The idea came to me while exploring ways to make Valentine’s Day portraits feel different.

One afternoon, while building moodboards, a photo of two 80s/90s wrestlers popped up, and something clicked. I thought, what if this was a wrestling theme… but with a cheesy Valentine’s twist?

From there, I started building the world: shaping the idea, dialing in the color palette, sourcing props, and crafting the set.

To keep equipment costs down, I made a heart-shaped gobo to add playful texture to the background. And for materials, I kept things scrappy—thrifting and using Dollar Store finds. The ring “ropes” were made from pool noodles wrapped in duct tape.

What really pushed it over the edge was bringing in a face painter during the event, who helped transform each person into a character—giving everyone something to step into the moment they entered the ring. (Shout out to AJ!)

The entire experience was designed to be low-cost, allowing proceeds to be donated to the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition (PIRC). Because making a pop-up with love in mind should give a little love back, too. F* Ice.