Alex describes the love story between her and Mikey in a truly heartwarming way: “In a way, it feels old. Like our souls have known each other forever.”

And while that may seem like a love-inspired exaggeration, it’s pretty close to the truth: they’ve known each other since age 11, when they were in the same classes in sixth grade. Though they didn’t start dating until after college, they were friends from the moment they met (though Mikey admits his crush on Alex began way back in high school!).

After an intimate proposal at home witnessed only by the couple’s pup Cooper, the two began their search for the perfect waterfront venue. They found it on the west shore of Lake Tahoe at West Shore Café and Inn and tied the knot on a breezy day in August. 

The ceremony was intentionally small, attended by just 14 guests. They opted to forgo a wedding party, deciding instead to focus on the commitment they were making to each other. “It was intimate and us. We didn’t want to feel like we were putting on a show for other people,” says Alex.

Though the wedding was held on one of Tahoe’s famously sunny summer days, Alex says the occasionally breezy gusts across the lake made the day beyond memorable. “The weather was perfect during the whole day,” she says, “but out of nowhere, there was a huge gust of wind while we were saying our vows. It was special and felt much bigger than us.” After the ceremony, the two took advantage of their venue’s location directly across from Homewood Ski Resort and took photos together, framed by golden grass and towering pine trees.

Alex says the biggest challenge of wedding planning was putting the celebration together in just seven months, especially as they live on the east coast and were also planning a second celebration at home for friends and family who couldn’t attend the Tahoe nuptials. Even with a planner, who Alex describes as completely vital, she says it was still a challenge to keep track of so many details in such a short window. However, the wedding went off without a hitch, and the two were able to spend their time focused on what mattered: each other.

“Watching Alex walk down the aisle was by far my favorite moment, and it was surreal. I felt so lucky,” says Mikey.

Rather than heading back to the East Coast post-celebration, the two packed up their beach gear and headed further west for their honeymoon: to Hawaii. Alex says they were on cloud nine as soon as the wedding wrapped up. “We felt thrilled,” she says. “We were so happy to be married.” 

—Suzie Dundas