McMenamin's Lucky Staehly's Pool Hall

Meet and Greet

Wedding Day

McMenamins Weddings & Events

Ceremony

Reception

After Party

Our Wedding

Wow. Here we are, 10 years later, finally tying the knot! We have had quite the journey over the years, all starting at The Roc in Grand Forks, ND. Though the bar has closed since then, we are still going strong! We first met when I (Tori) was working at The Roc as a bartender, and Alex would come in with friends, and I would serve them throughout the night. When I left to study in India, Alex got a job working as a door guy. When I got back from my studies, I picked up where I left off at The Roc and took back my supervisory position. Little did he know I was not only going to be his boss but his other half as well. Many of you may not know, but I'm the one who chased Alex and initiated the relationship. It didn't take too much convincing to go on a first date. He drove out to pick me up while I was living outside of Grand Forks at the time and took me to dinner and an attempt at a comedy show, which of course was canceled that night, and that led us to bowling! We were both so nervous that night, it's like we knew that this was the last first date we would ever have. I was the first to say "I love you", but Alex was showing me his love way before we even said the words to each other. One of our first nights together, he was telling me about his love for Hawaii and all the family trips he took when he was growing up. He told me that he wanted to share the beauty of Hawaii with me. About a year later, we took a family trip to Hawaii, and it was on that trip that I knew that I loved him. We were standing watching eels one night on a hotel lanai, and he was holding me, singing in my ear Elvis Presley's "I Can't Help Falling in Love With You". Not to sound cliche, but on the same trip, I fell head over heels for Tori. I loved seeing the look of amazement on her face while she explored a new place. It was also a lot of fun getting to show her the places from my childhood. I even enjoyed her pick of a quaint Airbnb, or illegal room rental, for our first night there. It was in the morning, as we we're were both lying in bed together, that I realized I never wanted to be apart from her. Alex tried to be sweet for our proposal, but unfortunately, I was being stubborn and ruined it for him! On December 31st, 2023, he took me to the Pittock Mansion, the first place we ever went together when I first visited Portland. But Portland being Portland, the weather was cloudy and dreary, and the mansion was very busy. We walked around and decided to go eat to avoid the crowd and get out of the weather. After eating, he asked if I wanted to go back to the mansion, even though it was dark and cloudy. I agreed, and once up there, he asked me to go walk around again. Multiple times. It was cold, I was in a dress, and I said no multiple times. I had a feeling he was going to propose that night, but the cold weather made my brain not process that he wanted to do it there! We ended up heading home to our apartment we both disliked, but not before he made one more attempt at going somewhere else. He offered to take me to downtown Lake Oswego to get a drink. Again, not thinking, I said no, that I wanted to go change before heading over to our friend's house for a NYE gathering. So instead of having a beautiful and romantic setting, Alex popped one of the biggest questions of our relationship in our living room! I still get grief to this day for not realizing how romantic he was trying to be. We're now happily living in Troutdale, right by our wedding venue, with our wonderful dog, Dory, whom we adopted last June after buying our house. We enjoy taking random road trips to the coast (where Dory loves to eat all the sand!) or up to the mountains. Riding our motorcycles through OR is something we've both come to love, though Alex would solely ride everywhere if he could! We can't wait to add to our story by sharing this long-awaited event with our friends and family!

Our Story

Photos

Wedding Party

Q + A

Best Western Cascade Inn and Suites

This is our venue and is a historical site as well! McMenamin's is a local company that takes older historic buildings and transforms them into hotels, restaurants, and bars, while maintaining their history. This is a unique hotel where only a few of the rooms will have it's own bathrooms. Most rooms will have to share a communal bathroom! There are 10 rooms in this block.

Mcmenamin's Edgefield

Travel

We have developed a love for axe throwing, go check out our local spot!

Blue Ox Axe Throwing

Just a short drive away is a Pacific Northwest Wonderland full of hiking trails, waterfalls, and a beautiful scenic drive.

The Gorge

The Oregon coast is about a 2-hour drive from us, full of amazing coastal towns and breathtaking views. You might even see a whale or 2 if you're lucky!

Oregon Coast

If you're a Stephen King Fan, Timberline Lodge is a must-see! The lodge was used as the exterior of the hotel in "The Shining" as well as the grand fireplace. It's located on Mount Hood, about 60 miles from Troutdale.

Timberline Lodge

Powell's is the world's largest independent bookstore. The Burnside location takes up a whole city block!

Powell's City of Books

This is the place Alex attempted to propose if you wanted to see it. The picture is of our first time there.

Tori & Alex