A few weeks ago, I orchestrated a “styled shoot” with one of my favorite models, Kaitlyn, and her partner, Levi, at the breathtaking Flagstaff Mountain in Boulder, Colorado. For those who aren’t familiar, a styled shoot is a mock photoshoot, often bringing together several different creative professionals to collaborate on a shared visual concept, which can then be used for marketing materials or client inspiration.

I first met Kaitlyn when I was hired to do her high school senior portraits in 2016. I loved working with this natural beauty back then, so when I heard she was home from studying abroad in Italy, a lightbulb went off! Together with her longtime friend (and—bonus!—stylist) McKailyn Quast, we dreamt up this fun adventure elopement scenario for these lovebirds!

A Modern Love Story

In Kaitlyn’s own words, “Our love story is not your typical love story, but it sure is my favorite one!

“Levi and I first crossed paths back when I was a senior in high school, but only spoke a few words to each other since he was almost five years older than me. After I graduated high school, I started working at a pizza shop next to his work, and that’s when we started to get to know each other a little better. He would come in nearly every day I worked there, ordering the same cheese pizza until I started to make fun of him for it. Eventually we began to hang out after my shifts ended. It was obvious Levi was quickly becoming enamored with me while I, on the other hand, tried to refrain from liking him. I was about to leave the country for a long while! It would end up being the greatest adventure—college in Italy for four years!—but it wasn’t exactly the best time to launch into a new romantic relationship. I thought I had convinced myself that we were just friends when all my feelings for Levi rushed in all at once… two weeks before I left! I was quite surprised, but just couldn’t ignore the feelings I was experiencing!

“So I left to Italy, as planned, but Levi and I could not stop communicating with each other in every way possible: FaceTime, calling, texting. We were crazy about each other. We started dating after my very first semester studying in Italy, when I came back to the states for winter break. We quickly fell in love. We have been dating ever since—going on three years!—and making long distance really work for us. We always like to say that long distance only works if both people believe the other is worth it. To me, our relationship is a blessing in more ways than one, and we get the pleasure of falling in love with each other more and more every day.

“Currently, we are having so much fun together and simply enjoying each other’s company while we gather enough money to go on our honeymoon!” Eventually, we are looking to adopt a great dane (or two!) and hopefully a kitten—if I can convince Levi!”

Scroll on to see the incredible images (captured with help from the talented Jennifer Garza Photography)

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple during sunset. She’s wearing a white dress and holding a bouquet of flowers. He’s wearing suspenders.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple holding hands during sunset.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple laughing while walking down a mountain.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple kissing while the sun sets in the background.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple walking up a mountain wearing wedding attire, with a backpacks and a picnic basket.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple walking up a mountain for a picnic, looking back at the camera and smiling.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple holding a bouquet and kissing at the scenic Flagstaff Mountain.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple walking hand in hand through a field of wildflowers

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple holding hands and smiling while walking through the woods in Boulder, Colorado, while the sun sets.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple holding hands while running through the forest in Boulder, Colorado.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple kissing in the forest while the sun is setting behind the trees.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple embracing as they walk through a pine tree forest in Boulder, Colorado.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple running through the woods in wedding attire with the sun setting through the trees.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple wearing wedding attire and backpacks smiling and closing in for a kiss in the forest.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple embracing and kissing while taking a break from hiking in the forest at Flagstaff Mountain.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple holding hands, wearing wedding attire and backpacks, and holding a picnic basket as they hike up the scenic Flagstaff Mountain.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple embracing and looking lovingly into one another’s eyes during sunset on Flagstaff Mountain.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple embracing at arm’s length, smiling at each other during golden hour at Flagstaff Mountain in Boulder.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple embracing who look like they’ve just been caught, while the sun sets casting warm light over the mountain.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple laughing while embracing among pine trees at Flagstaff Mountain during sunset.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple in love, embracing during the golden hour at Flagstaff Mountain in Boulder.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple in wedding attire looking out at the view from Flagstaff Mountain as the setting sun casts warm light over the vista.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple embracing at sunset, looking out over the expansive vista from Flagstaff Mountain, with the sun filtering through her sheer wedding dress.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple looking out over a mountain vista in wedding attire during sunset.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple kissing and then looking back at the camera with the backdrop of a mountain vista during sunset in Boulder, Colorado.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple looking deeply into each other’s eyes at the edge of a mountain vista during sunset, with the sun filtering through the bride’s sheer white dress.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple in wedding attire, carrying a picnic basket up a mountain during sunset.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple holding hands and smiling while carrying a picnic basket up to a viewpoint on Flagstaff Mountain.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple in wedding attire running across a meadow with the sun setting through a backdrop of pine trees.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple skipping down a mountainside in wedding attire, holding hands.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple in wedding attire frolicking across a meadow hand in hand during sunset

