About Under the Rune
Under the Rune is a Phoenix-based creative studio designing atmospheric environments for weddings, private gatherings, editorial collaborations, and seasonal experiences.
Our work is rooted in the belief that gathering is one of the oldest ways we create connection, mark change, and remember what matters. A table, a fire, a shared ritual, a room transformed by light. These are the details that invite people to slow down, connect, and feel part of something intentional.
We create spaces that feel lived in, layered, and alive.
The People Behind the Work
Under the Rune is led by Nathan and Alec, longtime best friends and now business partners, whose shared creative vision shapes every environment we create.
Together, we design gatherings that feel immersive, emotional, and deeply considered. Our work begins with the feeling of a space: the mood, the light, the textures, the movement of people, the objects that carry meaning, and the atmosphere that remains after the evening ends.
We come to this work with different strengths, but the vision is shared. Combined, we bring almost two decades of hospitality and event experience, with a deep understanding of pacing, guest experience, and the care it takes to hold a gathering well. Alec brings years of experience photographing weddings, gatherings, portraits, and events, with an eye for light, composition, emotion, and the moments that often go unseen.
Together, we shape environments that are considered from every angle: how they feel in person, how people move through them, and how they are remembered afterward.
At Under the Rune, photography is not an afterthought. It is part of how we understand the work. The way a table catches candlelight, the way fabric moves in the wind, the way guests gather around a shared moment. These details shape both the experience itself and the memory people carry afterward.
A Shared Creative Vision
Under the Rune exists somewhere between design studio, gathering place, and creative house.
We are not interested in creating spaces that feel copied, overproduced, or disconnected from the people they are made for. We care about atmosphere, pacing, presence, and the emotional rhythm of a gathering.
As a creative team, we are drawn to candlelight, old-world details, natural settings, textured materials, symbolic objects, layered tables, and spaces that invite people to slow down and connect. We care about beauty, but not beauty for its own sake. We care about how a space holds people, how it changes the energy of a gathering, and how it allows something meaningful to unfold.
Whether we are designing a wedding, building a tablescape for a private celebration, styling an editorial shoot, or hosting one of our own seasonal experiences, the focus is always the same.
To create something people do not just attend.
Something they enter.
Design, Atmosphere, and Documentation
Under the Rune brings together event design, styling, production, and photography so the experience can be considered as a whole.
Our work may include visual direction, tablescape design, curated rentals, custom installations, altar and bar styling, candlelight, florals, textiles, layout planning, on-site execution, and photographic documentation.
We think about how a space looks, but also how it moves, how it feels, and how it will be remembered. How guests arrive. Where they gather. What they notice first. How the environment supports connection, conversation, stillness, celebration, or ceremony.
Every element is considered as part of the whole.
Who We Work With
We work with people who care about how a gathering feels.
Our clients are often couples, hosts, creatives, families, and collaborators who want something personal, atmospheric, and intentional. They may not have every visual detail defined, but they know they want the space to feel different.
They are drawn to mood, meaning, texture, candlelight, natural settings, old objects, and thoughtful design. They want a gathering that feels considered, not performative.
The Bigger Story
While private events, weddings, and editorial collaborations are part of our work, Under the Rune is also building something of its own.
Through The Collective, we are creating seasonal gatherings and immersive experiences shaped by ritual, food, environment, photography, and community. These gatherings are part of the long-term vision for Under the Rune: a place where people can return throughout the year to connect, celebrate, reflect, and feel a sense of belonging.
This is the world we are building, one gathering at a time.
Begin the Conversation
Whether you are planning a wedding, private gathering, editorial collaboration, or want to follow along with our upcoming experiences, we would love to hear from you.
From the Studio
A glimpse into recent gatherings, creative process, and the details we gather along the way.
Follow along on Instagram: @undertherune
