The Couple:  Kelly Twibell and Mike Sanchez
Wedding Date:  August 24, 2012
Photography by Teresa K Photography

How did you meet your fiancé? 
 Mike and I met online. On our first date we found out that we lived only three blocks away from each other. It’s funny how the Internet brings people — even neighbors — together.
How was the question popped?  Mike asked me to marry him on Valentine’s Day. He was a trooper and went out with me to get a pedicure. When we got home, he brought out a big wrapped box. Ever the curious person, I shook the box before I opened it. It was heavy, and I said, jokingly, “Oh, boy! Another something for our kitchen (an inside joke)!”
I opened the box and found inside several wrapped packages. The first was a large, red wooden letter ‘K.’ The next was the letter ‘M.’ The final letter was ‘S.’ I looked up at Mike in disbelief, and paused before saying, “Is this for our last name (Sanchez)?” “If you want it to be,” he said with a smile. I looked down in the box one more time and saw a little box. Mike then grabbed the box from me and got down on one knee. The rest is what brings us here today.
As a side note, I had given Mike a hard time the night before, assuming he didn’t have anything exciting planned for the holiday. Let’s just say I felt pretty taken aback, and slightly foolish. I feel very lucky to have such a kind, and loving fiancé.
What type of wedding are you planning? Dish all the details!  We felt it was important to plan a wedding that reflected us as a couple. This meant taking some time to really figure out the who, what, where and how. We love Sacramento; it’s where we met and plan to stay. We knew we wanted something that reflected the city and its history.
We decided on holding the ceremony and reception at Courtyard D’Oro in Old Sacramento. Mike and I fell in love with the brick courtyard and surrounding buildings. For the ceremony we decided to emphasize family and friends through different roles. Instead of a formal bridal party, we have our nieces serving as bridal attendants. One of my best friends will officiate the ceremony and several other close friends will play music, sing songs and read selected poems.
The reception is a bit untraditional; instead of a Champagne toast we are having margarita shooters and instead of cake we are having a variety of cupcakes from Busy Bees Cupcakery and scoops of ice cream from Gunther’s Ice Cream. Our family and friends love to dance! We cannot wait to get down under the outdoor lights to DJ Raymond’s tunes, from Perfect Sounds. And, because I love a little playing with fire, I insisted on sparklers to close the night.
Mike and I are also looking forward to our family brunch the next day. We love, love, love Mexican food, so we decided to book Chando’s Tacos. I also wanted to highlight another Sacramento favorite—Marie’s Donuts! We will have a large selection of tasty donuts to help round out the day after feast.
If money were no object, what would be your one splurge at your wedding?  I already decided to “splurge” on an amazing photographer and make-up artist. I wanted someone to capture the memorable moments, and since I am generally the one who does make-up for my friends’ special events, I wanted someone to take care of me so I could sit back and relax and savor the day.
Both Teresa, from Teresa K Photography, and Christi, of Christi Reynolds Professional Make-up, have been amazing! I trust their expertise and value their attentive approach.
Are there any questions you would like to ask other engaged couples, newlyweds or wedding vendors? Ask them here and readers will leave comments for you below!  I am pretty decisive person, so I feel pretty great about the choices Mike and I have made for our wedding. But I am undecided about a photo booth. Any thoughts?

Blog post by Real Weddings Magazine’s Social Media Maven, Aimee Carroll.

Photos courtesy of and copyright Teresa K Photography.

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