The Grove at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park

Welcome Party

Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Cocktail Hour

Reception

Spring

Our Wedding

our story

Erika and Cullen met when they were just 15 in the marching band room at Cypress Bay High School in Weston, Florida. He only had eyes for his snare drum, but she thought he was cute. Their best friends were dating, and willing conspirators to help the clarinetist get the attention of the percussionist. Through Erika's sheer will and persistence, Cullen soon realized that it may be time for a girlfriend. During halftime at a Cypress Bay football game their sophomore year, Cullen asked Erika to go out with him. Little did that young lad know that she would be his first and last girlfriend!

By senior year, as college applications rolled around, the two were unsure of their paths forward, but ultimately, they took a leap of faith and decided that no matter where each of them attended school, they wanted to stick together ... And they did! Throughout their long-distance relationship, Cullen was competing in DCI and WGI ensembles that took him around the country, and Erika was doing internships and studying abroad in Germany. But they managed through many FaceTime calls and trips to visit each other (including Paris!).

After Erika graduated from the University of Florida, she received an offer from Texas Instruments to move to Dallas. The two knew they didn't need to have a conversation about the move. Cullen was right on board, and joined Erika in Dallas as he finished up his last semester at the University of Central Florida.

Dallas has been their home since 2020, and they now have a beautiful home in Sachse, with their two cats, Archie and Vespa. Erika continues her work as a software engineer with TI, and Cullen teaches 8th grade U.S. History in the Richardson Independent School District. They enjoy rock climbing, weekend getaways camping and traveling, and exploring Dallas' breweries.

Our Story

The Proposal

June 11, 2022Bear Peak

A trip down memory lane...

Where it started

Photos

Officiant

David Birge

Wedding Party

Patricia Riester

Mari La Riva

Alec Bryant

Sofia De La Cruz

Tara Bagherlee

Cami Ziadi

Dylan Mitvalsky

Dawson Kling

Liam Slagle

Chris Beall

Emilio Romaguera

Colin Carella

Archie

Vespa

<a href="https://www.visitlauderdale.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Go to VisitLauderdale.com here. </a>

<a href="https://www.ridecircuit.com/fortlauderdale" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Click here for more info about the Circuit trolley. </a>

<a href="https://watertaxi.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Water Taxi </a><a href="https://www.bonnethouse.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Bonnet House Museum and Gardens</a><a href="https://nsuartmuseum.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NSU Art Museum</a><a href="https://www.nps.gov/ever/index.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Everglades National Park</a>

Travel

We've reserved a limited number of rooms at a special rate of $262 plus tax. Reservations must be made by Feb. 20 to get that rate. <a href="https://www.hilton.com/en/book/reservation/rooms/?ctyhocn=FLLRURU&amp;arrivalDate=2025-03-20&amp;departureDate=2025-03-23&amp;groupCode=BMW&amp;room1NumAdults=1&amp;cid=OM%2CWW%2CHILTONLINK%2CEN%2CDirectLink" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Use this link. </a>

Tru by Hilton Fort Lauderdale Downtown

Other Recommendations

Riverside Hotel Fort Lauderdale

Fairfield Inn & Suites Fort Lauderdale Downtown/Las Olas

Hyatt Centric Las Olas Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale Marriott North

Hampton Inn Ft. Lauderdale/Downtown Las Olas Area

Hotel Recommendations

WELCOME PARTY 🌿

Join us between 4 and 7 p.m. on Friday at The Grill at the Grove inside Hugh Taylor Birch State Park. Hang out, and have a couple beers and snacks on us! There's a cash bar for wine and cocktails. We recommend using a ridesharing service to be dropped off on the beachside&nbsp;entrance on A1A.⁣

Address: 3109 E Sunrise Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304⁣⁣If you decide to drive, there is parking for $6 per car inside Birch State Park (entrance on Sunrise Boulevard) or minimal street parking along the beach on A1A. If you do park inside the park, know that the park closes at 7:45 so you have move your car out of the lot by then.

WEDDING DAY 💐

Our Wedding Ceremony at the Broward Center for Performing Arts on Saturday will start promptly at 5 pm — specifically on the Terrace overlooking the New River. Address: 201 SW 5th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312 Please plan to arrive early with enough time to get situated and silence your cell phones. We recommend using a rideshare service to and from the celebration to drink responsibly and not worry about parking. Please keep in mind that a “Lion King” show gets out at 4:30pm so there will be a large, quick surge of people and cars pulling up/leaving the Broward Center.&nbsp; If you are driving, there is a parking garage directly across the street from the venue and additional parking at 110 SW 9th Terrace Parking.&nbsp; If you are ridesharing, we recommend you get dropped off either at the Broward Center intersection and walk up the drive to our ceremony to avoid potential lines of cars, or get in the car line and get dropped off at the top. While the nearby park is pretty to walk through, keep in mind there may be some gates in your way for our private event.

CELL PHONE POLICY 📱

During the wedding ceremony, we kindly ask that you silence your cell phones and refrain from taking any photos or videos on your own devices. We want everyone to be as present as possible for this special time + we have hired a professional photographer and will be sure to share with you afterwards. After the ceremony concludes, you can snap and record away!

Erika + Cullen

Erika + Cullen

Wedding Party

Officiant

Wedding Party