Julio and Maureen's Wedding in Payson, Arizona

Upon arrival, we were greeted by only my mom, which I thought was odd because normally there are a lot of small children running about the house. She said everyone was out back. So we headed for the door. Mind you, it was now dark outside, probably like 6:00pm. I lead the way and get to the sliding glass door. When I can finally see through the window, it's a massive marquee sign that says, "MARRY ME" with balloons, candles, fresh red roses, just the stuff right out of a hallmark movie! I just gasped and froze, couldn't believe what I was seeing. And boy was I glad I put that dress on! I didn't know I was walking straight into my engagement party! It was the best surprise birthday EVER!! Obviously I said YES! He had secretly planned this whole thing and invited 40 of our closest friends and family. Such a great night!

The minute we were engaged I started planning. I had waited such a long time to get married and finally found the right person to make such an important decision with. The wedding planning process is not for the faint hearted and it was a struggle, but a beautiful one! We learned so much together and about one another.

Our wedding took place on October 26th, 2024 in Payson, AZ near the Mogollon Rim. The ceremony took place in my mothers front yard and the reception in a neighboring property next door. After months and months of planning and preparations, we finally got it all put together - and it was so worth it! We loved the fall theme more so for the colors and the weather! We had been praying that the weather would be nice, because in that area, once you hit Halloween, it's miserably cold and windy. The weekend prior to our big day was just that, miserably cold, raining, windy and almost killed all of the florals we planted and new grass. We were stressed! But God was listening to our prayers. By the weekend it began to warm up again, the flowers and grass were thriving and it was PERFECT!! We had a semi boho/fall themed wedding, lots of terracotta, burgundy, sage, gold accents, triangle arches and brown padded chairs. The colors came together beautifully.

Thinking back on the hours leading up to the ceremony, it just seemed so surreal. I was not the girl who planned her wedding since childhood and honestly never thought I would get married. Could never really picture it and then next thing I know, I'm standing with my mom in a white wedding dress. So unbelievable! We chose to do a first look together on the top of the Mogollon Rim. It is not traditional by our families standards, but it was something we wanted to do in order to get that first reaction without any distraction. I was unsure if I was making a good decision about it. But then when it was happening, none of that mattered and the photos, OMG - so awesome, I would definitely recommend!

One of my favorite parts of the ceremony were his vows. He knocked it out of the park and made all of us cry. It was the sweetest few moments that I will cherish forever. My grandmother married us which was especially wonderful. She's been the best teacher and has helped me through a lot of the hard moments in life. So it was a no brainer when we were deciding on an officiant. She did a great job and just made the ceremony more special than we could have asked for.

Family and friends from all over the US came together to celebrate with us, which was just amazing. Another special moment was that my 101 year old grandmother traveled all the way from Miami to attend. I am the last of her grandchildren to marry and she was adamant about being a part of our big day. It was so great to have her there to witness.

The reception was a blur, and as my now husband, Julio says, it was a beautiful blur. One we will remember forever! I wish we could have had more time to celebrate. All that time planning, all the money spent. When they say it goes by fast, no matter how much you plan, they aren't kidding! It was so much fun getting to celebrate, dance, eat and laugh with everyone.

It was an unforgettable night! One I hope to never forget, we loved every minute!