Bella Collina San Clemente

Desserts & Cocktails

Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano

Wedding Day

Wedding

The Estate on Second

Reception

Our Wedding

The year was 2015. Michael was a new lawyer, freshly approved by the State of California. He had just landed a new job in Orange County. But he needed something else - a girlfriend, or at least a date.Dating websites seemed like a good option for Michael - he'd recently moved back to Orange County and was looking to meet someone new. So Michael joined OK Cupid and began looking around. One girl he saw seemed cute, smart, and&nbsp;sure of herself (plus she put a picture of herself in feetsie pajamas, very brave) and so he sent her a message.At the same time, Marissa was working for the Diocese of Orange&nbsp;for the last several years (and where she still does), finishing up her Master's degree in Theology at Loyola Marymount University. She had dated some guys, but nothing had stuck.When Marissa received a message from Michael, she thought that he was basically her type: tall and kinda nerdy looking. He also looked like he could use some of her help in looking and dressing better. So she replied back, seeing some potential.Their first date was at Marissa's favorite revolving sushi bar:&nbsp;<a href="https://kaitensushibar.com/">Kaisen Kaiten</a>. It went pretty well and Michael successfully got Marissa's phone number by the end (they had only talked on the dating app before). Little did they know that this was the first of many dates (and now, a quickly arriving wedding!) to come.

How We Met

Marissa and Michael were well into the second&nbsp;year of their relationship. It seemed like it was going to last, and things were going very well. They'd met each other's families and friends, and everyone got along great.So, of course, the topic of conversation became marriage. Marissa and Michael talked - so many of their life goals were compatible! Kids, nice house, great careers, and&nbsp;retiring in San Luis Obispo (maybe that last one is just Michael) were all things that they agreed on. It made sense, and they were deeply in love.Towards the end of 2016, Marissa and Michael knew that they had found the person who they would marry and spend the rest of their lives with. But they didn't want to just run off to Vegas - they wanted to get married in a way where they could share the experience with their friends and family, and have the wedding that Marissa always dreamed about.Marissa had a lot of plans and ideas, especially about the engagement ring. So Michael took her shopping and they started to develop the idea of which ring she would want, knowing of course that Marissa was there to guide Michael, who had to make the final decision himself.But one huge question remained: how to propose? Michael talked to everyone he could - how did they propose? Where did they propose? Who was there? Helpfully, Marissa had some parameters: she wanted to look nice, have her nails done (gotta look good in pictures with the new ring!), and have a photographer there to capture the moment.But first, Michael had to ask Marissa's parents for their blessing. Yes, this is an old, traditional custom, but it's something that was important to Marissa and, in turn, to Michael. So one night, when Marissa was out of town, Michael invited Marissa's parents to dinner. He had practiced how to ask for their blessing in Spanish, and they happily said "yes" when Michael asked.One of my Michael's coworkers helped him develop the idea of bringing Marissa's family down to the San Juan Capistrano Mission for a springtime family photo shoot - a photo shoot that would suddenly turn into a proposal.Michael hired a photographer, organized the family, and was ready for the day. Marissa thought that Michael was acting weird that morning on the way to the Mission, or at least that he seemed like he had an excessive amount of energy.As the photographer took pictures of the family, Michael waited for the right moment. Finally, he signaled to the photographer and for Marissa's family to come over. Michael bent down on one knee, asked Marissa to marry him.She said yes.

How He Proposed

Our Story

Details

Alba Peraza

Steve Nash

Yvette Cornejo

Kathryn Mueller 

Ryan Sellers 

Ivan Tomazin

Jesslynn Marquez

Larissa Santos 

Ross Macy

Patrick McClintock

Karla Gonzalez

Aaron Cornejo

Wedding Party

Photos

Registry

Q + A

A stay at Courtyard by Marriott John Wayne Airport/Orange County places you in the heart of Irvine, convenient to Boomers and University of California-Irvine.  This hotel is within close proximity of Irvine Museum and Lyon Air Museum.Rooms Make yourself at home in one of the 153 individually furnished guestrooms, featuring refrigerators and iPod docking stations. Complimentary wired and wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming provides entertainment. Private bathrooms with shower/tub combinations feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers. Conveniences include phones, as well as desks and complimentary weekday newspapers.Amenities Don't miss out on the many recreational opportunities, including an outdoor pool, a spa tub, and a fitness center. Additional features at this hotel include complimentary wireless Internet access, a television in a common area, and a picnic area.Dining You can enjoy a meal at a restaurant serving the guests of Courtyard by Marriott John Wayne Airport/Orange County, or find a snack in a coffee shop/café. Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at a bar/lounge.Business, Other Amenities Featured amenities include complimentary wired Internet access, a business center, and express check-in. Planning an event in Irvine? This hotel has 1,250 square feet (116 square meters) of space consisting of conference space and meeting rooms. A roundtrip airport shuttle is complimentary (available on request).

