Bio

I imagined my wedding day countless amount of times during my two year engagement and I can
honestly say that my daydreams didn't even come close to how the day really played out. It was absolutely
amazing. So far, the happiest day of my life. Everything went off without a hitch and there was not one person
in attendance that did not have a grin from ear to ear. The best advice I can give is to enjoy every second, every
detail of this whole crazy process. In the end, it is all worth it because you are marrying your best friend, your
soulmate, your everything.

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Our gorgeous wedding album!

Some of my favorite pages!

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My hubby decided to take an "after shoot" of me in my wedding dress for fun so we headed
to the Wynwood Art District, La Ermita de la Caridad and my dad's office building for some cool
shots.

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Our rings...

All my BM's in their matching tunics!

Getting my hair done did.

Good shot of my amazing hair!

Another shot of my hair as I get my makeup done...

Just finished getting dressed

All done and enjoying some cham-pag-ne in a can!

Cheers with my amazing BM!

The Sofia's in a can were a hit!!!

A huge hit ;)

Did I mention they were a hit?

So happy with my fabulous girls!

My fabulous hairpiece!

Getting the jitters!

Being photographed left and right!

Ready to go!

In my daddy's '65 Vette, ready to head out to the Monastery.

Augi and his dad heading to the Monastery in his own hot ride....

The girls in the limo

The boys looking handsome.

Our petal cones...

Dark shot of my Daddy & I walking down the aisle.

This was me "squee-ing" inside!

Yeah, I was excited lol.

Cute shot of a girlie portrait after the ceremony.

Our sweetheart table!

The guest tables!

Top of our cake table!

Our beautiful and DELICIOUS cake from Eli & Co.

Another shot of the guest tables.

Our DIY placecards :)

Closeups of CP's.

Our famous guitar guestbook - everyone loved it!

Cutting the cake!

Augi singing me a little tune :)

I love that my sister caught this little cute moment!

With my daddy and sister.

My adorable mom with my cousin and sister.

Bouquet toss!

Love this photo - basically describes my entire mood. I was so blissfully happy!

Reasons why I love my friends!

Ecstatic.

My HUSBAND!

Dancing...

Missing guests were still given love!!!!

Dip!

Getting down!

With my beautiful and wonderful MOH and big sister!

With my fabulous in-laws!

Tearing up the dancefloor with my knotsies!!!!

Things got crazy towards the end of the night....lol

Dancing with my amazing BIL :)

My IL's being cute!

Sneaking in a kiss!

The end of the night...

Picture perfect!!!!

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Typical "we're married!!!" shots ;)

Cool shots of the Bellagio, one of my favorite hotels.

Madame Tussaud's was pretty awesome.

The Grand Canyon was awe inspiring.

Inside joke....

A bum took these for us lol!!!

YES! In&Out Burger!!!!

Being huge Beatles fans, we were in heaven at the Mirage!!!

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Everything in Yosemite was beautiful, romantic, amazing. I hope to go there again in the near future!

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Venue: The Ancient Spanish Monastery

A+ - I could not have asked for a more beautiful venue. All my life I wanted to get married at the monastery and I was lucky enough
for it to become a reality. My ceremony in the Loggia was absolutely gorgeous and the cloisters were the perfect backdrop for my reception. All my
guests could not stop raving about how much they loved the monastery and kept commenting that they felt like they were in Spain not Miami. I had
some communication problems with the coordinators they provided, mostly due to their abundant lack of communication with each other, but
at the end of the day, they were able to pull through without any issues. However, I do recommend hiring a separate coordinator if you really want to
rest assured that things will go your way, which is what I did.

Caterer: Trattoria Sole

A+ - Although I'm a little biased, due to the fact that my FIL is the co-owner, they rocked the house when it came to the food and
drinks at my wedding. It was freaking amazing. No one stopped talking about it and are still talking about it now! Our signature drinks (chocolate martini &
pink mojito) were out of control! Everything we asked for, they delivered. The service was impeccable. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a
special events caterer.

