Hacienda Castillo

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Cocktail Hour

Reception

Summer

<a href="https://www.theknot.com/us/josiah-sawyer-and-denisse-contreras-jun-2025" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PARA NUESTRA PÁGINA EN ESPAÑOL</a>

Save The Date

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY2Cw1vrpfg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Save the Date Video</a>

Our Wedding

Welcome to our story! If you would like the spark notes version please refer to the timeline at the bottom of the page. If you are here for all of the facts and details, then happy reading… Bolded Script- DenisseItalicized script- Josiah The road to get to this point was not simple, although I guess none really are. While it may come as a surprise, it was not always two sided. This isn’t one of those stories where he falls first and she falls harder. In fact, if you have ever asked us for our story it might be very clear that I fell for Josiah way before he even noticed I existed.&nbsp; It all started back in the fall of 2018. I had decided to get a job and landed at one of Miami’s finest (and oldest) dining halls. Little did I know that this was the lighthouse drawing in burrito craving ex-chipotle workers such as the man I have chosen to marry. It was the only place on campus to get anything close to anything even resembling real Mexican food (and that’s a stretch.) As the resident Mexican employee, I had the privilege of manning this station. It was during one of those shifts that I saw him for the first time. It wasn’t his cute curly hair or his adorable brown eyes that called my attention, instead it was the fact that he butchered the easiest word in the spanish language. “..and then I’ll take some ja-la-pee-neos” From then on he became Jalapeeneo dude. (This is exactly what I, Josiah, was looking for by the way. A purposeful mispronunciation to be remembered.) While this call for attention worked and began my years-long crush, I truly never thought I’d see him outside of Bell Tower dining hall. Which made it all the more shocking when I showed up for our second SOUL (Student Orientation Undergraduate Leader) class, and he plopped himself down in the chair next to me just minutes before class was set to start. For months after that, (she did nothing and hoped I would fall in love with her.) No, for months after that, I attempted to form a strong friendship in hopes that it would turn into something more. Unfortunately, it was halfway through our orientation summer that I was made aware that he had started dating someone else on our team (oops.) From that moment I tried convincing myself that what I felt for him was strictly platonic. That was much harder than it should have been seeing as he was my “soul buddy” and I had to text him "good morning" every day to make sure he was on time for every morning meeting. And if you know Josiah AT ALL, you would know that keeping him punctual is possibly the hardest job to assign to someone. (I just have to say, I was always on time except for once when my phone alarm broke, and I bought a second alarm clock that same day. The problem is some people believe that "on time" is 30 minutes early; I take a more realistic approach where on time means… ON TIME, not before time. But back to the story.) Keeping him on time meant that I would have to text him repeatedly throughout the day. Not only that but he was also in my pod, which was a group of 4 souls that worked closely together all day, every day for the entire summer. Luckily, my self-brainwashing worked halfway through the summer and I was eventually able to see him as just a friend.

We were distant friends for a few years after that. We would occasionally meet up for dinner or lunch with other friends from orientation, and would always stop to chat for a bit if we bumped into each other around campus. That was about it. Until halfway through junior year, COVID had just ended and I was on the mission of reaching out to friends to check in on how everyone was doing. Most people responded with normal greetings, but not Josiah. He responded with an update of his life which included a picture of him with his hand up a cow’s butt. Inserted below for those thinking I made this up. (For context, I was visiting my brother who was in Senegal working at a farm, and they were doing cow palpitations, i.e. checking for how far along cows were in their pregnancies. Naturally, I asked if I could assist.)

