El San Juan Hotel

Wedding Day

Wedding

Reception

Our Wedding

Welcome

We're so excited to have you celebrate our special day with us in Puerto Rico!&nbsp;Check out all of the details related to our wedding below– where it will be, dates, times, how to book a room in the hotel, things to do while you're here, and beyond. Also, don't forget to RSVP&nbsp;while we have you here! Stay tuned for more details as we get closer to the day.&nbsp;

The story of us

It was not love at first sight, but once it hit us, there was no&nbsp;turning back. 

When people hear about each of our backgrounds– me from Puerto Rico, Rui from New Zealand– the first question we always get is "so how in this world did you meet?". Rui and I met at grad school, and&nbsp;always brushed passed each other in class, overlooking each other past all the other friends we made&nbsp;at Harvard.&nbsp;One bright Spring day, we bumped into each other in the library and started chatting about our Spring break plans, to which I asked the question&nbsp;"so where are you traveling to?", and he responded, "Puerto Rico."&nbsp;











Of course, I had to connect him to my friends on the island, and for the next week, he spent days and nights&nbsp;with my best friend Gustavo, who pressed on why we weren't closer.&nbsp;"You should be friends!&nbsp;She's cool!" he would say, and Rui made it a point to change that once we were back in Boston. From then on, we were inseparable. The first night we ever hung out, we stayed up all night talking and only noticed how much time had passed when we saw the sun coming up. He'd come over&nbsp;to&nbsp;watch movies&nbsp;and talk about life and&nbsp;about what we wanted to do in the future. It was the most natural friendship in the world.&nbsp;

After graduation, we decided to make&nbsp;one last trip before he went back to Scotland. We spent three days in Puerto Rico, exploring where I&nbsp;grew up, hanging out with my parents, and eating way too much food. And then, something clicked– something transformed, and we both knew we were in trouble.&nbsp;On our flight back to Boston, I&nbsp;looked at him and said "Rui, we just fit."

It hasn't always been easy. As soon as we started dating, Rui had to go back to medical school while I&nbsp;stayed back in the US. We travelled back and forth to each other for two years, sometimes waiting months to see each other again, and spending every dime we had on cheap flights (trust me, ask us about any budget airline– we've probably been on it!). And finally, after thousands of miles travelled, endless jetlag, and&nbsp;one category 5 hurricane later, we decided to take the plunge and move in together, making England our first home.&nbsp;



Eight months later, Rui got down on one knee, and the answer was clear. We said yes to forever.

How we got together

Our Story

Details

Photos

Wedding Party

Q + A

Registry

Travel

A historical landmark!&nbsp;You have to go before you leave the island.

Old San Juan

Just a stone's away from our hotel, Condado has amazing restaurants, bars, and a beautiful beach.

Condado

The best place to bar hop in the metro area of Puerto Rico. Amazing on Friday nights!&nbsp;Great foods, drinks, and places to dance.

La Placita

Want to go to the beach? Isla Verde is one of the closest beaches you can get to from where we are staying, and it is truly beautiful.

Isla Verde Beach

If you want to experience something truly Puerto Rico– that is "chinchorrear" (bar and food hopping), then a great place to go is Piñones. It's super close to where we are staying and also has a great beach!

Piñones

Culebra is a small island off of the East coast of Puerto Rico, so it's a bit of ways away as you have to get on a ferry to get to it. But if you are making this trip to Puerto&nbsp;Rico a longer vacation, then I suggest you make the trip out there!&nbsp;It is one of the most stunning beaches, and it is frequently featured&nbsp;as one of the best beaches to visit in the world.&nbsp;

Culebra

This is right across the street from where we are staying– it's a great place to get food and drinks.

Alana & Rui