Funny Story:


I was on a plane headed back home from Rome after a two-week vacation in Italy with Zach. We were sitting in the two middle seats of a four-seat section of the plane so that we each had an empty seat beside us.

"Excuse me, would you mind moving down a seat so I could sit next to my fiancé?"

I looked up and saw the most beautiful dark-haired, blue-eyed, angel-faced young woman I'd ever seen, accompanied by the cutest (sorry, Luke) baby-faced, tall, adorable young man I'd ever seen.

"Fiancé?" I asked. "Tell me everything."

And that's how our love story began. Kalina and I spoke for three hours on that plane ride, kept in touch on Instagram for a month or so, and then after a few failed attempts at planning a more traditional wedding, Kalina got back in touch with me to let me know that the Universe hadn't put us together on that plane (that they weren't originally supposed to be on) for no reason. And so, we started planning for a destination elopement in Colorado.


So before we go on, I just need you to understand that Kalina and Luke are perfect. They are human perfection. And they were also the perfect clients to work with so anyone reading this who might be considering booking me for their own wedding/elopement, just know that the standard is set very high.

I know there's been a shitton of text already on this post, but I have a lot of feelings about this elopement and these special people, ya know? Bear with me here.


The day started with hair and makeup for Kalina at an unreasonably early hour. I swear the glam squad never gets enough credit for the early hour they have to start sometimes so Kate and Angelica, you guys are rockstars. When we were all dressed and ready to go, Kalina and Luke had their first look in the backyard of their Airbnb before we headed over to Rocky Mountain National Park to do the damn thing. Once they got to the Alluvial Fan safely (Kalina had a slight hiccup when her heel got stuck in the bridge), they said their vows, exchanged rings, and shared their first married kiss with a stunning waterfall on one side of them and an insanely beautiful, majestic mountain range on the other side. Once the formalities were done, it was time for my favorite part of the day- portraits around the park.

A makeup artist applying cosmetics on a bride wearing a white dress in an indoor setting.
Wedding preparation scene with stylists helping adjust a white dress in a dimly lit room.
Four pairs of white sneakers and a pair of flats arranged neatly on a wooden floor.
A bride in white wedding attire checking their appearance in a handheld mirror.
A black and white photo of a bride carrying her wedding gown.
A bride in a wedding dress adjusting jewelry while standing by a window in soft light.
A moody portrait of a bride adjusting their wedding veil by a sunlit window.
A bride in a white embroidered wedding dress and long veil poses by a window in natural light.
Elegant white lace bridal shoes with delicate detailing rest on a wooden floor.
Close-up of hands adjusting a wedding shoe beneath layers of white tulle and lace.
Close-up shot of hands holding a wedding ring during ceremony.
Groom in dark suit adjusting white and blue boutonniere on lapel.
Groom in black suit and tie adjusts his jacket outdoors.
Groom in formal attire stands outside against rustic backdrop.
Groom in classic black suit and tie smiles outdoors.
Groom in formal black suit adjusts cuff while wearing boutonniere.
Bride before a first look for destination wedding ceremony.
A wedding couple share a first look in a garden with a colorful floral bouquet.
Black and white portrait of newlyweds holding a lush bouquet against a garden backdrop.
Candid wedding moment captured in a green garden setting with elegant floral arrangements.
Newlyweds pose in a garden setting with peach and blue floral bouquet.
A groom and bride standing in a backyard garden with wooden fence and greenery.
A bride in lace dress holding stunning peach and blue bouquet in garden setting.
Black and white portrait of a bride with flowing veil and romantic floral bouquet.
Mountain landscape with wooden picnic tables under bright blue sky.
Wedding couple sharing playful moment against mountain backdrop.
Black and white photo of newlyweds posing against scenic mountain vista.
A bride and groom exchange vows on rocky terrain with a cascading waterfall and mountain forest in the background.
A wedding couple stands on rocky mountain terrain surrounded by evergreen forest and mountain peaks.
A couple shares their wedding ceremony in front of scenic mountain peaks and evergreen trees.
A wedding ceremony takes place among pine trees and rocky terrain in a mountain setting.
A couple exchanges rings during their wedding ceremony near a rushing waterfall in the mountains.
Close-up of wedding rings and hands with blue flowers in a mountain setting.
A couple shares an intimate moment during their Colorado elopement with a waterfall backdrop.
A couple embraces during their wedding ceremony against a scenic mountain landscape with waterfall.
A couple shares a kiss in their wedding attire after their destination elopement.
A joyful wedding moment captured against a backdrop of mountain scenery and blue sky.
Wedding vow books in blue and purple displayed on evergreen branches.
A wedding couple poses outdoors in a natural rocky mountain setting.
A couple poses near a rushing mountain stream surrounded by rocky terrain.
Mountain landscape with snow-capped peaks and dense forest in the foreground.
Wedding photo on a wooden bridge with mountain peaks in the background.
Wedding couple standing among white birch trees with yellow wildflowers.
Wedding couple walking through a meadow of yellow wildflowers on a sunny day.
Wedding couple shares an intimate moment in a lush forest setting.
Wedding couple walking on a tree-lined path, bride joyfully holding bouquet.
Wedding couple poses beside a fallen tree trunk in a rustic mountain setting.
A dramatic black and white wedding photo captured against a rustic fallen tree in a wilderness setting.
A newlywed couple poses beside a large fallen tree trunk in Colorado's Rocky Mountain State Park.
An intimate black and white wedding portrait captured in a mountainous outdoor setting.
A new bride and groom share a romantic moment on an observation deck overlooking snow-capped Colorado mountains.