We chatted and updated each other on everything that we had been up to. I started working at a coffee shop and had begun my student teaching experiences in classrooms; he had let his hair grow out and after having recently become single had made a trip to visit his brother and new sister-in-law in Africa. We made plans to catch up over dinner. And that’s when he finally fell.&nbsp; Well, it wasn’t that simple of course. While I was happily single during our dinner, I wasn’t exactly looking for a relationship. However, over the next few months, I couldn’t stop thinking about a cute little Mexican who I had suddenly started seeing in a new light. Our friendship grew, and I got into the habit of texting her every time I was doordashing near her apartment. I tried convincing myself that the constant texting was just what I did with my friends, so I started texting my friend Lucas every time I passed by his home as well. This charade didn’t last too long though because after all of the texting she started inviting me to parties at her apartment where the flirting began. However, this flirting was all very confusing. (At this point, the constant communication had brought back old feelings I had felt for him years ago. Due to prior experiences with having a crush on him, though, I did not want to make my feelings obvious even though this time it felt different.)&nbsp; In other words, every time she did something that resembled flirting to me, such as giving me a hug, touching my arm, or putting stickers on my face, she went around to every other guy at the party and did the same to them. Because of this I wasn’t sure if Denisse liked me or if she was just really nice.

One of those nights though, after she had showed me her bucket list, I told her we should cross one of those off and invited her to go stargazing. The date was set. (Which was exactly what he said when he texted me to invite me. It was never made clear that it was a date. In fact, I was under the impression that other friends could have potentially been invited as well. This is important for the next part of the story.) ← This is called covering you butt. Anyway, the day came; I picked her up and we went to a cute little sandwich shop for dinner, where of course I paid as this was supposed to be a date. We then went to the park hours before the sunset and walked around laughing and holding hands when she said, and I quote “You’re like one of my students.” Oof (to be fair he was holding my hand and chasing ducks, jumping off the play set, and balancing on the sidewalk edge. Which is what my students do.) What can I say, I was a boy slowly being taken over by love. Long story short, we talked for hours under the stars, huddled up and talking about our futures and about all o the important parts of our lives. A very intimate conversation. When the time finally came to go back home, I drove past her apartment door and into a parking spot with the intention of asking her to be my girlfriend. Unfortunately, before I could even put my car in park, she bolted. The door was open before I could say anything, and all I heard before it shut was “K Thanks, bye!” Dejectedly, I sat there for a couple minutes thinking that I messed it up. But unlike someone we all know, I actually pursue someone I like. So a couple days, I invited her to my end of year party where I was determined to ask her out officially.&nbsp; While to some it might have been obvious that our stargazing adventure was a date, I was so in my head that upon receiving the invite to his party I decided to bring along two of my best friends. Jordan and Jacqueline hyped me up as we got ready, and before we knew it we were at his house surrounded by people we did not know. It took Josiah no time at all to find us. We played pong as a team, talked, and eventually Jordan pulled me aside to talk to her boyfriend, Logan, on facetime. Logan took it as his personal mission to move my relationship status along. He asked how the party was going and then demanded for Jordan to hand the phone to Josiah. Josiah walked away with the phone as I attempted to stop them from talking in fear that Logan would tell Josiah how I felt about him. It was only a minute or two before the phone was handed back to me and Josiah walked away. Mortified, I asked Logan to tell me what he said to him. His response- “I told him to just kiss you already.”&nbsp; I wanted nothing more than to disappear on the spot. Instead, I did what any logical college student would do and partied it up. Embarrassed, I eventually made my way to his living room and slouched alone on the couch trying to not overthink the situation. My friends stared at me from across the room, unsure of what to do. That was when Josiah, once again, plopped down next to me. We sat in awkward silence (The awkwardness was completely on Denisse, I wasn’t awkward at all) for what felt like hours (about 20 seconds) before I decided to rip off the bandaid and ask him as if I didn’t already know. “What did Logan say to you?” I expected him to lie or avoid the question entirely. Instead he said… “He told me to kiss you.” I quite literally sank into the couch (pictured below, thanks to Jordan for capturing on her snapchat video.) “Oh. You can just forget what he said.” And again Josiah shocked me by responding with… “But what if I don’t want to forget it.” And I sank some more. But my heart swelled.&nbsp;

Let me just say, the man has got some Rizz. Like I said already, I was determined to ask her out, but first, I decided to enjoy all of her discomfort. We sat there for about 20 minutes talking, with her friend Jordan constantly coming up and ‘whispering’ “has it happened yet?!” Finally, I decided to officially ask her on a date. At this she started to malfunction- imagine a robot short circuiting and then shutting down and you will get pretty close to Denisse’s response. Once she regained her composure though, we walked and talked around the house, forgetting about the party inside.&nbsp; ﻿We had an amazing date the following day, and I wanted nothing more but to repeat it day after day all summer. But after spending all day together he said goodbye and the next day left for a trip to Puerto Rico with his friends, and the day after he left for his summer long internship in Arkansas. We texted constantly and after my cousins dared me to facetime him halfway through the summer, we called often. When he got back our days were filled with hopping through garage sales, trying new restaurants, and spending just about every second together. The rest is history.

