25 Couples Celebrate Marriage and Hispanic Heritage

Rosa and Gustavo

Rosa Elena Galeano and Gustavo Galeano have been married for 57 years, eight months, and 29 days. Growing up in Envigado, Colombia, the couple first dated in secret—at the time, their families did not approve of their relationship—before eloping in a "humble ceremony" at La Iglesia de San Mateo on December 23, 1962. "Though they were poor, their lives were filled with good fortune," explains their granddaughter, who interviewed her grandparents for this feature.

Together, Rosa and Gustavo have "worked hard to change the view of their families on love" as well as "provide a better life for their four children," which is why they moved to the United States in the early 1970s. "They came to this country not knowing the language or the culture, only knowing the promise of opportunity," explains their granddaughter.

Since then, the couple has made a home in Florida, where they currently reside with their family, which has grown to include five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. According to their loved ones, "Rosa is full of faith and sheer willpower, and Gustavo of ingenuity, and curiosity. Together they are a perfect balance, the perfect partners, and remain dedicated to each other and to their family. They fulfilled their American Dream."

Dulce and Dennis

Dulce Martin has traveled to 127 countries, so it should come as no surprise that she met her now-husband Dennis Breum, who grew up in a small town in Denmark, at a surf camp in Bali. It should also come as no surprise that after Dennis proposed, she embarked on an international wedding dress search that resulted in two gowns—one for the ceremony, and one for the reception.

Despite her travels, Dulce chose to celebrate her home in Mexico City with her wedding-day accessories. When she met Dennis in the desert at Amangiri in Utah, on February 29, 2020, she wore two meaningful pieces: a headpiece designed around her late grandmother's brooch by Tocados Isabela, and her engagement ring, which was made by Love Verité. However, her most meaningful accessory was added mid-ceremony. Dulce's parents, who have been happily married for 44 years, exchanged new wedding bands on their 30th anniversary, so she asked if she and Dennis could repurpose their original ones by melding them together, "hoping we would be as lucky in marriage as they have."

Pablo and Rob

When Pablo Oliveira and Rob Holston walked down the aisle on November 18, 2018, they did so together, parading down the lawn of the Faena Hotel in Miami Beach with tambourines in hand. The location was significant to Pablo, a native of Brazil who owns Nuage Designs, an international custom linen company: He works in the hospitality industry there and counts a Miami hotel owner as his role model. At the wedding, Pablo sang, "I belong with you, you belong with me, you’re my sweetheart,'" to Rob. While reflecting on their anniversary on Instagram, he had this to say: "Thank you for all the joy and happiness you bring me every day. Life is full of surprises: one day is of celebration, another day is of struggle. Whatever tomorrow brings, I’m grateful to have you by my side."

Stephanie and Pedro

"I'm deeply inspired by my heritage and very proud," says Stephanie Hill, a former professional ballerina who now runs a fashion and lifestyle blog, The Style Bungalow. "Both my grandparents were very artistic and creative. My grandmother was a flamenco dancer from Puerto Rico, and my grandfather was a salsa composer from Cuba."

When Stephanie marries her fiancé, Pedro, next year in Mexico, an orchestra will play some of her grandfather's musical arrangements—and it will be led by a director, also from Cuba, who is living in Mexico. "He cannot wait to play for our families...My fiancé is Cuban-Colombian. His Cuban side of the family lived in Mexico for many years after they left Cuba and cannot wait to go back and celebrate with us," Stephanie shares. "We look forward to blending so many traditions on our special day and hope it becomes a special memory for everyone involved."

In the meantime, Stephanie and Pedro will celebrate closer to their home in Florida by exchanging vows in the church where Stephanie's parents said "I do" nearly 30 years ago. The intimate ceremony was always part of their wedding plans, as it is a priority for Pedro's grandmother, who will be unable to travel to Mexico, to witness the nuptials. "We hope to include his grandmother's mantilla, a family heirloom nearly a century old, and take a picture in front of the same fountain as my parents," Stephanie adds.

Mavi and Corina

On November 11, 2019, Mavi and Corina Rodriguez married in the middle of the Superstition Mountains in Mesa, Arizona. "We wanted a very boho desert landscape to embrace the beauty of Arizona and join us together as one," Mavi recalls. "Our wedding day was magical—we kept it intimate and special as we wanted to focus on one another and enjoying our day. "

Mavi, a Tempe native, and Corina, who is from Orange County, California and grew up in Gilbert, Arizona, have been together for five years and are hoping to start a family soon. "Corina and I would like to share that love is everlasting, and there is always room for improvement. The person you marry will always be growing and developing and, as a union, you will grow together," Mavi adds. "We are grateful to have found one another, we are excited for life together and what the future holds."

