Real Weddings Wednesday: Presenting Cecilia Jimenez and Matthew Carroll

The Couple: Cecilia Jimenez and Matthew Carroll
Wedding Date: October 21, 2011
Photography by Emily Heizer Photography
Tell us a little about you and your beloved: Matt owns the largest Sacramento private patrol security company, Paladin, to where he takes his Police-trained K9, Scar, almost every day. I am working my way up into a SCUBA Diver Instructor’s career. We are a very adventurous and active couple, spending most weekends camping near our favorite dive spots in Monterey, Carmel, San Diego and, of course, Lake Tahoe. While completing our Rescue Diver Course in Lake Tahoe we decided it would be the perfect place near the water to get married.
What was the most amazing part of your day? The most amazing part of my wedding day was seeing all of our guests tear up as I walked down the pier, knowing that so many of my closest friends and family could plainly see the magic in our relationship like I did, supporting us there on the day we chose to become one…was simply overwhelming, and confirming.
What else would you like to share about your big day? My husband’s business partner was gracious enough to donate his Tahoe time-share home so that along with the entire wedding party, their families could stay there too. It was like Christmas, hanging out with the entire family the night before the wedding, the uncles drinking and playing blackjack, and my aunt and bridesmaids painstakingly making the bouquets by hand.

Ceremony Site: Timbercove Pier
Reception Venue & Caterer: Tep’s Villa Roma
Photographer: Emily Heizer Photography
Videographer: Edward Black – Imagination Harbor Media Group
Wedding Planner: Donna Lieb
Cake: As a couple, we don’t really eat cake. So we just decided to forgo the whole tradition and it didn’t interfere with the reception at all!
Flowers: Orange Roses, bought from Costco on the way into Tahoe, if you can believe that!
Favors: Tin boxes with jelly beans in our wedding colors embellished with ribbons and sea shells by Donna Lieb.
Wedding Dress: De La Rosa’s Bridal & Tuxedo
Bridesmaid Dresses: I didn’t want the drama of finding the dresses and fighting the bridesmaids to wear them. I told them to just all wear a Navy Blue dress! And they all looked great, it was very assorted and fun.
Hair & Makeup: Amanda Clymer from AJF Salon
Invitations: Etsy
DJ/Entertainment/Band: Dan with Teps Villa Roma
Honeymoon location: Key West, Florida
First Dance Song: “Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers (It was my mother-in-law’s first dance song, too!)
Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now? Don’t be afraid to (kindly) tell those well-meaning, meddling family members to back off. It’s YOUR day! Do it however YOU want.
Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance? I would have had a longer reception. By the time I got around to thanking everyone and the dances, it felt like it was over. It was quite a whirlwind, and I wish it had been a little bit longer so I could have enjoyed it myself a bit more.

Blog post by Real Weddings Magazine’s Social Media Maven, Aimee Carroll.
Photos courtesy of and copyright Emily Heizer Photography.