Three years later and here we are. Many trips to Mexico and around the U.S., some hiking adventures, countless restaurants, a shelf full of puzzles and board games, and a very happy Dalmatian later. All leading to a beautiful surprise proposal at the top of a very snowy mountain, and about to be joined by all of you to celebrate the beginning of the biggest, most amazing journey of our lives.&nbsp;

Sparknotes Version! We met as orientations leaders at Miami University our freshman year of college in 2018. After a few roadblocks and several years of friendship, we finally ended up going stargazing together. Due to the fact that we did not both know that this was a date, we lovingly refer to it as our "pseudodate." One night at a end-of-year party a few days later on May 5th of 2021, with a bit of a nudge from friends and much determination, we confessed our feelings for each other and decided to go on an official date! We dated for 3 years and on April 5th Josiah proposed at the top of a beautiful, snowy mountain. Now we are getting ready to embark on this amazing journey together!

Our Story

Photos

Godparents

Godparents are traditional in Mexican weddings. They symbolize different values in a marriage, and are chosen by the bride and groom- usually being individuals who they are close to, and that they respect, trust, and admire.

The godparents of velacion are a married couple chosen by the bride and groom as an example in of an ideal marriage. They are seen as mentors or guides for the new couple's own relationship. 

Ricardo & Nancy Contreras

The godmother of the bible is an individual chosen by the bride and groom as someone they look up to for their faith and relationship with God. They are a guide and reminder for the couple to keep God at the forefront of their marriage.

Sue Sawyer

The godparents of lasso are a couple chosen by the bride and groom as an example of unity and strength. Together they place a lasso around the bride and grooms' shoulders representing their eternal union. 

Hawken and Emily Sawyer 

The godmother of the bouquet is a woman who is chosen by the couple and reminds the bride and groom to look for the beauty in life and hope throughout the marriage. The bouquet symbolizes the beginning of a new chapter.

Hannah Sawyer 

The godparents of the rings are individuals chosen by the couple as trusted people who can keep them accountable for the commitment they make to each other throughout their marriage.

Max Sawyer 

Alan Contreras & Jess Wocks

The godparents of coins are individuals chosen by the couple as trusted people who can remind them of the promise they made to take care of each other and the promise to have mutual collaboration within their marriage.

Zeph Sawyer & Sandy Chang

Andre Contreras

Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids are traditional in American weddings. They are a group of women who stand with the bride as a symbol of support, assistance, trust, and friendship.

Fer Castañeda

Karen Martinez

Tami Hernandez

Vale De La Guardia

Kimi Hernandez

Natalia Contreras

Becca Contreras

Majo Castañeda

Jordan Materni

Liz Rhinehart

Jacqueline Lunz

Groomsmen

Groomsmen are traditional in American weddings. They are a group of men who stand with the groom as a symbol of trust, strength, support, and friendship.

Liam Smith

Andy Paskert 

Jake Parish

Matt Priebe

Stephen Council

Carlos Castañeda

Paco Castañeda

Rodri De La Guardia

San De La Guardia

Benito Martinez

Logan Alexander

More Important People

Our wedding party is not complete without the following people!

