We were lucky to catch up with Alexyss Coles recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Alexyss thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Frame and Flask was born out of a mix of passion and frustration. For years, I noticed that when people planned weddings, parties, or even intimate celebrations, they were forced to juggle multiple vendors who didn’t always communicate or align on vision. Guests might have a beautiful venue but an average bar setup. Or they’d have a great caterer but no one coordinating the flow of the day. I wanted to change that.

The idea started pretty organically—friends and family would ask me to help with their events, and I realized how much I thrived on it. I loved the energy of creating an experience from scratch and solving problems before anyone else even noticed they existed. When Nick and I started putting our skills together—his photography and chef background, my event coordination and bartending expertise—we realized we had something special. We could be a one-stop shop for clients who wanted luxury service without the stress of managing a dozen different people.

The logic of starting Frame and Flask was simple: people will always celebrate milestones, and those moments deserve to feel effortless, seamless, and memorable. What excited me most was being able to offer an all-in-one approach that didn’t feel cookie-cutter. We weren’t just bartending, or just coordinating, or just taking pictures—we were curating entire experiences. That felt unique in our market, especially in Morgantown and the surrounding areas, where many vendors specialize in just one service.

At the heart of it, Frame and Flask is about connection. We solve the problem of stress and disjointed planning, but more importantly, we give people back the gift of being present at their own event. That’s what told me it was worth pursuing—because I knew that if I was excited about creating that for others, there would be plenty of clients who were excited to have it.

Alexyss, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Alexyss Coles, and I’m the co-founder of Frame and Flask, a luxury event services company based in Morgantown, WV. I’ve always been drawn to moments that bring people together—celebrations, milestones, and gatherings where memories are made. What started as helping friends and family plan and coordinate their events turned into a passion for creating seamless, elevated experiences. When I realized how much stress most people carried when it came to planning their “big day” or special occasion, I knew there had to be a better way.

Frame and Flask was built on the idea that people shouldn’t have to juggle ten different vendors to get the event they envision. My partner, Nick, and I combined our strengths—his culinary expertise and photography skills, my background in event coordination and bartending—to create a one-stop solution for weddings, private parties, and special events. Today, we provide a full spectrum of services including bartending, photography, private chef dinners, and full event coordination.

The biggest problem we solve is removing stress. Instead of clients worrying about whether their bar staff will show up on time, whether their caterer will communicate with the planner, or whether anyone will capture the candid moments, we bring it all under one umbrella. That way, clients can relax and actually be present at their own celebration.

What sets us apart is that we’re not just vendors—we’re curators of experiences. Every event we do is customized. For one couple, that might mean designing signature cocktails that reflect their personalities. For another, it’s building a menu with locally sourced ingredients that ties into their story. For another, it might be capturing timeless photos while ensuring the entire day flows smoothly behind the scenes. Our clients love that we’re personable—we take time to get to know their story and vision so the event feels like theirs, not just another “package.”

I’m most proud of the fact that we built Frame and Flask from the ground up, and in our first few months, we’ve already served clients across multiple states, from elegant weddings to milestone birthdays and corporate galas. Each event is a reminder of why we started: to take the pressure off people so they can actually enjoy their own moments.

If there’s one thing I’d want potential clients or followers to know, it’s that Frame and Flask is more than just a service. We’re a team that cares deeply about the details and the people behind them. Our brand is about luxury with heart—making events not only beautiful, but meaningful and effortless for those celebrating.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

Yes—what started as a side hustle has grown into my full-time business. Frame and Flask began very simply: friends and family knew I had a knack for planning, coordinating, and making celebrations feel effortless, so I was often asked to help out. At first, it was small things—helping plan timelines, bartending at private parties, or stepping in to coordinate a wedding rehearsal. But I quickly realized that not only did I love doing it, there was a real need for it.
The turning point came when Nick and I decided to combine our skills. He brought his culinary and photography expertise, and I brought coordination and bartending. Together, we saw an opportunity to create something unique: a one-stop event services company that offered luxury-level experiences without the chaos of multiple vendors. That’s how Frame and Flask was born.

Some of the key milestones along the way:
Our first paid bartending event – It validated that our services had real value.
Booking our first weddings – These were big moments because they showed couples trusted us with one of the most important days of their lives.
Expanding into multiple states – Within just a few months, we had events not only in Morgantown, but also in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Maryland. That proved our model wasn’t limited to one market.
Cross-industry partnerships – We started collaborating with salons, venues, and vendors, which allowed us to provide even more seamless experiences for clients.

Scaling up meant being intentional: creating systems for intake, contracts, payments, and staffing; building a digital presence through social media and our website; and leaning into both the luxury and personable aspects of our brand.

We’ve gone from hustling a few events here and there to becoming a trusted name for weddings, private chef dinners, and luxury event services across the region.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

A moment that tested my resilience came when we were just starting Frame and Flask. We had already invested so much time, energy, and money into building the business—branding, legal setup, supplies, everything—but for the first few weeks, nothing seemed to be happening. Leads were slow, people loved the idea of our services but weren’t booking, and it was hard not to feel discouraged.

On top of that, I was juggling other responsibilities, preparing for the bar exam, and questioning if this dream was really realistic. There were definitely moments where walking away would have felt easier.

Instead, I decided to double down. I reworked our marketing strategy, invested hours into creating intake systems and proposals that felt polished and professional, and started showing up every single day online—posting content, networking, reaching out to potential clients. Slowly, things shifted. Within one month, we went from almost no bookings to multiple signed contracts.

That period taught me that resilience isn’t just about handling emergencies—it’s about having faith in your vision when the outside world hasn’t caught up yet. The easy choice would’ve been to assume it wasn’t going to work, but pushing through the uncertainty gave us the momentum that turned Frame and Flask from a hopeful side idea into a thriving business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.frameandflask.com
• Instagram: frameandflask_events
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Frameandflask

Image Credits

William (Nick) Edwards from Frame and Flask
William Edwards Photography — Williamedwards.photography