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple in wedding attire smiling and holding hands along with a bouquet while the sunset sends a ray of light between them

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple in wedding attire kissing in a meadow while the sun sets behind a row of pine trees

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple in wedding attire hiking up Flagstaff Mountain

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple in wedding attire, sitting in a field of small white flowers, looking tenderly at each other and smiling

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple walking along a path in a forest holding hands and carrying a picnic basket

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple hiking up Flagstaff Mountain in wedding attire and wearing backpacks

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple reading their vows among large boulders at Flagstaff Mountain during sunset.

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple reading their vows during sunset at Flagstaff Mountain

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple reading their vows and smiling among boulders on a mountainside during sunset

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple reading their vows during sunset on Flagstaff Mountain

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple reading their vows and holding hands during sunset at Flagstaff Mountain

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple reading their vows during the golden hour at Flagstaff Mountain

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple kissing after reading their vows during sunset on Flagstaff Mountain

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple embracing after reading their vows during sunset on Flagstaff Mountain

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple kissing and embracing after reading their vows during sunset on Flagstaff Mountain

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple in wedding attire popping a bottle of champagne and laughing with a grand vista behind them

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple popping a bottle of champagne after reading their wedding vows at a mountaintop lookout in Boulder, Colorado

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple pouring a bottle of champagne into champagne flutes after reading their wedding vows at a mountaintop lookout in Boulder, Colorado, during sunset

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple pouring, then cheersing, glasses of champagne after reading their wedding vows at a mountaintop lookout in Boulder, Colorado

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple sharing a picnic on the edge of a mountain overlooking a grand vista, after eloping at Flagstaff Mountain

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple in wedding attire, sitting on large boulders in front of a grand mountain vista, after saying their vows during sunset

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple embracing tenderly while sitting on large boulders in front of a grand vista on Flagstaff Mountain

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple embracing tenderly while looking out to a grand vista from Flagstaff Mountain at dusk

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple in wedding attire embracing tenderly on Flagstaff Mountain at dusk

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple in wedding attire kisses tenderly on Flagstaff Mountain at dusk

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple in wedding attire, with a Mexican blanket draped over their shoulder, embracing tenderly on Flagstaff Mountain at dusk

Colorado elopement photographer Andrea Enger photographs a young couple in wedding attire, wearing headlamps as the sunset ends and the sky gets dark on Flagstaff Mountain

I met Andrea a few years back when we were doing a photoshoot together, and I absolutely loved every picture she took, not to mention her fun and energetic personality! When Levi and I got approached for a styled elopement shoot involving a hike, I thought, 'What a fun and creative idea!' Andrea takes incredible photos—so we were in. It was ultimately the best decision because the pictures turned out absolutely stunning.

On top of the amazing photos, Levi and I had a really fun time. Each photo is a beautiful memory of what our future elopement might actually look like! We will cherish these images forever and for that, we deeply appreciate Andrea and her incredible work.

— Kaitlyn Tarlton

Styled Shoot Models // Kaitlyn + Levi
Stylist // McKailyn Quast
Support Photographer // Jennifer Garza Photography
Adventure Elopement Location // Flagstaff Mountain

Adventure Elopement in Boulder at Flagstaff Mountain | Kaitlyn + Levi

Elope at Flagstaff Mountain

A Modern Love Story

Andrea Enger Photography