Nico Martinez

Emmanuel Sawyer

Tita Castillo

Abi & Pepe Contreras

John & Teresa Weedon

Wedding Party

Q + A

Registry

Directions

Flight Planning Tips

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when booking your flights for the wedding:   Flights - We recommend flying straight into Querétaro(QRO) Tickets to Querétaro from Cincinnati can be as cheap as $480 (for long flights with many layovers) and can go up to $1000 or more. If you are checking for flights and are wondering when to pull the trigger and buy them, we would say that anything under $600 is a great deal! Texas folks- aim between $300-$400.   - As always with flights make sure to check if you will get charged extra for carry-ons. Many times this charge can sneak up and make super cheap flights not as worth it.   - We have found that American Airlines and Delta/AeroMexico are the best airlines to travel with. United is also a good option. Viva Aerobus will always offer cheap flights but they are along the lines of Spirit and Frontier with quality and extra charges.   Arrival Point - The wedding is in Querétaro, about a 2.5 hour drive away from Mexico City. Querétaro does have an international airport which would be the easiest to fly into, but it could be slightly more expensive. You can also fly into Mexico City and then get a charter bus to Querétaro straight from the airport ($20-$34 USD/person.)   - You can easily get a taxi or an Uber from Querétaro's airport or its bus depot. If you are arriving at night please let us know as Ubers ca be hard to find the later it gets. We would be more than happy to have someone pick you up.   Traveling to Mexico - Do not forget to get a passport with enough time for it to process and get mailed back to you! Aim for starting the process 4-6 months before your departure day.   - If you have a passport make sure to check that it is still valid and if it will be valid through your stay. There is nothing worse than getting to the airport and having to miss your flight because your passport is expired, or getting stuck in Mexico ad having to find yourself at the U.S. Embassy.   Layovers - From Ohio (or anywhere in northern US) you will more than likely have to take a trip with a connecting flight. Keep in mind that on your way back you will have to go through customs at your connecting destination. Try to find an itinerary that gives you enough time (if you checked bags, you will have to get them, go through customs and security, and then check them again.) We find that 2.5+ hours for a layover is prefect to avoid stress!   - Try your best not to check a bag. It is just more of a hassle if the flight gets delayed or bags get lost. On the same vein, follow carry-on bag regulations for liquid sizes. They will take away anything that exceeds the limit!   Customs in Mexico - Upon your arrival to Mexico you will have to let customs know how long you plan on staying. Try to give them a few days more than what you actually plan on (ex. if you are staying 3 days, say that you are staying for 8.) This will avoid any unnecessary issues if anything comes up and you do have to end up staying more, or if they accidentally mark something wrong. It is fine if you leave before your official stay is up, but they might get on to you if you leave later.

Overall Tips for Being in México

Mexico is, in our humble opinion, one of the most beautiful places in the world! With that in mind, you do need to make sure to you stay safe. Here are our biggest pieces of advice for this: Take Care of your Gut- Do not be like Josiah and try to make it your life mission to eat the street fruit!! The fruit is not washed with clean water, so unless you plan on spending your stay hunched over the toilet, we recommend skipping out on it no matter how enticing it might look. - Tap water in México is not purified, so avoid drinking it! Instead we recommend getting a giant bottle of water from one of the many convenience stores on every street. Driving?- If you are driving keep in mind that stop signs are more of an optional thing. Do not trust that people will follow them. Always trust the speed bumps more. MoneyTry not to withdraw cash from ATMs in the airport as they typically have a higher exchange rate especially in Mexico City. The best places to go to get cash would be to ATMs inside of shopping centers in Quéretaro, or before you leave the U.S. Almost all places also accept debit or credit cards. If you do plan on using your debit or credit cards, make sure to check if you need to warn your bank in advance that you will be traveling internationally. If they see a charge out of the usual they might lock your card. Josiah also recommends you check for fees. Mexico CityIf you go into Mexico City be aware of your surroundings. People in México are warm and inviting, but it is a big city like any other. Querétaro is very different, and has more of a suburb feel to it. WeatherIt is warm and dry in Querétaro, so pack accordingly. There will be swimming opportunities in most hotels and at the Hacienda if you stay overnight as well. PeoplePeople in Mexico are super friendly! They are always more than happy to help. Many are excited to try to communicate and have conversations- take it as an opportunity to practice your Spanish. Often times they will know at least a little bit of English as well. Tips from JosiahTry to eat the street fruit.* But actually other street food such as tacos, cooked foods, breads, or really anything not raw/washed in water is totally fine!

Staying After the Wedding?