Marieli and Albert

"We met before the Internet and text messages, playing outside as kids in the neighborhood. We used to exchange notes behind a 'secret bush,'" recalls bride Marieli. "One day, after 20 years, fate brought us back together, and we got engaged two years later."

They married in Miami, incorporating their shared Latin culture into both the ceremony and celebration. "I had my family come from Argentina to bake some authentic Spanish appetizers and desserts, and we also had a Dominican officiant perform the ceremony in Spanish," Marieli explains. "I chose a Brazilian song to dance with my father, as Albert danced to a Dominican one with his mother. We are both very proud of our heritage so it was important for us to see glimpses of it throughout the wedding."

Paul and Janesse

Paul and Janesse Guasto began 2020 on a high note, saying "I do" on January 10, 2020, at St. Mark Catholic Church in Parkland, Florida. The couple, who come from different backgrounds, have Match.com to thank for their fated online intro in 2012. "He is an introvert from a strong family unit with roots in Italy and Poland and I'm your typical Dominicana—loud and social, but somehow we came together further confirming the saying that opposites do attract," Janesse explains. However different, Janesse credits their mutual standards and morals, as well as their responsibility as sergeants in their respective police departments, for their strong partnership. "We know, probably more than most, how truly valuable each day is, and we plan on spending ours not focused on what our differences are but how we make each other better," she says.

While wedding planning, the couple made a point to "hash out the details" to ensure that every element—from the Catholic mass to the intimate guest count—felt important, honored their families, and put their union at the forefront of the day. This was accomplished primarily through music: They encouraged their 100 guests (of people of all ages, sexes, and backgrounds) to come together for hora loca, asked a Dominican band to perform merengue tipico, also known as perico ripoa, and played Andrea Bocelli's songs at cocktail hour. It all ended on a sweet note, with a dessert table that incorporated flan and cannolis.

"Paul and I were culturally raised by two ends of the spectrum and yet I am sometimes astonished as to how we found each other and became exactly what each needed," reflects the bride.

Carly and Oscar

Fashion designer Carly Cushnie and husband Oscar Cantú's wedding was a celebration of her Jamaican and his Mexican heritage. Held in Mexico City, there were clear expressions—a parade, during which their 160 guests marched through the streets with Mexican and Jamaican flags in hand, and the bridal gown, custom-made and designed with a dramatic ruffled neckline to feel "romantic" and "feminine" with a Mexican influence—as well as more intimate inclusions in the program.

For example, Oscar’s family priest, Father David San Fillipo, flew in from Arizona to officiate the Catholic ceremony, after which the couple exited to the bolero classic "Besame Mucho" as a nod to their location. "We wanted the wedding to feel very Mexican, to have the energy of the city, and to have the food and the music reflect that," adds the bride.

Jelicza and Alex

Jelicza met now-husband Alex in a chance encounter, which, to this day, she says "feels like a very traditional way to meet." "Two strangers, with no common connections, just going about their day not knowing that their paths would cross to change their lives forever," she explains.

Two graduations, three years of long-distance, four cities, and nearly ten years later, Jelicza and Alex bought their first home together in Atlanta, got engaged, and planned a wedding there. "We both had waited for this moment to have all of our favorite people in the same room, become one before God, and have one hell of a party," she recalls. "Alex is Jamaican, and I am Dominican so it was destined to be a great Caribbean celebration."

Jelicza, who describes herself as an Afro-Latina grounded in her cultural roots, knew she wanted to honor her family and cultural traditions while incorporating some of their shared desires of faith, food, and music. Ultimately, she and Alex wed in a Christian ceremony that incorporated the Hispanic tradition of wedding sponsors, El Padrino y La Madrina de Boda, as well as the wedding lasso, or lazo, rosary ritual. "During this ritual, a large rosary is placed around the bride and groom by the wedding sponsors as a symbol of unity by God," she explains. "It was so special to have my aunt and uncle who helped raise me to play such an important role in our special day."

The reception playlist included a mix of Merengue, Bachata, reggaeton, and hip hop. "It was so fun to see our families adapt to each other’s different cultures and music and appreciate each other’s differences," she says. "I wish I could go back to that magical weekend—it is one we and our families will never forget."

