This is a wedding that is going to live with me for a long, long time.

Kailer and Hope had the most amazing wedding day at Sweet Water Hollow right here in Salmon, Idaho, and honestly, this one had everything. Beautiful details, emotional moments, incredible food, rain, dancing, singing, sparklers and the kind of energy you just cannot plan.

Kailer and Hope essentially planned a destination wedding here in Salmon, bringing so many of their favorite people together in one place, and I am so glad they chose this little corner of Idaho for their day.

As a Salmon Idaho Wedding Photographer, I have photographed a lot of weddings at Sweet Water Hollow over the years, but I love that every couple makes the space feel completely different. Kailer and Hope chose a classy black and white wedding style that was elegant without feeling overly formal. Everything felt intentional, beautiful and completely them.

The two started their morning separately, getting ready with their closest friends and family.

From the beginning, the details were so good. Guests were welcomed with champagne as they arrived, the tablescapes were absolutely beautiful, and the bridesmaid dresses were simple, classy and timeless. Every detail worked together without feeling like it was trying too hard.

Before the ceremony, Hope shared a few special moments with some of the most important men in her life.

She did a first look with her brothers before having another first look with her dad. I always love these moments because they give everyone a chance to slow down for just a second before the craziness of the day really begins.

And Hope's dad had another very important role: he was her “something blue.” Such a sweet little detail.

Kailer and Hope decided to save their own first look for the aisle, and I do not think anyone was prepared for Kailer's reaction. Especially Kailer.

He was already emotional before he even saw Hope coming down the aisle, and once he finally saw his gorgeous bride, there was absolutely no holding it together.

Those moments are exactly why I love weddings. You can plan the flowers, the timeline, the decorations and the music, but you cannot really plan the reaction someone has when they see the person they love walking toward them.

Their ceremony was beautiful, emotional and the perfect start to what would become a very unforgettable night.

Now, we need to talk about dessert. 

Hope's favorite dessert is tiramisu. And, in case you do not know this about me, tiramisu is also my favorite dessert. Kailer's favorite dessert is brownies. My second favorite. Clearly, I was meant to photograph this wedding.

Instead of a traditional cake cutting, Kailer and Hope each fed one another their favorite dessert, which was such a fun twist on an old wedding tradition.

But the best part? Kailer made the tiramisu himself. And I do not mean he bought the ingredients and layered everything together. He made the tiramisu all the way down to the ladyfingers.

For his own wedding. That is impressive. And it was delicious.

The reception started with dinner, drinks, conversations and all the normal things you expect from a wedding reception.

And then the rain came.

There is an old saying that rain on your wedding day is good luck, but most couples are still understandably a little nervous when they see rain in the forecast.

Hope was not one of those brides. The rain did not ruin her experience. I honestly think it made it better. When I say Kailer, Hope and their guests danced in the rain for hours, I mean HOURS.

They were soaked. The dance floor was soaked. I was soaked.

My cameras were being protected the best I possibly could while I was also trying to photograph one of the most fun dance floors I have ever seen. And it was incredible.

This was not one of those situations where people ran for cover and waited for the storm to pass. The dance floor stayed packed.

The energy was absolutely captivating.

At some point, Hope got ahold of a microphone, and it was pretty much over from there.

She sang. She danced. She walked around the reception singing directly to people. She stood on the stage and danced her heart out. And I am fairly certain nobody was taking that microphone away from her.

Honestly, nobody should have. She was living her absolute best life, and everyone around her was right there with her.

As an Idaho Wedding Photographer, I get to witness so many different kinds of celebrations, and I can honestly say this one reminded me why I love photographing weddings so much.

It was not because everything went exactly according to plan. It was because they embraced everything. The rain. The emotions. The laughter. The music. The chaos.

All of it.

Kailer and Hope ended their night with a sparkler exit, and after a night that already had so many unforgettable moments, it was the perfect ending.

Seeing everyone line up, cheering for them as they ran through the sparklers, was such a good way to close out a wedding day that had been full of so much life.

Kailer and Hope, thank you for letting me be part of this day.

Thank you for dancing in the rain. Thank you for bringing the energy. Thank you for making homemade tiramisu.

And thank you for reminding me that sometimes the very best wedding days are the ones where everyone stops worrying about the weather, grabs a microphone and keeps dancing anyway.

This Sweet Water Hollow wedding is one I will be talking about for a very long time.