Courtyard by Marriott John Wayne Airport/Orange County

This is the closest and easiest airport to fly into. It is centrally located near the ceremony site and the reception venue. Renting a car at the airport will be the easiest way to get around Orange County.

John Wayne Airport

With a stay at Hotel Irvine in Irvine (Costa Mesa - SNA Airport), you'll be close to Boomers and University of California-Irvine.  This 4-star hotel is within close proximity of Irvine Museum and Lyon Air Museum.Rooms Make yourself at home in one of the 536  air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and iPod docking stations. Your room comes with a pillowtop bed. Wired and wireless Internet access is complimentary, while 42-inch flat-screen televisions with satellite programming provide entertainment. Private bathrooms with shower/tub combinations feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers.Amenities Be sure to enjoy recreational amenities, including an outdoor pool, a spa tub, and a 24-hour fitness center. This hotel also features complimentary wireless Internet access, concierge services, and gift shops/newsstands.Dining Grab a bite to eat at the hotel's restaurant, which features a bar, or stay in and take advantage of 24-hour room service. Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at a bar/lounge. Breakfast is available for a fee.Business, Other Amenities Featured amenities include a 24-hour business center, limo/town car service, and express check-in. Planning an event in Irvine? This hotel has 35000 square feet (3252 square meters) of space consisting of conference space and a meeting room. A roundtrip airport shuttle is complimentary (available 24 hours).

Hotel Irvine

Located in the heart of dynamic Orange County, the Marriott Irvine Spectrum is an inventive new hotel designed with the tech-savvy traveler in mind. We strive to foster ingenuity through thoughtful amenities, authentic experiences and world-class service. Situated nearby the area's top employers and amongst Irvine's most exciting shopping, dining, and entertainment, guests enjoy ideal sophistication and comfort whilst being welcomed by one of America's greatest locales. Guests can unwind in style in our chic lobby and fuel up at our onsite Starbucks or farm-to-table restaurant offering all-day dining, an evening bar and a taste of authentic Californian cuisine. Live like a local and enjoy our panoramic views from the rooftop terrace and bar, or relax poolside after working up a sweat in our bi-level state of the art fitness center. At Marriott Irvine Spectrum you can enjoy the intimacy of your own private residence plus our time honored Spirit to Serve.

Marriott Irvine Spectrum

Travel

This is the location of our wedding ceremony. We recommend that you check out the mission itself after the ceremony - you'll have a little time before the reception.Check out the gardens and the historical buildings and hopefully you'll see why Michael proposed to Marissa here and why we picked it for our wedding!

Mission San Juan Capistrano

The Irvine Spectrum is an outdoor shopping center with numerous shops, restaurants, bars, and other fun activities. You can get a great view of Irvine and south Orange County from atop the Ferris Wheel - but you have to be at least 5'3" to ride it alone, so some people (Marissa) may need a chaperone.

Irvine Spectrum Center, Irvine, CA, USA

If you want to check out the area where our reception is happening before or after, there's a ton of great things to check out in the revitalized downtown Santa Ana area.In particular, you can check out some great food:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.playgrounddtsa.com/">The Playground</a> (maybe our favorite restaurant in Orange County),&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ireniarestaurant.com/">Irenia</a> (modern Filipino), <a href="http://www.4thstreetmarket.com/">The Fourth Street Market</a> (upscale food stalls)&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="http://wursthausdtsa.com/">Wursthaus</a> (good beer and brats). There's also a cool movie theater showing some off-the-wall movies and some classics:&nbsp;<a href="http://thefridacinema.org/">The Frida Cinema</a>.

Downtown Santa Ana Historic District

A great little downtown area in Orange that cool people call "The Circle." A lot of great shopping and dining here:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.alaminuteicecream.com/">A La Minute Ice Cream</a> (where Marissa learned that sometimes Michael is not so good at sharing really good ice cream),&nbsp;<a href="http://gabbismexicankitchen.com/">Gabbi's Mexican Kitchen</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.fillingstationcafe.com/">The Filling Station Cafe</a> (Marissa's recommendation), or&nbsp;<a href="http://www.felixcontinentalcafe.com/">Felix Continental Cafe</a>.

Orange Plaza

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Marissa & Michael

Marissa & Michael

Photos