Day of Coordinator: Melissa Caceres

A+ - Melissa went above and beyond her duties as a DOC. Anything I needed, she would take care of for me. I admit that I became a little lazy
towards the end of the planning process and would just shoot her emails asking her to do things for me knowing fully well that they were not part of her
job description as just a day-of coordinator, but she would take care of it all nonetheless. That day, if anything went wrong, I did not know about it b/c she
was on top of everything and not one complaint or issue came my way. Our hotel room was also beautifully decorated when we arrived back after the wedding.
She was one of my most laidback and trusted vendors and I would recommend her to anyone! I can not stress enough how vital it is to have a DOC on your wedding
day!

Officiant: Eddie Rodriguez

A+ - I can not praise this man enough! He is just a wonderful human being with a heart of gold. The moment DH and I met with him, we knew he had
to perform our ceremony. He made it so intimate and beautiful. All our guests came up to us just to tell us how moving our ceremony was and if we had known him
for some time b/c he really described our relationship perfectly. Not to mention that he calmed me down a lot when I was having a minor panic attack before
the ceremony. He is just an all around great guy. Also check out his new site, which was designed by my DH!

Photography: Big Fat Knot

A+ - What else would I give my friends, Stephan & Candace! Since day one, they have been aiming to please me and DH and they did not fail to deliver!!
Our pictures speak for themselves - they are gorgeous and really captured the feeling of the evening and most importantly, our personalities, which I think is so important.
Stephan has been very understanding and always willing to work with you and your needs. They were definitely well worth the splurge. I think it is safe to say that DH and I
will have friends in Stephan & Candace way after the wedding is over.

Videography: Artistry Wedding Films

A+ (pending video) - Even though I have yet to see any footage of our wedding, Alan has been a doll since day one! I absolutely adore his work since I am not
a big fan of special effects at all. He has such a clean, classy cinematic feel that I totally dug. And on top of that, he is such an easy going guy and so down to earth. He was
a joy to work with and barely noticeable the entire night. I cannot wait to see what he comes up with for our recap and video!!!

Florist: Nevot Flower Designs

A- - Nevot was outstanding and delivered everything he said he would for a fraction of the price other top name florists would charge. My only problem with Nevot
was that he was a bit scatterbrained for me and tended to lose pictures I had given him or would call me to tell me he waited too long to get something I needed (like my wrought
iron hooks for my lanterns) and wouldn't be able to provide them. In the end, he delivered everything and blew everyone away, but I didn't appreciate the unneeded stress especially
the day before my wedding. With that said, he does incredible work. You just have to make sure to be on top of him ALWAYS and be organized for him.

Cocktail Hour Band: Junior's Productions

A+ - We got the Buena Vista Trio from Junior's Productions and they were great! They went group to group during cocktail hour playing "Buena Vista Social Club" style songs
that everyone enjoyed. They were talented and very sweet older men. They definitely gave our wedding that little hint of Latin flavor that all our guests loved.

Calligraphy|Table Numbers: Designs by Tamiko

A+ - Tamiko did a fabulous job with all our calligraphy. We wanted something unique and fun to express our personalities a little more than your typical, run of the mill,
overly dramatic calligraphy. Tamiko did a great job envisioning what we wanted and worked efficiently, delivering everything on time. We got a lot of compliments and everyone loved
that it was not traditional. She also has very reasonable prices.

DJ: Vision DJ's

A+ - A-MA-ZING. These people are beyond professional. They are the real deal. I never ever had to once worry about music, which I am obsessed with, so that means a great
deal coming from me. I loved that I had control and despite them barely playing the songs I listed on my "must play" list, we all had an absolute blast dancing at the reception. Our DJ, Albert
Gil, did a great job reading the crowd and had the dancefloor packed the entire night. I think several of my guests asked him for a business card b/c they were so impressed. Old, young, it didn't
matter. They were all dancing just as much. Jorge Hernandez is a complete sweetheart and even stopped by my wedding just to say hi and to see how things were going. They are good people
and can not recommend them enough!

Dress, Veil & Brooch: Chic Parisien

B+ - My experience was twofold with Chic Parisien. They have an amazing selection of beautiful gowns, but their staff is a bit abrasive, esp. the saleswoman that helped me,
Lucy. She told me my dress could only be worn by "models who are 5'9 and above" and that it was "too fancy" for the type of wedding I was having. She would also leave me in gowns
for over 20 minutes with open pins while she did other things in the salon. I fell in love with my dress that I overlooked her rudeness and purchased it. I adore my dress so do not regret it
one bit. After that, everyone I dealt with was very professional and polite. There is just not a very friendly atmosphere in there when you are dress shopping esp. if you have a budget like I did.

