Spring countryside wedding with Mexican traditions

How did you and your partner meet?

Jonathan: Manny and I met on OkCupid. He was new to North Carolina as he had recently moved here from Texas to pursue a Ph.D. at UNC-Chapel Hill. We started talking and discovered our mutual love for sports. We decided to go to a Carolina Hurricanes hockey game together as our first date. We’ve been essentially inseparable ever since.

Tell us about the engagement.

It was December 3, 2017, and I had been in New York for business and was traveling back on a Sunday morning. When I got to the airport, the car service picked me up, and I remembered thinking, “Why is Manny not picking me up from the airport, it’s a Sunday.” I was a little annoyed because it was early, and I thought he was being lazy. When I got home, there was a note on the door saying to come in as there was a surprise waiting. Manny had turned the downstairs area of our home into a Christmas maze for me to walk through with pictures of us together, notes for me, flowers and more. When I got through the maze, Manny was standing by the fireplace with our dogs, a ring and a beautiful sign that said, “Jonathan, will you marry me?”

Describe the highlight moment of your wedding day.

We chose not to see each other the entire day before the ceremony. I think we were both stressed and nervous, but we met at the door and walked down the aisle together hand-in-hand. I think walking toward each other and walking down the aisle together was definitely the highlight of our day and was a special time for both of us. Everyone commented throughout the evening how much they loved that with many saying that they teared up.

What was the biggest surprise of the day?

Manny had planned a surprise where he had his cousin and a close friend sing an acoustic version of Elvis’ song, “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” I had wanted that song to be played at the reception, but to dance to it being sung live was wonderful. I had no idea this was going to happen! Generally, I hate surprises as they cause me nothing but anxiety, however, this was very sweet and the fact that he pulled the whole thing off without me knowing was very special.

Manny and Jonathan had a spring countryside wedding in March. Manny is from Mexico, so they chose to incorporate many traditional Mexican elements into their day. They had a traditional wedding Lazo, also known as a lasso, which is part of all Mexican weddings. This symbolic cord represents the commitment and love that the couple has promised each other.

The couple chose not to see each other before the ceremony and saw each other for the first time right as they met to walk down the aisle. Instead of being walked down the aisle by their parents, they met at the entrance to the ceremony and walked in together.