Angela and Jason had a fairytale engagement followed by a a fairytale wedding. The two met in 2016 when Angela was working on a story as a reporter for CBS 13. They dated for a year and got engaged during a romantic getaway to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. Jason had booked a photo shoot to celebrate their one-year anniversary. They shot in multiple locations, including their last stop at the beach. “Once we walked onto a pier over the water, Jason got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife,” says Angela. “It was a fairytale proposal I will never forget!”
A year later, they married at Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. Angela’s childhood priest officiated the ceremony. “Father Bernard Poggi led the ceremony in such a seamless and elegant way,” she says. “We felt so much love radiating from each other and our family members, it was truly a surreal experience.”
The bride was emotional when she saw her groom. “I was so excited, happy and ready to bawl tears of joy but I tried hard not to cry because I didn’t want to be the bawling bride.” Jason was stunned by her beauty and felt blessed that she was walking down the aisle to become his wife.
Throughout the day, they had several family traditions. During the ceremony, their mothers lit two candles next to the unity candle at the Cathedral altar, symbolizing unity as a new family. Angela’s father walked her down the aisle and the groom’s uncle did the first reading in honor of Jason’s father, who died several years ago. “Fusing our cultures together made for an entertaining wedding reception,” says Angela who’s Palestinian and Armenian; Jason is Italian.
During their reception at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento, the couple danced to an Arabic song into the ballroom, where they met the wedding party and immediate family on the dance floor. “It’s tradition for the bride and groom to be surrounded by the wedding party and immediate family during this introduction, as it’s the first dance to celebrate us as husband and wife,” she says. They also did a chair dance, where the bride was lifted on a chair and the groom was sitting on his groomsmen’s shoulders, and they included “Dabke,” a popular folk dance in Palestinian culture.
Jason has many favorite moments from the wedding, including exchanging vows, his mother-son dance, watching his grandma dance and his father-in-law’s speech. Jason enjoyed “seeing Angela’s reaction when we had a sneak peek of the decorated ballroom prior to the guests seeing the room.” She loved the look, saying, “I believe the floral and décor really add so much to the wedding reception vibe, and we wanted something elegant and glam at the same time.” Their lavender, white, blush and gold color palette popped for their summer nuptials.
The day flowed smoothly for the couple, who honeymooned in Italy. “I don’t think there was ever a dull moment on our wedding day, and it was evident by how much fun our guests were having,” says Angela.
—Kristen Castillo
