How did you meet?
We met at work when we were 18 and 19 years old at our local McDonald’s.
When did you become engaged, and how?
02/19/2023. Eddie took me on a day trip to my favorite city, San Francisco. He surprised me with a proposal at Andy Goldsworthy’s Wood Line where he had a picnic blanket set up with faux candles. When he made his speech and proposed, I of course said yes. Our families were present and watching from behind the trees where they came out from hiding to congratulate us both.
#WeddingGoals
We wanted live music for the reception and expected to have a live group perform a mix of different Latin genres. Hijos De Accion definitely surpassed our expectations and our guests loved their music. They kept the dance floor moving!
How did planning go?
It was challenging and fun. Our favorite part was meeting the vendors and seeing what they could do. The worst part was creating the guest list. We would’ve loved to invite everybody we know but unfortunately didn’t have the budget to do so.
What was the biggest challenge of wedding planning?
The biggest challenge was having a timeline of when things on our checklist needed to be done. With both of us working long hours at work, we needed to be sure to keep each other accountable for the checklist.
How would you describe the ceremony?
Our ceremony was very personal and intimate that included our own vows, a handfasting ceremony, and traditional vows. Our officiant was the groom’s older sister who has seen our relationship grow since our first date. Having Norma as our wedding officiant made it that more personal.
Did you have any special cultural features to your wedding or factors that celebrated the heritage of you or your family?
Including traditional dances like La Vibora and El Mandilon were our way of celebrating our heritage.
Funny Moment
When our best man was walking up to give his speech, he walked to John Cena’s WWE theme song. NOBODY knows how that happened, but it was the PERFECT choice!
Special Dances:
First Dance Song: “Lucky/Suerte” by Jason Mraz ft. Ximena Sariñana
Family Dance Songs: “My Father’s Daughter” by Jewel ft. Dolly Parton and Recuérdame (Arrullo) by Gael Garcia Bernal and Lucy Hernández
Cake Cutting Song: “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green
Bouquet Toss and Garter Toss Song: “Temperature” by Sean Paul
Last Dance Song: “Tragos Amargos ” by Ramon Ayala sung by a special family member
Special Dance Song: “La Vibora” and “El Mandilon” by Banda Machos
What was the best part of your day – from each spouse’s perspective, please?
Isabel: The best part of my day was walking down the aisle with both of my parents by my side. It was important to me to include my mom walking me down as she was just as important as my dad. It was also amazing being able to focus on my future husband while walking down the aisle. It felt surreal.
Eddie: The best part of my day was watching my future wife walk down the aisle. It felt like an out-of-body experience. It was a great moment to look out into the crowd and see both of our families present and have my sister by my side.
What was your favorite detail from your wedding day?
Our favorite detail was our videographer asking our guests for personal video messages. it was a very nice surprise to see those videos.
#VendorRaves
All of our vendors were absolutely amazing and made our day even more special. We couldn’t have chosen a better team of vendors to work with!
Looking back, what do you think your guests will remember most about your wedding?
Our guests were very impressed with P.J., our photographer, and how attentive he was to every detail and capturing photos of every guest that was present.
Advice from the couple:
Be clear about what you both expect on your wedding day. Planning was easier and smoother when we both discussed what we absolutely wanted and needed for our special day.
What would you have done differently if you had the chance?
One thing we would have done differently is to have opted for longer coverage for photography and videography throughout the night—we wish we would have every moment from that night. We also wish we hadn’t forgotten to let both sides of the families know to sit close to the front.
