South Mesa Trailhead Engagement

Karly, Jackson and I met in Littleton at the beautiful South Mesa Trailhead to celebrate their engagement.

I asked the couple how they met. Karly shares, “On the Hinge App! We were both living in the Dallas, Texas, area and matched on Hinge and started talking, and the rest is history! We talked on the phone almost every night for the next few weeks and met for tacos as our first date. My first impression: “Ooh, he’s cute!” Jackson adds, “I thought she was very pretty!”

For their first date they went to Torchy’s Tacos. Karly adds, “I was nervous to meet him in person, but felt so comfortable when I saw him. I remember I had never been to Torchy’s before and I ordered three tacos and realized quickly that it was way too much food and very spicy! But Jackson had no judgment and offered to refill my drink when I told him it was too hot. We talked for hours after eating our meals and stayed pretty much until the restaurant closed.”

Karly shares when she knew Jackson was the one for her, “When he built my new bed frame from IKEA (he works there) about 3 weeks into our relationship! Also when he sent flowers to my house when I was sick. I still have one of the flowers from the arrangement he sent. It was the first time he sent me flowers.”
Jackson added, “When we went kayaking a couple weeks into our relationship and my kayak sank because it had a hole in it and I had to swim back to shore while she towed my kayak behind hers. After all that, she didn’t judge me and reassured me that I shouldn’t be embarrassed.”

Karly shares the proposal story, “Jackson proposed on the top of Lookout Mountain in Golden, Colorado. Our friends from Houston, Texas, were visiting and told me that they wanted to go take pictures in the mountains. I thought nothing of it. My friend Ashton asked what I was wearing and I said “I don’t know, a t-shirt and jeans?” I wasn’t planning on taking any cute pictures, just taking them to a good spot. To which she replied, “Oh, I really wanted you guys to be in them too!” So I put on a dress and braided my hair (still not realizing anything out of the ordinary) and we drove up to Lookout Mountain.

When we got there, we walked down to the lookout and our friends stayed up at the top of the lookout while Jackson and I stood at the bottom together. I started taking pictures of the beautiful view and he knelt down and asked me to marry him! Of course I said yes, I was so surprised and excited! After I said yes, I turned around and our parents were hiding in the bushes and had flown in from Texas and New Jersey to be there with us. I was so surprised and was crying happy tears the whole time. It truly was so unexpected and the very best surprise.

Jackson had asked one of his co-workers with a nice camera to come and capture the moment, and she got confused about where to go and wasn’t actually there to take pictures for the moment when we got engaged. BUT there was another photographer randomly at the lookout that took a video of the whole thing and took pictures too. He was not part of the plan, so that was really funny! He met us at a local Walgreens to give us the photos afterward!”

Jackson shares, “Colorado means a fresh start for us. Living in Colorado has always been a dream for me and being able to live that dream with my favorite person has been a dream come true. It gave us an opportunity to write our own story.” Karley continues, “It hasn’t been easy transitioning from out of state where none of my family or any of our friends are located, but Colorado has been so beautiful and I feel so lucky that we’ve had the chance to experience its beauty. Now we have a whole new reason to love this place! It’s where we started our next chapter and where we will get married!”

The couple plans to get married in Colorado most likely in the spring of 2027. They are hoping for a garden wedding with a rustic/modern twist with lots of fresh flowers and spring colors. When I asked Jackson about plans for the wedding he said, “Whatever she wants!”

The couple also shared what they love most about each other. Karly shares, “I love how genuine he is and how passionate he can be about the people and things that he loves. I also love how logical he can be in situations that seem impossible. He’s always there to help me find a solution or get through the tough times. There’s nothing more I could ask for in a husband! He’s also funny, so that’s a perk!

Jackson shares, “I love how supportive she is of me and our relationship. No matter what stage of life we are in, she always pushes me to be a better man, but also lets me know when it’s okay for me to stay right where I am.”

Congratulations to Karly and Jackson!