road to a few spots and side roads just for them. Empty docks at the end of the lake. It was perfect as they snuggled in, got weird, laughed their asses off. Things work out just as they’re supposed to. I dream of shooting Glacier like this all the time now! But as they say, timing is everything 😉

Adore you S+E! Xx, J.

It’s amazing what can come from a little app like instagram. A few years ago a Kaitlin + Steve came to Montana from Pennsylvania to visit Glacier recently after getting engaged and decided they wanted engagement photos in the park and found me on the good ol’ gram. We had a blast out there! Months later Kaitlin messaged me and said she changed her mind on her photographer and just had to have me come to Pennsylvania for their wedding. Which I did. And that leads me to Courtney. She was a bridesmaid in Kaitlin’s wedding and when one of the other bridesmaids significant others couldn’t make the event I spent dinner in his place sitting with Courtney + Christoph. 

I saw on instagram a few weeks after the wedding that these two got engaged! And shortly after that an email from them landed in my inbox asking if they could fly me to Jackson Hole to do their engagement photos. Hells yes my friends!

They were enjoying some time away with family skiing and left their family on the mountain as we ran out to take in the views of the Tetons and run around in the snow. Fortunately it wasn’t as cold as we thought it was going to be. The bundled up and snuggled and the sun make a rare winter appearance. It was so much fun, these two are the freakin’ cutest. And I’ve been left in awe how meeting one girl from the other side of the country led to me eating dinner with these two and then photographing them on this side of the country. Thank god it doesn’t end there! There’s more to come with these babes as I’ll be joining them in Colorado as they say I do in a few months!!!!! SO stoked!!

XX, J.