See ya on the flipside


The Flipside being the arcade bar in downtown Loveland where we were staying. After the morning's formalities, Kalina and Luke took some time to be by themselves, change outfits, and nap. I can't really blame them. When we hooked back up in the afternoon, we went to a cute little barcade right in the middle of downtown that we got all to ourselves for a couple of hours. There were some intense games of pinball, Mario Kart, and skeeball intermingled with some very pretty pink, sparkly drinks created by the most kind, customer-service-oriented bartender I have ever come across in my life. Shoutout to Johnny the bartender.

The Flipside, in Loveland, Colorado storefront sign on a brick building with green leaves in the foreground.
A dimly lit arcade scene with neon lights creating a vibrant purple and pink atmosphere.
A groom and bride enjoying arcade games under colorful neon lighting in gaming chairs.
A bride and groom playing arcade games in a dark room illuminated by colorful gaming machine lights.
Two hands displaying wedding rings against a black background.
Colorful wall murals featuring street art and painted figures in an indoor space.
A romantic couple shares an intimate moment in dramatic lighting with her wearing a delicate necklace.
An intimate black and white portrait of a couple sharing a tender kiss.
Newlyweds hare a tender moment near a window with colorful reflections.
A romantic moment between a couple with soft window light and a flowing white veil.
A black and white portrait captures a couple's tender embrace while wearing casual attire.
Close-up detail shot of hands wearing wedding rings in intimate lighting.
A couple embraces under ambient lighting with string lights and a flowing white veil.
A couple shares a joyful moment under warm string lights with her wearing a flowing veil.
Bride sipping a vibrant purple cocktail through a straw in moody lighting.
A black and white photo of a bride playing skee-ball with arms outstretched at the Flipside in Loveland, CO.
A relaxed couple lounges on a red wall backdrop with casual attire in an intimate setting.
A couple shares an intimate moment against a vibrant red wall in an arcade bar.
A couple in contrasting outfits poses playfully on a city street.

It's like raaaaiiiiin on your wedding day


After the fun we had at the arcade, I left Kalina and Luke to have a private dinner at the Loveland Chophouse just across the street. I picked them up after they were done (perks of hiring me-I'll be your personal DD when you've been drinking) and we headed back to the AirBnb to finish off the day with a cute little cake cutting and first dance. The cake was as amazing as it looks- a chocolate devil's food with chocolate icing and raspberry filling. And their first dance quite literally made me tear up and that hardly ever happens- so you know it was heartwarming AF. Right as I was about to head out for the night, the storm clouds came rolling in and the rain came down hard and fast, leaving a warm, comforting glow to the town as soon as it passed. It was like a damn Hallmark movie, guys. And just like that, day one was in the books.

