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Our Wedding

The one where the Cowboys fan fell in love with the Red Sox fan

Date: November 2015&nbsp; Location: Boston, MA&nbsp; Matchmaker: eHarmony

The story of us began in the late fall of 2015. Marina had recently graduated from Boston College and Payden had also recently graduated but from the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado. His first assignment with the Air Force sent him to study at North Eastern University to achieve a master's degree in engineering. Marina was living in the city working as a registered nurse and seeking to obtain a master's in nursing. Given our career fields, our classes reaped little fruit of contact with the opposite gender...











Both parties disinterested in the bar scene but with great experience in using the internet, they took to online. Hesitant about the type of people they'd meet online, both sought out a website that was known for it's reputability and success rate: eHarmony. After spending several minutes customizing our profiles, Payden and Marina internet dating edition was born! Marina wants everyone to know that after creating her profile, Payden was one of her very first matches offered to her by the site. She was instantly charmed by his stunning smile, heart for the Lord, and of course his bow tie. She pinged him...and the rest is history. 











Their first date came before Thanksgiving of 2015 at a local coffee shop in Davis Square named Diesel Cafe. They knew they found something special when in the first date their love for Jesus, family, and Harry Potter carried the conversation. Before saying goodbye, Payden made sure to get Marina's phone number and he did not leave her waiting long. On the train ride home while gushing to her mother about the man she had met over coffee, she received a text message seeking a second date. 











The second date was at an Italian restaurant also in Davis Square named Toscano. They had reservations at 7...but stayed until the place kicked them out. Given they had met online, these dates were more like friendly meetings to answer questions like: who is this guy? Is she for real? Is he secretly a mass murderer?! 











Haha, the last question was a serious question for Marina and it became more evident when our first meeting at Payden's house came up. After Thanksgiving, Payden had kindly invited Marina to his place for a home cooked meal before going to watch an Air Force football game on television with some of his friends. Marina had arrived early that night to his house and passed the driveway to pull over and pray. She prayed for safety and peace...for wisdom and comfort as scenes of murder mysteries flashed through her mind! She was so unsettled that she texted her older brother, who lived nearby, Payden's home address "just in case." Praying up until the last minute she made sure to pull into his driveway on time. She knocked on his front door and to her surprise everyone in the room was over 6 feet. In her mind, her jaw dropped...I don't stand a chance (she thought). Yet something inside of her kept her calm and continuing on. Dinner was delicious, Thanksgiving leftovers with a green bean casserole and a homemade cornbread stuffing. When the dinner plates were cleaned it was time to watch some football. We did not head to the living room but to Payden's enormous blue pick up truck named June Carter ("after the late Johnny Cash's wife"). Marina thought to herself...are we changing locations?! Her heart sank. As they drove she was reading passing street signs to keep her brother informed about this unexpected location change. Finally, they pulled up to Zach's house. She timidly walked up the stairs when the front door swung open. Over Zach's shoulders stood something that would bring Marina peace that surpasses all understanding in an instant...a framed and hung bright yellow Ecuadorian soccer jersey. Marina knew exactly what this shirt stood for because her father was born in Ecuador and she has one of these exact jerseys hanging up in her closet. This is what we call a "God wink." Marina immediately relaxed and was at peace as she and a room full of Air Force men watched the football game...yes, no women...just men...who were all over 6 feet tall (seriously, what do they feed those boys?). 











Several dates later, Marina was no longer intimidated by their size but proudly showing off her body guard sized entourage. What the outside world couldn't see as well as she could was that these would be some of the kindest, gentlest, most respectful men that she had ever met. One in particular stood out to her above the rest...and one day (5 trips to Texas, 3 Red Sox games, and countless nights serving at Copley Ministry later...) he decided to put a ring on her finger to make sure that she knew that she was the most precious of them all to him. 











The night was Thursday March 2nd, 2017. Payden had picked Marina up from work at the community health center all of that to say, she was still dressed in her nursing scrubs. Thursday nights they attended bible study in Brookline so they had planned on having dinner at one of their favorite restaurants, Barcelona, beforehand. They had eaten at this particular restaurant before bible study a time or two prior so Marina did not suspect anything out of the ordinary. Upon arrival to the restaurant the waitress asked if we had made a reservation. To that, Payden leaned forward and responded by giving his first and last name. The waitress gave him a look and replied, "just a few more minutes, Mr. McBee." 









Next Marina knew they were making their way to the table. What sat in the middle of the table was a vase filled with long stem, red roses. Marina couldn't believe that was their table until Payden pulled her seat out. The roses were gorgeous but when Payden sat across the table from her they quickly realized that the table was indeed only big enough for two...the flowers were so magnificent that they would have to dip and dodge their way around them to hold any sort of conversation. The waitress quickly took notice and offered to hold the roses for us until the end of our meal. We reluctantly agreed and longingly watched them get escorted back to the kitchen out of sight.&nbsp;







Now I know what you're thinking. She must have known at this point, didn't she?! Well, not exactly. As a reminder it was a Thursday evening and Marina was in her Winnie the Pooh scrubs...they were also running tight on time to make bible study in the next hour. Payden is a sweetheart so to fill the table with red roses did warm her heart but she wasn't expecting more than a delicious meal and blessed conversation. Little did she know, what awaited her was so much more. All conversation was unsuspecting up until the time when the appetizers came. The lights were dimmed in the restaurant and Payden began to speak in Spanish. He began by mentioning the roses. He asked if her she noticed that there were actually 13 long-stem roses on the table...(13 is her favorite number)...and that the roses were actually from Ecuador (where her father was from). He proceeded to mention that he wanted to spend the rest of his life by her side. He had asked her mother and brother for permission to marry her but since her father had passed away and Payden was unable to ask for his permission, Payden wanted to show respect and honor for Mr. Iturralde by asking for Marina's hand in his native language, Spanish. It was at that time when Payden Wells McBee went into his jacket pocket, and all 6' 4'' of that Air Force football player who once intimidated&nbsp;her with his size, knelt down to the floor on one knee--"Marina Helena Iturralde, le &nbsp;gustaria casarse conmigo?"





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Our Story

What to Wear

Attire for the Ceremony

Men: Suit with jacket and tie&nbsp;

Women: Floor length gowns or cocktail dresses

Women: Floor length gowns or cocktail dresses

Details

Photos

Wedding Party

Q + A

Registry

Please email the bride at iturraldemh@gmail.com and let her know 1. what night's you are in need of a place to stay and 2. how many guests are in your party and she will get back to you with options. Please try to email her with these&nbsp;requests no later than June 1st.&nbsp;

Coming into Boston from out of town? In need of a place to stay? 

Venue is&nbsp;most easily accessible via car.&nbsp;Parking is located on the premises although if possible,&nbsp;carpooling is encouraged.&nbsp;

Marina & Payden

Marina & Payden

Travel

Coming into Boston from out of town? In need of a place to stay?

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