These precious clients have a powerful love story full of puzzle pieces finally coming together to create a big, beautiful picture!
Meant to Be
Christina and Luis met sixteen years ago at the Clarion Inn Hotel when they were 24 and 22 years old. at the Clarion Inn Hotel. She worked the front desk and he was a houseman setting up for the hotel events. Shortly after they met, Luis moved away to New York. TEN YEARS LATER, Luis showed up at Christina’s door with a cheesecake to ask her out on a date! He had recently relocated back from New York.
The Proposal
Luis knew that was one of the most important things to Christina was to ask for her hand in marriage from her father. Her dad was sick at the time, and couldn’t travel far. Luis took Christina to a small restaurant where he asked Christina’s dad for her hand in marriage. Her dad then gave his Blessing, and Luis proceeded to propose to Christina in front of her dad and 7 children.
Sadly, her dad passed away shortly after that special moment, and he was not able to be at the wedding.
The Venue
“We had visited several wedding venues before we made our final decision. We live in Humble, TX. The Tuscany Villa is in Katy, TX which is an hour away from where we live, but the distance didn’t matter. When we came across The Tuscany Villa we knew that was the place we wanted our wedding to be. The Tuscany Villa has it’s own special character; beginning with the charming Spanish roofing, appealing Palm trees that stand outside, the divine double stair case with the elegant railing, the bridal quarters were very spacious with enough room for my 7 bridesmaids, my daughters and my mother to spend the day in and create priceless memories throughout the whole day, there is also a garden tub to relax in just in case you need it.”
The groomsmen quarters were also ideal as it hold a game room, furniture, a shower, a TV and lots of other amenities to keep the groom and his crew busy throughout the day. The Tuscany Villa had everything we needed to make our vision come alive. Not to mention our wedding coordinator, Duke… We met him the first moment we walked into the villa. From that moment on…he was always ready to accommodate us and help us personalize our wedding without hesitation. The spirit of the villa and all of the people that worked there had always been peaceful, beautiful, and very elegant.”
First Look
A couple may see each other every day for years before their actual wedding day, seeing each other for the first time on the big day is a unique experience for each person.
Luis described the moment when he first saw his bride in her wedding dress, and Christina shared special thoughts of seeing her groom:
I was shocked! Surprised! Amazed! Loved the dress ~ so very beautiful and elegant ~ and I was impressed. Her dress represented her as in her character ~ she is very classy. I felt like I fell in love with her all over again ~ like the first time I saw her. I felt so special knowing that such beautiful woman was going to be my wife!
Christina shared how she felt seeing Luis on their wedding day, as well as precious thoughts and prayers of her heart:
The most eloquent of words could never explain the feeling I had when I looked into his eyes that day. I felt an overwhelming spirit of joy and happiness. I was shaking from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. A man I had known for 6 years and had 3 children with ~ how does he still make me nervous? He was tall, dark, and handsome…I was going to marry this perfect man in a few hours! He walks with a special light, I thought…Thank you God for bringing us together. I know he’s the one I will grow old with.”
The Ceremony
Reader, this is where you’ll need to grab a tissue. Things are about to become deeply moving. These are moments we at SGI Photography do what we do in wedding photography. To capture these emotions, expressions, and memories to be cherished for generations to come.
“The whole ceremony was very emotional for me. It was my dad’s birthday and he’s in heaven. I was marrying my best friend and I had gotten the whole family together to eat, drink and have fun just the way I had promised him.
I looked all around and saw faces from each side of the family. My mom walked beside me and passed me on to my brother, my brother passed me on to my son, and my son walked me down the aisle and I had everyone’s blessing to marry the man I love. After I had finished looking around, I looked straight ahead and saw Luis waiting for me to get to him.
I had a revelation at that point which was God’s promise to me to not be afraid. He said “be still my child, and receive the blessings that I have for you.” I wasn’t only walking into a promise from Luis, but a promise from My Father God himself. I found so much peace in my heart when my son gave my hand to Luis. As I said my vows, my voice trembled. I wanted to cry, because I knew I was making a promise ~ a most beautiful promise ~ to my husband and to God. And all 7 of our kids were there to witness it along with my mom and other family members. There will never be enough words to explain the beauty of it all.”
For Luis, the whole ceremony was just as emotional.“When I saw her walking down the aisle and when she said her vows promising to be my wife through anything and to never leave me, it was beautiful. The fireworks were also significant because I feel like there wouldn’t be enough fireworks to get the world’s attention to let them know how much I love her.”
The Reception
There were 200 guest celebrating the union of Christina and Luis that day. The Tuscany Villa accommodations were able to host everyone comfortably.
The cake was created by Edible Designs, and the flowers arrangements were done by Petals by Design. Christina especially enjoyed the speeches from their Best Man and Maid of Honor, and the meaningful confirmation of the Scripture she had chosen to put on their Unity Candle;1 Corinthians 13 4-8 ~ a scripture about Love. “Luis picked his wedding ring with the engraving, I picked our unity candle with the scripture and my daughter (also my maid of honor) incorporated the scripture in her speech. We all made these decisions without the other knowing! The whole venue was filled with love that night…that’s ultimately what I enjoyed most!”
Luis remembered the highlights of dancing at the reception. “Our first dance was very magical. Also dancing with my mom and knowing God allowed her to be there for me after 17 years of not seeing her.”
Words of Wisdom
The beautiful bride’s advice: Don’t sweat the small stuff! Sometimes, as a bride, you think things like, ‘there aren’t enough flowers’ or what your bouquets are made of matters. In the end, none of it matters! When LOVE fills the room, it’s ALL beautiful! If your dad is still here to walk you down the aisle and you’ve found the perfect guy to marry, you are rich! And being rich in love is the best kind of rich you can be!
The handsome groom’s advice: Never be afraid to go through with it. Honoring God and making your future wife feel special is the best thing you can do. Please her and make her your queen on her special dream day!