Many love stories begin at a party, on a dating app, or through mutual friends. Ivory and Alexander’s started with a car accident! “Alex was on a motorcycle and crashed into my car”, Ivory said. He may have totalled his bike but found his future wife!

Years later, the couple found themselves planning a wedding that looked nothing like the ones they saw around them. They wanted it to just be the two of them at the courthouse, followed by a photo session a few days later. The ceremony lasted two minutes, they both wore blue, and they went to get champagne and sushi afterwards.

They chose Marin County Civic Centre, a building that felt straight out of a Wes Anderson film, for their wedding pictures. Alex is a movie buff, so he was on board immediately. The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed landmark has incredible symmetry, warm tones and geometric lines which became the foundation for the entire aesthetic. “We wanted to maintain an aspect of romanticism in a fun, creative way,” Ivory explained. “We didn’t have a wedding, so we wanted pictures that would look timeless.”

They pretty much skipped every tradition except rings and Ivory wearing a white dress, which was the same dress her mother was married in. Her mother originally paid $150 for the dress in 2007 and Ivory spent $200 on tailoring it. Her accessories came from TJ Maxx. Their entire wedding cost around $2,000 with their only big spend being on the photos.

“We pretty much skipped every tradition beside the dress and rings,” explained Ivory. “We have family members all over the world, so a wedding ceremony would have been impossible and unfair to the family member who could not attend. We are also not religious and do not have any strong cultural traditions. I also hate when people watch me do stuff, so we decided to keep the day about us.”

“I think when I hear ‘traditional wedding’ I think it refers to American, Christian, and heteronormative. That’s not us. However, there are a lot of beautiful, traditional weddings that are cultural celebrations. I don’t feel a strong connection to any one culture, but I wish I did. My family dynamics are also complicated. I have felt stress about that since I was young, so eliminating that aspect took some weight off my shoulders.”

Much of the planning happened in secret, which they really loved. And by the time they announced their engagement, many of the details had already been arranged. “A lot of the wedding planning process was a secret,” Ivory concluded. “When I announced the engagement, we had already planned a lot of it. We received an overwhelming amount of support and well wishes. So our advice would be just do what makes you feel happy and keeps you out of serious debt. Lean into each other and remember that your partner is on your side through it all.”