HOW DID YOU MEET?
We both met at the gym. We started off becoming friends and after a year we began dating.
WHEN DID YOU BECOME ENGAGED, AND HOW?
We got engaged October 3, 2023. We had gone to Mexico for the first time together to celebrate Armando’s grandma’s 100th birthday in San Juan de Los Lagos, Mexico. On that trip, they also visited Laura’s hometown of Aguascalientes, Mexico, about 40 minutes away from his family’s hometown. Armando took her to her childhood park, right next to the church where her parents got married. At the park, he asked Laura for her hand in marriage in the middle of the gazebo. It was private, with his cousin hidden nearby taking photos of the two of them. This place is very meaningful to Laura since it’s in the neighborhood her whole family has lived in for years, and where Armando promised to take her again.
#WEDDINGGOALS
We wanted to feel like we soaked up the day, instead of it flying by. We wanted to enjoy our time with our families and time with each other.
HOW DID PLANNING GO?
Smoothly! Since I’m a teacher, planning and organizing comes naturally to me. We booked all our vendors about a year out and were pretty relaxed with planning for the rest of the year. Our favorite time was doing our DIY projects together throughout the year of planning.
WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE?
The biggest challenge was finding vendors to fit our bilingual and cultural needs.
HOW WAS THE CEREMONY?
It was a traditional Catholic ceremony. During the Lasso tradition, we had each of our mothers put the lasso on us.
CULTURAL FEATURES
Our signature drinks were both beverages of Latin origin — a Paloma and a Clericot. We had a Money Dance, which is also traditional for Latin weddings. The bride wore a mantilla veil, which comes from Spanish culture. Our entire wedding was in Spanish, from the ceremony to the reception.
SPECIAL DANCE SONGS:
First Dance: “Que Más Puedo Pedir” by Carin Leon
Father/Daughter Dance: “Tu de Que Vas” by Franco de Vita
Mother/Son Dance: “Te Lo Pido Por Favor” by Juan Gabriel
Mother/Daughter Dance: “Te Amo Mama” by Los Bukis
Money Dance: “Sobran Motivos” by Conjunto Reinda Real, “Amor” by Emmanuel Cortes, “UN 100xTO” by Grupo Frontera & Bad Bunny, “Indigo” by La Pocima Norteña
Cake Cutting: N/A (private cake cutting, no song)
Bouquet Toss: “Yo Perreo Sola” by Bad Bunny
Entrance Song: “Quevedo: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52” by Bizarrap & Quevedo
Labubu Toss Song: “Bluest Flame” by Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco
FUN MOMENT
Instead of a garter toss, Armando did a Labubu toss—it was so fun!
LAURA’S FAVORITE PART
I loved the entire day—especially having everyone I love and care about in one room with us—and love looking at videos and photos to relive it. I also loved sneaking away with Armando during our cocktail hour to take a moment to ourselves—we sat in the bridal room and ate our dinner just the two of us before returning to share our love with everyone else.
ARMANDO’S FAVORITE PART
Of course, seeing Laura in a white dress at the church was the best part, but also seeing the mix between both our families and friends, starting from the church and leading into the reception and dancing. It was nice seeing all our small worlds blend together.
FAVORITE DETAIL
We loved how the music changed the vibes throughout the night. It started calm and full of love with classic Trio music, then shifted to traditional and lively during dinner with mariachi style, finally ending with music for all ages — cumbias, merengue, salsa, and reggaeton.
LOOKING BACK, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR GUESTS WILL REMEMBER THE MOST?
Our guests have shared how much dancing we did! Armando and I barely sat at our sweetheart table. They also shared how incredible the food was!
ADVICE FROM THE COUPLE
Think about what aspects are the most important to you both as a couple. Prioritize your budget to reflect that. For example, if music is the most important, spend more of your budget there and less on something that holds less value to you — and maybe even DIY it!
WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY?
Nothing — the night was perfect for us!
