When it comes to this couple, it wasn’t love at first sight or even first date. But after a long friendship, inspiring one another to try new things like triathlons, and more, this slow burn Westin Carlsbad wedding was one that became a rich and deep relationship that will last the test of times.

Alexander and Nairi first met by chance after Nairi moved to Denver to get her PhD– and while they may not have clicked romantically on the first date, no thanks to a Spiderman joke that she didn’t find particularly unfunny, they ended the night as friends. Throughout the months and years, they bonded over things that they wanted to try to do and things that they loved. While they dated other people, the slow burn always was there– and it became one that would lead to a beautiful Westin Carlsbad wedding one day.

Then after Nairi completed her first marathon, the first person she thought to call was the person who inspired her most, Alexander. Known as the toughest trail run, the Leadville Marathon had Nairi start her run at ten thousand feet, and run 6,000 feet more in elevation throughout the entire time. And despite a runners high after that lasted nearly two weeks, she knew that the person who had brought her through it and to try and complete such a feat was the man who had an absolutely horrible Spiderman joke on their first date.

A two hour phone call during the car ride home later, they knew that for the first time they were single, and ready to take a chance on their relationship.

Despite being far away from each other their relationship grew– through bike rides, road trips with matching gear, and bottles of white wine at home with fancy cheese, crackers and a honeycomb, they quickly grew their relationship– and soon came their incredible Westin Carlsbad wedding that met- and exceeded- every dream they could have ever had.

When they first started planning their dream wedding, they knew that they wanted a simple and elegant wedding; something that they got in their sweet and classic Westin Carlsbad wedding. Coordinated beautifully by Valeria of Beatific Events, it was exactly the wedding that Nairi had always dreamt of.

And any wedding that offers welcome champagne before the wedding? Count. Us. In. We loved seeing their guests gather, grab a glass of champagne, and talk about how much they love Nairi and Alexander as they filed to their seats. Not only a fun touch, it added a way for their guests to gather, talk, and share everything that they absolutely love about the couple before the ceremony even began.

While the champagne ceremony might have been fun, one of our favorite moments of their ceremony was the glass ceremony that they did during their vows. Starting out with an empty glass, Nairi and Alexander poured a rich, sapphire blue glass into a container, representing the two of them joining one another in marriage and mixing every aspect of their lives together. Poignant, sweet, and leaving barely anyone with a tearless eye at this Westin Carlsbad wedding, and it was a moment that we truly loved getting to capture.

When it came to the reception, we loved seeing everyone out on the dance floor, whether it was dancing along to the music spun by Dancing DJ productions, lifting Nairi and Alexander as they did the horah, or cheering on Nairi as she sang to her now husband. It was an incredible experience, watching them blend both their religion, things they loved, and more, as they were surrounded by friends and family– creating the perfect end to the night.

To Nairi and Alexander; thank you, thank you, thank you for letting us capture every beautiful moment of your sweet and incredible Westin Carlsbad wedding. We wish (and know) that you’ll always find the sweet and tender of Nairi, Alex, and that you’ll continue to love and appreciate all the gestures and help that Alex gives you, Nairi.

If you loved the venue at Nairi and Alexander’s Westin Carlsbad wedding, we think you’ll absolutely adore Sarah and Rory’s Westin Carlsbad wedding that’s the perfect amount of nerdy and sweet. If you loved the story of Nairi and Alexander’s slow burn relationship, be sure to check out their engagement session at Mission Trails— we know you’ll absolutely fall in love with it!

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