They say Disneyland is the happiest place on earth, and for teachers Kristy and Vince, that proved true after 10 years of dating. Thanks to a helpful friend and a little Mickey magic, Vince popped the question to Kristy in front of the park’s hallmark Sleeping Beauty Castle. After asking a friend to secretly hand him the engagement ring, Vince found a Disney photographer and quickly told him what was about to happen. After Kristy said yes, the photographer took the two of them on a mini photoshoot around the castle. “The rest of that day was just amazing,” says Vince. “We were riding an emotional high while being at the happiest place on earth.”
The two got married on a warm day in November, opting for an elegant winery celebration rather than a heavily decorated event hall. “I am such a minimalist. I wanted to go for a simple and romantic look with a touch of color,” says Kristy. “I feel that sometimes having less goes a long way.” The venue’s bocce ball courts, rows of vines and earthy shrubs and greenery provided the perfect backdrop for photos. “They were all so good,” says Kristy. “I cry looking back at all of them!”
During the outdoor ceremony, the couple incorporated elements of Kristy’s Filipino culture that spoke to the promises they were making to each other. The couple opted for a buffet-style dinner after the vows as they wanted the guests to mingle and be social—but then, it was right to dancing. “Our reception was a big party thanks to our DJ doing an awesome job with mixing in old school hip hop, R&B and more recent hits of today,” says Kristy. “The dance floor was filled the entire night.”
To keep the energy high, Kristy and Vince tempted their guests with a sprawling dessert bar. In addition to featuring a two-tiered cake (matcha raspberry and coffee cake with caramel buttercream!), they also offered a candy station and donut wall along with San Francisco-based It’s-It ice cream sandwiches, in homage to their hometown.
Though the celebration focused on fun, there were plenty of touching moments between friends and family throughout the day. Kristy had asked her dad if he wanted to make a small speech but thought he didn’t want to as English is his second language. But just before the wedding, Kristy heard her dad practicing a speech while cooking dinner. At the reception, he surprised the couple by speaking about how proud he was of Kristy and Vince—and how hard he worked on practicing the speech! “It was the best speech I’ve heard him say yet,” says Kristy. “He knew it would make me happy if he got up to say something during our big day.”
—Suzie Dundas