Michael and Javier

Michael Dumaine and Javier Ruisanchez eloped on July 18, 2020, exchanging vows by the water in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, and celebrating with a typical Puerto Rican meal of arroz con gandules, pastelon y pernil.

"We had planned a big wedding for months, but due to the pandemic, those plans changed," Javi says, "We ended up eloping in a very intimate ceremony with our family and friends joining us via Zoom."

Despite the circumstances, Javi and Michael have always known they'd say "I do" in Puerto Rico, a place they refer to as their "second home." Javi was born and raised in San Juan, and the island has been a huge part of their story from the moment they met at a dance club in Washington, D.C. ("It was love at first sight," he admits.) When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017, the couple worked with Red Cross during the recovery of the island.

The newlyweds followed through with their original wedding vision, planning with an entirely local team in an effort to give back and support the community, next summer. "All these vendors are the ones that will make our big celebration npossible," they add. "Puerto Rico will always be a part of our love story and will always hold a very special place in our hearts."

Dulce and Nishant

Nishant Reddy and Dulce Martinez chose to wed in Mexico, where Dulce’s family is from. Their goal? Create an authentic destination wedding experience for their guests—but in their own way. “We wanted to honor our Mexican and Hindu traditions and cultures, as well as infuse them with a modern take on how we see the world,” explains the bride. “We wanted our guests to experience each of our cultures through food, sounds, entertainment, and color.”

The couple did just that over the course of three days—from October 26 to October 28, 2018, hosting an Indian marriage and sangeet, a traditional Mexican callejoneada, and a ceremony and reception that incorporated many Mexican traditions. “Nishant and I wrote the entire ceremony, incorporating Indian and Mexican traditions and multicultural readings from Pablo Neruda and Kahlil Gibran,” says the bride.

They also served a menu of authentic Mexican cuisines such as ribeye molcajete with chile relleno, late-night chilaquiles, and a dessert spread of conchas with chocolate ganache and gourmet churros. Dancing went on until 5 a.m., with the newlyweds taking a break only for the surprise mariachi serenade organized by Dulce’s family. “Nishant’s father surprised my family by giving his toast in Spanish. No one knew he’d been taking lessons!” says the bride of the sweet moment.  

Brenda and Corey

Brenda’s family is Mexican, so she and Corey incorporated the traditional wedding “lasso” (made of flowers and greenery) tradition into their ceremony. “The rope is placed over the bride and groom in the form of an infinity sign," Brenda explains. "It symbolized our everlasting union as we exchanged our vows.”

Carmen ∧ Elise

Elise Young and Carmen Perez's wedding had an underlying theme, centered around the Pixar movie “Up" as it's Carmen's favorite movie and also what they both, unknowingly, used as inspiration when they proposed to each other. Elise, who was raised in Massachusetts, and Carmen, who grew up in Florida with a Puerto Rican mother, met through online dating by way of many mutual friends in New York City.

The couple took a very DIY approach to their Brooklyn wedding, creating table settings and featured cocktails on their own. "It was important to us to have our hands on many parts of the wedding as possible," they say. "Our wedding was full of family and friends. A close group of 125 who we consider a core foundation. They support us, accept us, and challenge us."

Emily and Christopher

A logo on Emily's shirt sparked her first conversation (and dance sesh!) with now-husband Christopher, but it was a trip on a Greyhound bus that really brought them together. "A couple of weeks later, we unexpectedly bumped into each other heading in the same direction, and the rest was history," she recalls.

Six years later, Christopher proposed with a firework show (yes, really!) in the courtyard of their apartment building. After Emily said "yes," they spent the night enjoying the view. "Dancing has always been the main theme for our relationship," she says. "From weekend festivals to Noche Buena with our friends and families, we always embraced our love through music and dancing."

Naturally, their wedding—which took place at a castle, not to be outdone by their engagement!—also placed an emphasis on dancing. "There were endless dance battles, salsa classics playing from Marc Anthony to Frankie Ruiz," she recalls. "We probably could have kept partying until 6 a.m.!" As Latinos, the couple says they "skipped some traditions but still kept a few." Christopher's tía gave Emily her "something borrowed" and "something blue," and she was escorted down the aisle by her mother. Their abuela delivered una bendición, a blessing, before dinner, and they skipped the lasso but tied the knot with a rope during the ceremony.

Erika and David

Erika Janis is Mexican-American—a quality that she and husband David Morgan, who also hails from a Texas city rich in Mexican culture, celebrated at their destination wedding in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, on April 8, 2017.

