Lynette Romero and David Angulo were well prepared for the demands of a crash course in Spanish fluency, however, the relationship that arose during their studies came as a complete surprise. Lynette and David met ten years ago, in January of 1994, when they were each attending a five-week Spanish immersion program at the University of Guadalajara.

Besides helping them perfect the Spanish language, this unique and challenging experience led them down a long path with a very happy ending. However, it at first appeared that the two may never see each other again once they left Mexico, as David lived in Los Angeles and Lynette was living in Denver at the time. But, they both soon realized that they were destined to be together, and built a lasting relationship based on their shared values and dreams. Those dreams came to fruition many years later when David took Lynette back to Guadalajara and asked her to spend the rest of her life as his wife.

During their six-month engagement, the couple made every decision together, as a team. Lynette and David enjoyed a smooth wedding planning process, which was greatly helped by the fact that they connected with wonderful people who they chose to provide the wedding services. As Lynette recalls, “We genuinely liked and respected every person involved with our wedding, which truly made all the difference.”

After visiting the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens, the couple fell in love with its atmosphere and knew it would make a fabulous setting for their ceremony and reception. With festivities focused on love, great food and lots of fun, the location radiated the perfect mood of casual elegance.

Though Lynette didn’t plan the look of the wedding around a specific color scheme, she chose to use thousands of red roses for an extremely striking statement throughout the event. Rather than enlisting a professional florist to handle the task, the adventurous bride and groom went to the flower mart in downtown Los Angeles, purchased 3,000 red roses, and made all of the floral arrangements themselves, with the help of family and friends. Among the simple but dramatic creations were the table centerpieces, which consisted of tall glass vases, each filled with a tight bouquet of two dozen roses and a large floating leaf to cover their stems.

Lynette and David became husband and wife in a moving evening ceremony, serenaded by a nine-piece Mariachi group. The bride and groom found many unique and sentimental ways to recognize their families during the nuptials.

In lieu of a flower girl, the couple’s five nieces preceded Lynette down the aisle as “angels”, much to everyone’s delight. Lynette’s mother, who is also her best friend, was the matron of honor and escorted the bride down the aisle. Lynette, who lost her father while she was in college, was honored to make her walk to David with her mother on one side and the memory of her father on the other. David’s brother passed away a couple of months before the wedding, and tribute was paid to the memories of both these important men during the ceremony and also with a photo display at the reception.

The buffet-style dinner fiesta featured authentic Mexican fare such as enchiladas, fajitas, beans, green chile, tortillas, and rice. In addition to the traditional Mexican dessert of flan, Lynette and David’s guests enjoyed the white wedding cake, which was covered with fresh rose petals. The three-tiered cake boasted three different flavors: butter cream, chocolate chip and carrot cake. The music, cocktails and fun continued until midnight, with everyone enthralled by the whirlwind of activity and passion.

Lynette and David took great care to ensure that every aspect of their wedding reflected their relationship, their families and heritage, their values and their friendships. The warm, relaxed environment fit their personal style, and their culture shone through everywhere, from the sangria that greeted their guests to the authentic Mexican food and music, and even the commemorative shot glasses (that read “Con Amor, Lynette and David”) they gave away with every shot of tequila.

Lynette’s advice for future brides is “Stay true to yourself!” Though many aspects of the wedding will be for the people that you love, remember that the marriage is for you and your husband. She and David followed this advice themselves, and they have no regrets other than wishing that the day had lasted longer. As all newlyweds can attest, the wedding day goes by in an instant.

In many ways, David and Lynette’s wedding was very traditional, romantic and sacred. In interesting contrast, it was also a high-spirited, exciting celebration of the couple’s nine-year relationship, their intertwined family and friends, and especially of their future together. After such a long courtship, it was such a completely joyful moment when the two finally became husband and wife, holding each other tightly throughout the entire ceremony.

As Lynette describes, once she and David discovered that it was the right time to get married, there were no hesitations or questions. It was just a wonderful foundation of love, respect and genuine affection. The couple describes their wedding day as an absolute “dream,” and every time they talk about that day, which is often, they can’t help but smile.