Go to <a href="https://www.theknot.com/us/josiah-sawyer-and-denisse-contreras-jun-2025-d3ec1516-3162-4c4a-8746-f84bb85df5b7/things-to-do" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Things to Do!</a> *Do not try to eat the street fruit.

Travel Tips

We recommend staying at at the Hacienda the night at the wedding since it will be ending late in the night. There are a limited number of rooms with varied prices within the hacienda.* For more information on all room styles please refer to the pdf linked below. *Please keep in mind that while this is the best option for the night of the wedding as it does not require any transportation, it unfortunately does not have AC. Many guests are choosing to stay at the hacienda for the wedding night and transfer to a different hotel if they are staying longer! If you are not able to get a room in the hacienda there will be some transportation provided to and from the venue!

Hacienda El Castillo

<a href="https://www.canva.com/design/DAGLgouBagk/ZNTFMi5XChRU8ZkngsugpQ/view?utm_content=DAGLgouBagk&amp;utm_campaign=designshare&amp;utm_medium=link&amp;utm_source=editor" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hacienda Castillo Rooms Brochure</a>

Other Hotels in Querétaro

If you did not get a room at the hacienda and are going to stay in one of the 3 hotels mentioned below, we will have free transportation from your hotel to the event and at the end of the event back to the hotel. Keep in mind this transportation is only for the wedding day. We will provide more information about the shuttle departure times soon!

30 min from Hacienda Castillo No AC- fans in every room

El Dolce by HOMi

AC 25 min from Hacienda Castillo Block code/promo code: BodaD&J Keep in mind that prices will change based on how many people will be staying in the room, and whether or not you want breakfast included*! *”Desayuno Incluido” means “breakfast included”

Mexico Plaza Queretaro

AC30 min from Hacienda Castillo NOTE: The website will not let you book at our block rate past Tuesday. If you would like to reserve longer you would need to call the number above (speak to Fernanda Gonzalez) to reserve and get the same rate.

AC Hotel Queretaro Antea Marriot

Stays

Unfortunately as we had limited availability, all of the seats on our bus have now been filled. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions about exploring around Queretaro on your own!

Tours by Denisse's Parents

Go Off On Your Own

A Bit of a Drive

Walk the streets of the town and then hike up this 1,421 ft monolith, one of the tallest in the world! About 45 minutes from Queretaro.

Peña of Bernal

Walk the beautiful streets of this Magic Town of Mexico; eat the rich food, shop the local artisan markets, and visit the historic cathedral. About an hour from Quéretaro.

San Miguel de Allende

Visit the historic Toltec pyramids! A bout 1.5 hours from Querétaro.

Teotihuacán

Check out this <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.es/AttractionProductReview-g479232-d19907614-Tour_to_the_Tolantongo_Caves_in_English_leaving_Queretaro-Queretaro_City_Central_M.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tour of las Grutas de Tolantongo!</a>

Grutas de tolantongo

Keeping It Local

Queretaro has pretty cheap ubers to get around. You can also feel free to rent a car if you're planning on exploring on your own!

Visit downtown Querétaro for its amazing food, beautiful architecture, and shopping areas!

Querétaro rico Centro histórico

Go on a walk along the "Hill of the Bells," where the stones sound like bells. Make sure to read up on its history to make it that much better!

National Park Cerro de las Campanas

Check out this beautiful church and the life sized wooden statues of the last Supper!

Templo de Santa Rosa de Viterbo

Learn about Querétaro's history at the regional museum of Querétaro.

Museo Regional de Querétaro

Shop around the mall and catch a at movie the theatre.

Paseo Queretaro

Antea Lifestyle Center

Food

Hacienda Laborcilla

EL LISTON DE MARIA

Delicious barbacoa! Better in the AM.

Barbacoa Don Cuco Suc. Refugio-Zakia-Zibata

The best tacos...and don't forget to order "choriqueso." Trust us on this one!

Josiah & Denisse

Josiah & Denisse

J&D

Wedding Day

5:00 PM

Ceremony

6:00 PM

Cocktail Hour

7:00 PM

Reception

Save The Date