Adam Baidawi and Alex Marxsen's New York Wedding Was a Love Letter to Their New Home City

The enduring love story of Adam Baidawi and Alex Marxsen has spanned over a decade and journeyed across four continents. Adam, who holds the distinguished position of global editorial director for GQ, first encountered Alex, a professional in global marketing for Lululemon, in their native Melbourne, Australia, back in 2014. Alex, reflecting on their early days, shares, "I was 21, and Adam was a few years older. We were both still living with our parents in the suburbs, and I think I'd only traveled abroad twice... yet somehow, our relationship became more international than we ever could have imagined."

Just two months after their fateful meeting through mutual acquaintances, Alex embarked on a planned study abroad exchange program, which meant leaving Melbourne. "I genuinely thought I had made the biggest mistake leaving Adam and this budding relationship," she admits. "I was beside myself for weeks, but I held onto the quiet hope that we'd find our way back to each other. Adam tried to play it cool and indifferent, the older guy act, but eventually, he couldn't resist and flew out to meet me in the States after I finished my exchange. From there, we embarked on an unforgettable adventure, a wild trip from Madrid to Marrakech and then to Los Angeles, and we've been inseparable ever since."

The ensuing years saw the couple globe-trotting. Their first international move was to Dubai, where Adam played a pivotal role in launching GQ Middle East in 2018. The magazine made waves with a groundbreaking cover featuring Egyptian-American actor Rami Malek, promoting his Oscar-winning portrayal of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody. Simultaneously, Alex excelled as a marketing manager for one of the Gulf region's most prominent sports retailers. In 2021, Adam relocated to London to assume the role of deputy global editorial director at GQ and head of editorial content for British GQ.

In 2024, Adam decided the time was right to propose. Alex recalls, "He had privately agonized over increasingly theatrical ways to propose—in London, in Australia, anywhere." However, during their customary summer holiday in Greece, they found themselves at a relaxed taverna situated on a serene beach, with views of distant islands. Adam later confided that he was utterly captivated by the scene's beauty. He ordered Alex a Mythos beer and, stating he'd be right back, secretly drove to the hotel to retrieve the ring. He returned to the beach just as the sun began to set and proposed on the spot. "The owner of the taverna kept the ouzo and beer flowing all night," Alex reminisces. "We had been together for about a decade by then, so you'd think I wouldn't have been surprised, but I truly was. It was incredibly special."

Their lives took another significant turn in February 2026 with Adam's appointment as GQ's global editorial director, which necessitated a move to New York. "The vague idea we had of a 2027 wedding by an Italian lake quickly evaporated once we learned that we'd have to marry before relocating to New York," Alex explains. Remarkably, amidst the upheaval of packing their lives, adapting to Adam's new position, and traversing the globe, they found the time to marry – and swiftly. "We ruled out London and Australia due to timing constraints and discovered that New York was one of the cities where you can legally get married in about 24 hours," the bride elaborates. "It suddenly made perfect sense to commence our new life in the city this way. We appreciated that we would have no alternative but to make swift decisions, drastically simplify, and fully embrace the beautiful chaos."