Designing your own wedding is one thing—designing it during a global pandemic is another entirely. We were originally set to get married in 2020, and I had just laser cut our invitations when I was sent home mid-print run in March. What followed was over a year of uncertainty, postponed plans, and an ever-shifting rulebook. As a designer, I had too much time to second-guess every decision—but I poured myself into the details, holding on to the hope that we’d get to gather.

When our wedding finally happened in 2021, it wasn’t just a celebration—it was a reunion after so much time apart. Our friends and family flew in from New York to the Pacific Northwest, many visiting for the first time. We called it Camp Alex (my husband is also named Alex) and built the weekend like a summer camp getaway: welcome cocktails, Olympic Peninsula beach days, wine tastings, hiking Hurricane Ridge, and a waterfront ceremony at Chevy Chase Beach Cabins.

The moment my family arrived, the stress melted away. Being together again after everything we’d all been through was overwhelming in the best way. I designed and created everything myself: the full brand system, illustrations, custom signage, handwritten shell place cards, laser-cut coasters, welcome guides, cocktail menus, and coordinated across ~8 vendors.

My vendors became my lifeline throughout the year. Their warmth, flexibility, and belief in the vision carried me through the hardest moments—and somewhere along the way, we became friends. Their care and collaboration brought this deeply personal project to life.