Elegant gold-decorated champagne flutes adorned with jeweled hearts displayed on wood surface.
Chocolate drip cake decorated with fresh berries including raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries.
Ornate cake serving set with decorative handles and personalized engraving on wooden surface.
Fresh mixed berries including strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries on dark plate.
A couple rests together near a window in a soft, intimate black and white portrait.
An intimate close-up portrait of a couple in white clothing with moody lighting.
A romantic moment shared between a couple in casual attire standing close together indoors.
Close-up of delicate lace detail on white fabric with hands gently touching.
An intimate embrace captured near a window with natural light streaming in.
Close-up shot of hands embracing, showing white shirt and lace dress details.
Low angle shot of feet and dress hem showing black shoes and lace fabric.
A newlywed couple share their first dance.
A couple cutting their wedding cake together at a table with a chocolate cake.
Close-up of hands cutting into wedding cake at a table with decorative settings.
A joyful moment captured while sharing a wedding cake at a table.
A playful moment shared while eating chocolate wedding cake together.
A slice of chocolate layer wedding cake with raspberry garnish on a white plate.
A couple in wedding attire share an intimate moment with wedding cake in a casual indoor setting.
Dark stormy clouds loom over silhouetted trees at dusk.
Raindrops on window glass create a blurred bokeh effect of the outdoor scene.
Bright orange poppies bloom against a wooden fence in a garden setting.
Close-up of lush green Virginia Creeper leaves in natural lighting.

Doesn't everyone go to buc-ees after getting married?


Day two started at everyone's favorite place- a government building. Here, Kalina and Luke signed the paperwork for their marriage license and even asked me to sign as a witness which was SO SWEET because you know, the whole point of Colorado for them was that they could self-solemnize. So having my chicken scratch signature on their legal document means a lot to me. Remember when I said they were perfect?


Once the legalities were done, we did what any self-respecting group of adults would do. We went to Buc-ees.

Listen. I had never been to a Buc-ees and they were adamant that I experience this world wonder and lemme tell you, it did not disappoint. A quick lil tailgate lunch later, and we were off to our final stop together: Fallen Desires Tattoos and Oddities. Kalina and Luke had decided to get matching tattoos at the coolest tattoo shop. Seriously, it had such weird, random, awesome stuff in the waiting area like raccoon pelts and a preserved crow's foot. Kye was their tattoo artist and she killed it with their tattoos. The tattoo parlor itself was straight out of my jewel-toned dark-aesthetic gingerbread house dreams and it was super nice of everyone there to let me photograph this experience for Kalina and Luke.

A couple reading a notice posted on a blue wall in an office setting.
A bride hold her ticket to be seen at the Loveland, Colorado town hall.
A moment captured at a service counter with a bride-to-be wearing a veil.
Black and white sneakers visible under chairs on gray carpeted floor.
Black and white close-up of hands holding drum sticks against a dark background.
A bride holding a marriage license and wearing a white veil smiles joyfully in an office setting.
A couple lean over their marriage license outside on a sunny day in Loveland, Colorado.
Newlyweds signing their marriage license together outdoors on a bright sunny day.
Newlyweds sitting in the back of an SUV with luggage and suitcases at a Buc-ees parking lot.
A bride and groom's feet dangle from their Jeep as they tailgate outside of a Buc-ees in Colorado.
A decorative welcome doormat with celestial designs in black and gold.
A tattoo artist shows a couple the design of a matching tattoo for their wedding day.
A black and white photo showing a bride checking the placement of her wedding day tattoo.
A bride and groom get matching tattoos on their wedding day.
A groom gets his wedding date tattooed on his chest.
Black and white photo showing a tattoo session setup with lighting equipment in an intimate studio setting.
Groom reclining on a tattoo studio table in Loveland, Colorado.
A bride check's her new husband's tattoo placement.
Black and white image of a tattoo session in progress with professional lighting setup.
Close-up shot of a tattoo being applied to someone's leg in a studio setting.
Close-up view of mountain-themed tattoo designs on skin.
Heart-shaped metal sculpture covered in red locks against a blue sky.
Serene lakeside landscape with blue sky and white clouds reflecting on calm waters.

I'm not crying, you're crying


It was legitimately sad when I had to give one last hug to Kalina and Luke before we went our separate ways. It had been three days of working together and I enjoyed every minute of it. While I was driving back from the park through the winding Colorado roads, I stopped and thought to myself how incredibly lucky I am that this is my profession. I get to photograph the most beautiful people in the most beautiful parts of the world and for that, I am eternally grateful.


Looking to do your own Colorado elopement? Get in touch- I'll spill all my secrets for making it as perfect as Kalina and Luke's, while making it uniquely yours.


Vendor Team

Photography: Danielle Ariadne

Hair: Angelica

Makeup: Kate S

Flowers: Parsley and Valentine

Wedding Gown: Casa Blanca Bridal

Wedding Gown Bridal Boutique: Amelia's Bridal

Shoes: Betsey Johnson

Elopement Location: Rocky Mountain National Park

Arcade: The Flipside

Tattoo Parlor: Fallen Desires Tattoos and Oddities

Tattoo Artist: Kye N.