HOW DID YOU BOTH MEET?
We met through a mutual friend during a Friday night out at a bar. It was an instant connection and we went on our first date the very next night. The rest was history.
WHEN DID YOU BECOME ENGAGED AND HOW?
Dom conspired with my best friend and after having lunch with her at Gar Woods Grill and Pier in Lake Tahoe, he proposed to me on the dock overlooking the lake. I was not expecting it at all—he really surprised me and I was so excited, it was the fastest yes ever. Afterwards he planned a party with our friends and family at the pizza place and bar we went on our first date at, where we live in Reno, Nevada.
#WEDDINGGOALS
What we really wanted most from the day was to celebrate our marriage and love for each other, and just have a beautiful day surrounded by our family and closest friends. Sutter Creek and Amador County are really special places to us so we knew we wanted to have our wedding there and share that special place with our guests.
It was also important to us to have amazing food, drinks, and music, and our vendors delivered above and beyond. Our guests raved about the food and the desserts!
HOW DID THE PLANNING GO?
All of our vendors were a dream to work with and such professionals, which really made it easy for us. Since we did not have a wedding planner, it was a fun challenge for us to find the vendors together and really work as a team to personalize our day and make every little detail come together. It was a lot of admin and hard work outside of our normal lives and full-time jobs, but it brought us so much closer, and you can really see both of our personalities throughout our entire wedding day in the details.
WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE OF WEDDING PLANNING?
We chose a venue that didn’t come with anything other than tables and chairs, and we also chose not to hire a wedding planner, so the most difficult part was having to outsource all of the different vendors we needed and have them come together cohesively. This was also such a fun part of our planning process though, because we really got to customize each little detail and be more intentional about the vendors we picked.
WHAT WERE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES OF STAYING WITHIN YOUR BUDGET AND HOW DID YOU MANAGE IT?
There were some challenges to staying in our budget—we had to be very intentional about everything we picked and really did our research on the prices of everything. We also tried not to go overboard with certain bells and whistles (though really tempting) and just kept things simple but still perfect for us. It came together exactly as we envisioned in the end, even though we did have to be conscientious.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE CEREMONY?
We really loved how small, intimate, and peaceful our ceremony area was. We loved that our dog got to be our “flower girl” and be a part of the ceremony because she goes everywhere with us and is a huge part of our lives. And lastly, we loved reading our personal vows to each other in front of all of our loved ones.
ANY MEMORABLE MOMENTS FROM YOUR RECEPTION?
Our family members gave beautiful speeches during our champagne toast, and Dominic’s mom made it even more special by gifting us customized bottles of champagne with our engagement photos on them for every table. It was such a sweet, personalized touch.
DID YOU HAVE ANY SPECIAL CULTURAL FEATURES TO YOUR WEDDING?
We knew we wanted to honor Dominic’s Mexican heritage by doing Mexican food, drinks, and dessert. We had tacos, rice and beans, margaritas, and churros for dessert, and it was authentic, delicious, and made the day even more special being able to incorporate his culture.
ANY FUNNY OR UNEXPECTED WEDDING MOMENTS?
During the ceremony we both messed up on the “repeat after me” part of the vows—it was very funny and made for some of our favorite photos of the entire day. Maggie also accidentally left her bouquet in the bridal suite before the ceremony and didn’t realize until the processional music was already going and family members were walking. Our sweet day-of coordinator had to sprint back and get it, and made it just in time.
WHAT WAS THE BEST PART OF YOUR DAY?
Maggie: Getting to marry my best friend surrounded by all of our favorite people. Also seeing all of our hard work, and all the love, care, and personal details that went into planning our day finally come together. We threw a great party!
Dom: I agree with Maggie—getting to marry my best friend and knowing that I have a partner in her for life. I also loved the moment we shared after the ceremony, just us, taking it all in and catching up on the day.
SPECIAL DANCE SONGS:
First Dance: “Crazy for You” by Adele
Father/Daughter Dance: “Have I Told You Lately” by Van Morrison
Mother/Son Dance: “Stand by Me” by Prince Royce
Cake Cutting: “La Vie En Rose” by Louis Armstrong
Last Dance: “You Belong With Me” by Taylor Swift
FAVORITE DETAILS
Something we both loved was how we incorporated our own personalities and individual interests into our day. Dom loves to golf, so my dad and I made mini golf holes from scratch for guests to play on during the reception. I love to read, so the table numbers were on some of my favorite books; and for the seating chart, every guest’s name and table number was printed on a bookmark and displayed on a big mirror—it turned out really pretty and was a unique touch.
#VENDORRAVES
We loved all of our vendors so much, they all went above and beyond and exceeded our expectations, and were just all lovely people to work with. Kristi Young with Rustic Roots Florals made me the bouquet of my dreams, and Paquitas absolutely killed it with both the cocktail hour food, customized drinks and bar service, and dinner service. Our guests raved about the food and also the dessert from Joel V’s Churros.
LOOKING BACK, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR GUESTS WILL REMEMBER MOST?
We hope our guests will remember how sweet and personal our vows were, how beautiful our venue was, how intimate and special our ceremony was, and of course how good the food and drinks were! We really wanted everyone to have the best time.
ADVICE FROM THE COUPLE
It can be a little overwhelming with the amount of content you see online about wedding planning and what you need to have, and the expectations and pressure couples can sometimes feel from all the different opinions and options. Our advice would be to stay true to yourselves and your preferences, and incorporate your personalities and favorite things—the little details can really make the day more meaningful and memorable. It can be easy to get wrapped up in the whirlwind of planning a wedding, but the most important part is marrying your best friend and life partner.
WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY?
Nothing—it was truly the best day because we put a lot of love, intention, effort, and time into making it the wedding of our dreams.