Many of the day's details, from Erika's pueblo dress to the printed escort cards and florals at the reception, were inspired by Mexican embroidery. Other touches included three tres leches cakes, papel picado banners, and maracas, which Erika says she didn't quite think through. “I found lavender hand-painted ones from Mexico to match the bridesmaids’ dresses, but when they arrived, they were tiny and attached to safety pins," she recalls with a laugh. "We purchased larger ones, too, and used the miniature ones as part of each place setting. Our guests added them to their outfits!”

Claribel and Kirubel

Claribel Vidal and Kirubel Teshome's love story began in a small Lower East Side bar in Manhattan, fondly known by the couple for its infusion of hip hop and reggae music. After laughing about how similar their names are—"What were the odds of two unique names being so similar? It had to be a sign," she recalls—they exchanged numbers, and four years later, they were planning their wedding!

Claribel and Kirubel's Long Island City celebration honored the way they met, while also incorporating the bride's Dominican and the groom's Ethiopian cultures. At a rooftop restaurant overlooking the Manhattan skyline, the bride delivered her speech in both Spanish and Amharic, as speaking in their parent's native languages was "exemplary of how they will continue to preserve both languages in their union."

The night's playlist highlighted the couple's shared appreciation for music and dancing, beginning with a choreographed number to Prince Royce's Bachata remix of "Stand by Me" that transitioned into an Ethiopian artist Jacky Gosee's Eskista song Sela Bey. "Their love celebration—as they called it, served as the bridge for two families, languages, and cultures," adds their photographer Amy Anaiz.

Angela and Stephen

Bride Angela’s father is not in the picture, so instead of having the traditional father-daughter dance, she and her mother did a cumbia dance to honor her heritage. “My mami is from El Salvador and cumbia is the popular dance there so that’s why I chose to dance that with her," she says. The couple's Colorado wedding was beautiful and glamourous so it was only fitting that Angela wear a stunning cathedral-length veil, which she says she wore through the end of the ceremony, as is customary in her mother's home country. She reflects, "I wanted to incorporate more but it’s hard when your husband is a different ethnicity.” 

Taina and Justin

After getting engaged, Taina Peña and Justin Biggs couldn't decide where to get married. "We looked into New York City (where we live), Philadelphia (where we had met), Washington, D.C. (where Justin's family lives), and even the Dominican Republic (where I was born)," says Taina. After much consideration, the Manhattan-based couple decided on the groom's family beach house in North Carolina. "We loved the idea of having a venue that would be uniquely ours, and we were excited by the idea of customizing every aspect to fit our personalities," explains the bride.

On November 23, 2016, they did just that: After exchanging traditional vows, they braided the Cord of Three Strands together. "Justin held three cords (signifying him, me, and God), and I braided them together as a promise to use our beliefs as an anchor of our marriage," explains the bride. On the dance floor, the newlyweds selected "Coming Home" by Leon Bridges for their first dance and then invited all married couples to join in for a "longevity dance." "All of the married couples danced salsa until the longest-married couple was left standing," she recalls. "The winning couple has been married for over 60 years!"

Daisy and Conor

Daisy and Conor met in China while working abroad but traveled to California for a bilingual ceremony at Madera Kitchen in Hollywood, California. On October 4, 2019, Mexican traditions were incorporated throughout: The beautiful tradition of el laso, a popular Latinx wedding tradition to symbolize everlasting unity and love, was included in the ceremony, and at the reception, music included a mariachi band singing authentic Mexican classics and a DJ playing a "fun, multicultural" mix. Perhaps the most notable moment on the dance floor, however, was the el baile de el dollar, or "the money dance."

Gigi and Eduardo

During their wedding ceremony in Antigua, Guatemala, the Catholic mass was conducted in Spanish but Gigi Guerra and Eduardo Sanchez opted to share their vows in English. “That’s what we usually speak to one another, so it felt more natural that way,” Gigi explains.

Another must for the couple? La hora loca, or "crazy hour," to honor Eddie's Cuban heritage. Guests were even given custom dancing shoes and sparklers lit the LED dance floor to ensure it was packed all night. “In this charming town in the mountains, our wedding dream became a reality," reflects the bride.

Noeme and Luis

Noeme Santos and Luis Vizoso Noval took their wedding guests on an adventure. The couple, who resides in Spain, traveled to Noeme's native Brazil to wed, exchanging vows on a remote Pipa Beach. "We wanted to make a wedding mixing Spanish and Brazilian cultures,” explains the bride.

