Jess & Manny // Santa Barbara Wedding
Jess & Manny met when Jess was about to give up on dating apps. She had an account on every app out there, & joked that swiping on these apps and going on dates was her “second job.” As a third grade teacher, Jess even went on dates on SCHOOL NIGHTS—she was very serious about finding the one. Ready to give up & take a break from the apps, Jess matched with Manny. He commented on one of her photos, complimenting her beautiful smile.
On their first date, Manny took Jess to a comedy show where his good friend met them.. and proceeded to third-wheel their date! Jess apparently said it was the “worst date idea ever,” but she thought Manny was sweet enough for a second shot. Soon, they were hanging out constantly, and after something like ten dates in two weeks, the couple realized they had something special. Not even a year later, Manny proposed to Jess at what was supposed to be a football tailgate, and then brought her to a surprise engagement party in LA with all of their closest family and friends. Nailed it!
Fast forward to a sunny, beautiful day in Santa Barbara—their wedding day! Manny & Jess got ready in a trendy boutique hotel, taking in the excitement of the morning with their best friends and families. They exchanged gifts before seeing each other—Manny got Jess a FREAKIN’ PUPPY, and Jess got Manny an 8-piece band for their reception! Jess’s reaction when she saw the picture of her new puppy was priceless, as she doubled over laughing and claimed, “this is really just a gift for him!!!”
After her mother & sisters helped her get into her wedding dress, it was time for her dad to come see her for the first time. He nervously walked into the room and turned the corner, seeing Jess and immediately breaking down, overwhelmed with emotion. Jess pulled the bottom of her dress up to reveal a heart-shaped patch of fabric made of her dad’s work shirt—“something old” she sewed onto her dress as a reminder of all of the hard work he put in for her & their family. Dad was deeply moved by the gesture, and then broke down once more when Jess gifted him a handsome custom watch. The sweet relationship Jess & her dad share was observable in each moment they spent together on her wedding day—their joy together and love for one another was so sweet to witness (yep… all I could think of was my cutie dad).
Next, it was time for the bride & groom to share their first look. Jess walked down a beautiful staircase lined with succulents to meet her husband-to-be, who anxiously waited at the bottom of the stairs faced the opposite way. Jess tapped Manny on his shoulder, and he excitedly turned around, his smile BEAMING as he laid eyes on his bride. After taking in the moment, the couple read a first-look prayer & then headed to a big party bus WITH THEIR WEDDING HASHTAG PRINTED ON IT (#mannysaidjess) to drive to their wedding. Their bridal & grooms party cheered & hollered in celebration as they boarded the bus.
A quick, music-filled bus ride took the party & the couple to their beautiful ceremony venue: Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Santa Barbara. This church was the biggest, most beautiful space I’d ever seen. I could NOT BELIEVE how expansive & stunning it was. Warm afternoon sun rays cascaded in from the upper windows, as 400 (that is not a typo) of Jess & Manny’s loved ones filled the pews. Soon, the wedding ceremony began.
In a heartbreakingly emotional tribute to Kayla, a close friend of the bride who passed away last month, Kayla’s dad walked a photo of her down the aisle alongside the wedding party. Kayla and Jess met through water polo in high school and were the best of friends for a decade; Kayla even helped Manny plan and execute his proposal to Jess. Losing a close friend weeks before getting married had to be the absolute hardest thing in the world, but it really felt like Kayla was a part of the wedding. It is difficult to explain the energy that was present when Kayla’s dad walk down with her photo, but as he reached the end of the aisle, I noticed the sun glowing even brighter through those upper windows, and a warmth filled the church.
After the party all made their way down, the flower girl and ring bearer entered the church and stole the show—guests all chuckled when the flower girl walked down with a sign that read “they promised flowers; all I got was this sign.” Then, Jess entered the double doors of the church with her dad. As she made her way down the long aisle lined with adoring and excited eyes, Manny was transfixed by the beauty of his bride. His eyes, locked on Jess, filled with tears. Soon, a huge smile grew across his face as he continued to watch his bride make her way to the altar.
The couple had a Catholic ceremony filled with traditional prayers & beautiful songs. Their family & friends watched with joy as Manny & Jess exchanged rings, vows, and their first kiss as husband and wife!!! When they walked back up the aisle as Mr. & Mrs., they received the LOUDEST cheers & the occasional fist bump. Their faces in the photos say it all: they couldn’t have been more excited to be married.
Outside their ceremony, a full mariachi band played, welcoming the newlyweds as they exited the church! Jess then went to greet a group of her third grade students who all dressed up in their wedding best & came to watch their teacher get married… which was the cutest thing ever. After taking some family photos & portraits of the couple around the church, Jess, Manny & I packed into a vintage Chevy and headed to the polo fields for their reception! On the way, I got to learn a bit more about the couple, hear about the hilarity of their first date, and reflect on the magic of the day so far.
When we arrived at their reception, a purple sunset glow stained the mountains. Horses galloped around the polo fields—a hilarious addition to a casual cocktail hour. Guests were soon seated, & the wedding party and couple had fun personalized grand entrances before sharing first dances.
After a slow first dance, the song changed & the couple broke into surprise up-beat choreography. Cell phones all went up to record the epic dance as hundreds of their loved ones watched on & cheered. Next up were parent dances, & then Manny’s mom & dad shared a 50th anniversary dance! After dinner, family & friends gave heart-warming and comedy-filled speeches. A highlight was when Jess’s dad joked that he “knew his daughter was extraordinary when she measured in the 90th percentile as a baby” which cracked everyone up (especially Jess). After the speeches concluded, Manny’s brother got the microphone and explained that dancing to “this next song” was a wedding tradition in the Muñoz family. Thus, Manny’s male family & friends proceeded to STRIP their coats off & dirty dance around him to “Macho Man” by Village People. They even lifted him up in a chair and carried him around in a circle of celebration. I haven’t laughed that hard since I was a young warthog.
The rest of the evening was high-energy & wildly fun. The 8-piece band played a rotating catalog of American classics & latin tunes, and the dance floor was totally packed for the entire remainder of the night. A cigar bar—turned s’more bar— gave guests the opportunity to take a break from the party, everyone ate delicious fall desserts, and the newlyweds danced the night away under the stars. It was the best.
Where do I begin trying to describe this amazing couple?! Manny and Jess are two of the kindest people I’ve ever met and are SO easy to love. Each of them has such a warm heart & a smile that could probably provide enough electricity to light a small village. When they are together, it’s hard to find a single moment where those smiles aren’t beaming & bright. They are so so SO clearly meant to be together, and their love just radiates. With almost 400 wedding guests, it was evident how supported and loved they are by their families, friends, coworkers, and community. Their self-proclaimed “big fat Mexican wedding,” with deeply thought-through details and countless moving pieces, could not have gone more flawlessly or have been more special. I felt so lucky to get the opportunity to spend the day with the couple & to get to know them on one of the best days of their lives. And… celebrating & dancing with their friends and family wasn’t half bad, either.
What a wonderful celebration to close out the 2020 wedding season. Congratulations to the new Mr. & Mrs. Muñoz: kind-hearted, sweet, fun-loving, hilarious humans who swiped riiiiiight into each other’s hearts. :)
