RISK-FREE 30-DAY RETURNS + LIFETIME GUARANTEE
To Have and to Holden is our series where we interview real couples about their romance, weddings, and whatever else comes up along the way. Enjoy!
Alec and Alexandra are a Washington-based couple who were planning a summer 2020 wedding with family and friends. Due to COVID-19 disrupting their original plans, they eloped (on an island, no less!). They both wore our Domed Profile in white gold. Alexandra was kind enough to share their love story with us.
How did you two meet and start dating?
We met through mutual friends, and we hit it off right away. Neither of us really believed love-at-first sight was a thing, but then it was a thing. Alec was visiting our friends from out of town on Thanksgiving weekend. I ended up hanging out with them all weekend and didn’t go home once because I was obsessed. So was he.
How did you get engaged?
We took a weekend in October to go to Nelson, BC, which is 3 hours north of where we live in Spokane. It's beautiful - and fall there is gorgeous. We were waiting for a local milkshake shop to open at 8pm, so the half hour before, we were just wandering the streets. When I asked him if we should get going to the shop because it was almost 8pm he said, “Wait…,” quickly pulled out a box, got on one knee, and said in the middle of the street, “I love you. Will you marry me?” No one was around, and it kind of felt like we were on an empty studio lot, which was funny. I brought him up and immediately said yes! We then celebrated with milkshakes.
Tell us about your decision to elope! How did you choose your ultimate (GORGEOUS!) destination?
We had planned for a wedding at Manito Park - a local park in Spokane - with a reception at his parents’ backyard. They have a lovely wraparound porch and a beautiful yard. There were going to be food trucks and games… just a block party with our 70 closest people. When it was two months before our wedding, we decided that we would rather not postpone because we didn’t think things would be getting better with COVID for at least another year, and we didn’t want to put off being married (we had already been engaged for almost two years). So, we decided to elope and (fingers crossed) have a big reception in summer 2021.
As far as our elopement location, we thought about so many options, but Alec mentioned something about lighthouses being cool, so after some research, we came across the Lime Kiln lighthouse on San Juan Island. Neither of us had been, but the islands are pretty legendary in the northwest, so we thought, let’s go, sight unseen!
What’s one moment from your wedding day you’ll remember forever?
Alec
The little moment we shared, just us, right after we got married. It was our first moment together as a married couple. It was private. You were pretty. You were crying.
Alexandra
Same. You were very calm throughout the ceremony, and after, when it was the two of us, you were shaking from happy, excited energy, which I hadn’t really seen before. You looked pretty good, yourself!
What’s some advice you have for couples planning a wedding who may have to shift their initial plans due to COVID-19?
Alec
Take advantage of the possibilities presented by a small ceremony to do something crazy, creative, or something you never would have considered in the first place!
Alexandra
True. The best thing was that we got to have the best of both worlds — something intimate now and a big celebration later. I’d also say to not have specific expectations for the day of. It will be different than what you had originally planned. Try and let go of that original idea. For example, I was going to wear specific shoes… but I left them at the AirBnB the night before, so I got married in Birkenstocks, haha, which was actually perfect.
What was important to you when choosing a ring? What made you choose Holden?
We wanted simple bands - “understated elegance” as Alec says. We liked that there was free engraving, free resizing if need be, and the price wasn’t over-the-top. There are some other companies that do some of these things, but what really drew us was the simplicity of ordering and, most importantly, Holden as an ethical (for people and planet) company.
What does love mean to you?
Cuddles every single night. Understanding one another, or at least always trying to understand. Patience. Teamwork (makes the dream work)! Making sure the other person knows they are the most important person in your life. Supporting the other person and letting them support you. Love: It’s a good feeling, isn’t it?
Want to be featured in our next post? Shoot us an email at help@hiholden.com!
