Nina grew up in a suburb of Minneapolis, and, aside from heading north to Duluth for college, never wandered too far from home. Alex grew up across the country in Ashland, Oregon, and took a much longer road to Minnesota, living in Sarasota, San Francisco, and Dallas before eventually finding his way to Minneapolis. Minnesota was supposed to be another stop along the way, but then he met Nina and decided maybe he’d finally found where he was meant to stay.

Just before they met, Nina rescued Lenny, whose mix of breeds somehow explains almost nothing about what he actually looks like. Alex already had Jaxson, his 100-pound, gentle-giant golden retriever. After their first date, every free weekend was spent together, and Lenny and Jaxson quickly decided they were best friends too.

They soon discovered a shared love of boating and the water, trying new foods, and a little adventure. Before long, they decided to take that sense of adventure a little farther from home, planning their first international trip, as a couple, to the French Riviera. They landed in Nice, made their way along the coast, and had their first big adventure together.

They say traveling together is a true test of a relationship, especially when passports are involved. But somewhere between the winding streets, sparkling Mediterranean waters, far too much gelato, and exploring a new country together, Alex knew he had found the person he wanted to adventure with forever.

Now, returning to the French Riviera to be married feels like the sweetest way to bring their story full circle. And of all the places along the coast, Villefranche feels especially fitting. With its colorful streets, sparkling water, and old-world charm, it embodies everything they fell in love with about the French Riviera on that very first trip.

We couldn’t be more excited to share this little corner of the world with the people we love most!