Bridesmaid Dresses: Alfred Angelo

A+ - I loved my experience at Alfred Angelo's on the Mile. They made it so easy from the beginning for all my girls. Not one had a single issue and it was as easy as 1-2-3.
Their dresses fit wonderfully and really flattered every figure which was pretty amazing considering the bubble skirt style which is usually not. The price was also GREAT - $100 during a
promotion! All my girls looked fabulous and loved the dress which was really important for me as well.

Cake: Delicioso Bakery

A+ - What can I say about my dear friend, Eli and her father??? They are artists that really bake from the heart and you can taste it! Their baked goods are ridiculously good
and they offer very reasonable prices. Our cake (red velvet) was SO delicious. I was eating it the next day and just thinking about it now makes my mouth water. I have never had cake
that moist or with so much flavor. Not to mention, Eli. She is the best and one of the sweetest people I know. I will probably be going to Delicioso for the rest of my life ;)

Makeup: Hilda Blancher

A+ - Hilda is the bomb. Point blank. I love her "no fuss" personality and her makeup is flawless. What I like the most is that it is not cakey at all or too dramatic. It is perfect!
She read my style instantly and knew I liked the whole retro - Audrey Hepburn - look and did exactly that. Besides my lipstick, my makeup did not budge all night! Plus my lashes were to die
for and really made my eyes pop in all the photos. I felt like a porcelain doll thanks to Hilda!

Hair: Alcira

A+ - Alcira has been doing our hair for over 10 years now and she did not fail to impress us again for my wedding. I was worried b/c I had had a somewhat faulty hair trial where my
'do fell apart instantly, but she completely secured it the day of the wedding and that sucker did not move all night! And as you can tell from the pictures, I was not sitting on m throne all night.
I was pretty much tearing up the dance floor and getting bear hugs left and right, but my hair remained. I love this woman and would recommend her without hesitation!

Tuxes: Manny's Formalwear

A+ - Manny's was such a joy to work with! We did not have to worry about anything. Everything was so smooth and organized, which is important when dealing with men - let's be
honest. LOL. DH and all his guys looked very handsome and they worked with his OOT GM's with no problems.

Transportation: Meilan Limousines

A+ - the limo's for the BP were on time and the drivers were very pleasant. Everyone got to the Monastery safe and in one piece ;)

STD's, Invitations, Placecards, Menu's, Programs, Labels: Designed & printed by DH

A+ - Of course! My DH was so patient and understanding throughout the whole creative process. I tended to get a little bridezilla but he managed to produce beautiful products. He is
a web/graphic designer so he had no problem getting inspiration and coming up with unique designs that screamed us. I am so happy we decided to go the DIY route with this, despite how difficult
it was b/c it really showcased our personalities and set us apart from all the other weddings our guests had attended.

Honeymoon: Las Vegas & Yosemite

A+ - I adored our HM!!!!! Vegas was outstanding and so packed with things to do day and night! I highly recommend eating at Burger Bar at the Mandalay Place, partying at Forty
Deuce (a burlesque/nightclub) at Mandalay Bay and seeing Love by Cirque at the Mirage if you are a big Beatles fan like DH and I. If you visit the Grand Canyon, check out the SkyWalk. It is $25/person, but
well worth it! It is a new glass bridge that extends over the canyon rim and was a pretty memorable experience for DH and I. I also recommend renting a car. DH and I didn't until the last day we
were there and really regretted it. We had to keep relying on shuttle schedules, which turned out to be a PITA! Yosemite was a dream! We stayed at a B&B called the Big Creek Inn, which was amazing
and so romantic. It was just 2 miles south of the park and so quaint. The inn keepers were sweethearts. We will most definitely be staying there again in the near future. Looking out from Glacier Point will
forever be engraved in my brain for years to come. It was breathtaking.

For more pictures & information, check out my planning bio, zerogrl311