Welcome to our wedding

Alex and Marissa met on a dating app called Hinge (sponsor us!) Alex liked a photo of Marissa hiking in Joshua Tree and then Marissa decided to start a conversation even though she couldn't tell which person in the photos was him. After a couple of weeks of chatting, they met up at a local brewery in San Diego, Little Miss Brewing. Marissa purposely arrived 15 minutes late and was delighted to see that the guy at the bar was the one who she hoped it was! They had a great conversation, Alex promised her a trip to CO one day and Marissa managed to only spill a little bit of beer on herself. Afterwards they strolled up and down Adams Avenue where a homeless man commented on their matching outfits (Marissa was wearing maroon pants and Alex had on a flannel with the same color.) And that was the start of their budding relationship.

Alex and Marissa spent the last 6 years slowly building the foundation of their relationship. Countless dinners, beach walks with Charming (Marissa’s dog), hikes around San Diego, road trips, Padres games, fun nights out with friends, and tons of Disney movies in. After almost three years, 2020 happened. Marissa got a job in New York and just 2 weeks before her move, Charming unexpectedly passed away. 2 weeks after the move, right at the start of their long distance relationship, a global pandemic struck. Those 1.5 years of long distance were filled with some of the most difficult yet rewarding times. The pandemic allowed for them to spend hours on the phone each night, watching Schitt's Creek and falling asleep together. Well, Alex watching Marissa fall asleep. And Remote work enabled them to spend weeks at a time together. It was also during that time that Alex and Marissa told each other they wanted to marry one another some day. In August of 2021, Alex finally moved to New York and thus began their new life together exploring the East Coast. And then in October of 2021 their little family was complete again after adopting their beautiful, perfect puppy Rhea! Once settled in, the real question awaited...

Alex and Marissa took a trip to San Diego in February of 2023. Alex was prepared to pop the question on a romantic night on the beach, but Mother Nature had other plans. Instead of a romantic night on the beach, there was cold and rainy thunderstorms. So, he had to pivot. Instead, He planned a day with two of Marissas friends (Katie and Jenny) at a restaurant with one of the best views in San Diego, Coasterra. With a late lunch and a couple of drinks to increase the courage (even though she was always going to say yes), they all walked to the back patio on the harbor to take some pictures. And it was there that Alex got down on a knee, tried not to drop the ring into the water, and asked the most important question of his life. He had a speech prepared, but once Marissa saw the ring, she contorted her face in such a way that it was difficult to say much of anything. She said yes, they all hugged. Afterwards, they went back inside to take celebratory shots, followed by a surprise at a local watering hole with more of Marissa and Alex's friends to celebrate.