There, Noeme and Santos were surrounded by 110 guests—but, notably, no wedding party. "In Spain, it's not typical to have bridesmaids," Noeme explains. "And in Brazil, too, so I didn't have bridesmaids." 

After the ceremony, everyone enjoyed wine, rum, and gin (transported by guests from Spain!) and Estrella Galicia beer, as well as caipirinhas, before sitting down for a traditional Brazilian rodízio feast. A Samba band kept everyone going until 3 a.m.—something the couple planned for, opting for a Friday night wedding so guests could relax on the beach before heading home on Sunday.

Megan and Adam

Megan Allen and Adam Rusnak decided to have a celebration in their hometown of Cleveland—but, first, they wanted to host an intimate destination wedding in Mérida, Mexico, where Megan’s parents own a home. “We wanted to intimately and spiritually commit ourselves to one another while sharing my family’s culture with Adam’s family and our close friends—all in a little piece of paradise,” Megan explains.

On the big day, Megan walked halfway down the aisle solo before meeting Adam to continue. The ceremony included Mayan, Reiki, and Spanish traditions, as well as vows handwritten by the couple. “Writing our own vows became central to us," adds the bride. "We’d worked so hard to get to that day and we chose to use our vows to explain what that journey had meant to us and what it had done to strengthen our love for one another.”

Valentina and George

Valentina Hernandez Botero, who was born in Bogotá and raised in South Florida, convinced George Dufournier, her boyfriend of five years, that Cartagena, Colombia, was just the spot for their nuptials. “I wanted to show my country to his family and have them experience everything I love about it,” she says of her French in-laws, who live in Paris, where George grew up and where he proposed in December 2017.

To that end, the couple orchestrated three days’ worth of fun, blending age-old Colombian traditions with a distinctly modern approach. “We decided to focus on what was most important to us—making our guests feel like they were on the most amazing trip—and forget the rest," Valentina says of the wedding, which was held at Catedral de Santa Catalina de Alejandría, a vaulted 17th-century church in the historic center of town, and Sofitel Legend Santa Clara, a former convent that dates back to 1621.

After dinner and many bottles of Champagne, guests danced until midnight, or hora loca (“It translates to ‘crazy hour,’” says Valentina) when the party went into full-on carnival mode with drummers, dancers, feathered headdresses, and guaro shots until 4 a.m.

Normaris and Javier

Normaris and Javier had to cancel their wedding in Puerto Rico because of COVID-19, but that didn't stop them from having a wedding anyway! "Although they originally planned to get married surrounded by family in their beloved island, these two Puertorriquenos, couldn't wait any longer to declare their love for one another," explains their officiant, Karla Villar of Once Upon a Vow. "They chose to forge ahead as a married duo and will save the big parties for when it's safe to gather again."

The ceremony took place on September 13, 2020, in New York's Central Park, where the couple officially exchanged vows as guests looked on via Zoom. Every word was spoken in Spanish, their first language. Adds Karla, "They wanted a ceremony in their native language so that their loved ones spread across the states and scattered along the island could listen in via Zoom and understand what was being celebrated—un amor luchador, a fighter love."

Daniela and Daniel

While planning a micro wedding was, at many times, "hectic" for Daniel Rojas and Daniela Garcia, some elements came together almost serendipitously. One example? Finding their photographer, Adriana Miranda Riviera, who is based in El Salvador. "Her Instagram account is a dream, and her pictures capture intimate moments beautifully, Daniela says. "She’s an international photographer based in El Salvador, so I didn’t think I’d be able to work with her, but then I found out she had been riding out COVID-19 in Miami, so I immediately reached out." (The bride also found her Azeeza dress on Instagram!)

During the ceremony, the bride says "she felt a sense of calm" as her brother officiated and soft music—instrumental or acoustic versions of favorite songs by artists such as Faces, Vicente Garcia, and The Rolling Stones—played in the background. After, the newlyweds and their 10 guests enjoyed delicious bite-sized Peruvian dishes, such tiraditos, crabmeat causitas, and filet mignon anticuchos, catered by a local small business. (Daniela is Colombian and Daniel is from Venezuela, but they took one of their first big trips as a couple to Peru.)

Daniela and Daniel plan to celebrate again next August, so they opted to save some of the "big moments," such as the traditional walk down the aisle and speeches, and traditions for their "big wedding" next year.