HOW DID YOU MEET?
In college. We were both in the graphic design program at Sac State.
WHEN DID YOU BECOME ENGAGED, AND HOW?
August 2024. Cesar proposed on the beach in Hermosa Beach, CA
#WEDDINGGOALS
I knew I wanted the day to go as smoothly as possible. Our venue staff was really helpful in organizing the day, and I worked with all our vendors on the schedule to make sure everyone knew what was happening
HOW DID PLANNING GO?
The planning was fun but stressful at times. My favorite part was wedding dress shopping. We also liked venue shopping. The worst part was looking for a hotel block for my guests. Most hotels were not offering group rates during this time because of the Iron Man Marathon.
WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE?
The biggest challenge was sticking to our original budget and realizing things were going way over budget in the middle of the process.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR BUDGET
The budget increased as our guest list grew. We invited a certain number of guests but didn’t expect all of them to say yes. We also had additional guests attend because our parents wanted to invite them. If we’d had a larger budget, we would have added more food options from our cultures.
HOW WAS THE CEREMONY?
It was absolutely beautiful. It was everything we imagined it would be and more. We incorporated my favorite color, lilac, which turned out dreamy and beautiful. We did a sand blending ritual with lilac, gold, and white sand that represented our bond blending as one
CULTURAL FEATURES
We included Mexican mugs with Mexican and Filipino candies for our favors.
MEMORABLE MOMENT
Our first dance was amazing—Cesar and I worked really hard to learn a choreographed bachata/salsa dance. During the dance, my hair got stuck on Cesar’s sleeve, which almost messed up the dance; surprisingly, we got out of it and continued dancing like nothing happened.
SPECIAL DANCE SONGS
First Dance Song: Stand by Me by Prince Royce and Que Precio Tiene el Cielo by Marc Anthony
Family Dance Songs: Father/Daughter: Dance with My Father, Mother/Son: Aunque Ya Esta Grande by La Sonora Dinamita De Lucho Argain Y Xiu Garcia, Meño Segovia
BEST PART
Elyssa: Walking down the aisle!
Cesar: The ceremony.
FAVORITE DETAIL
Our officiant’s love story about us.
#VENDORRAVES
Philippe our photographer, Franky our DJ, and Norma our officiant—all were amazing!
LOOKING BACK, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR GUESTS WILL REMEMBER THE MOST?
The ceremony and the dancing.
ADVICE FROM THE COUPLE
Think of it as a project that you are working together as a couple going into your next phase in life. Collaborate with each other, consider each other’s wants and needs, and be patient with one another.
WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY?
Incorporate more food from our cultures (Mexican/Filipino). It was easier to stick with the food that the venue provided which still came out really good.
