The Manor

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Cocktail

Reception

Fall

Our Wedding

It all started on Tuesday, September 4th, 2012, in the dungey art room at St. Elizabeth CHS—Where Mr. Paolini, our first art teacher, who somehow managed to terrify us all on day one. As part of the Regional Arts Program, we ended up in the same class, and that’s where we first crossed paths. Our very first project still makes us laugh. We were told to bring in stuffed animals, which were set up in a dimly lit room, their shadows stretching across the walls. We were seated in two long rows, with Dylan sitting directly across from me. At some point, he turned around and said something ridiculous about what we were drawing. Meanwhile, I was sitting there, completely stressed, convinced I wasn’t doing a good enough job. That was the first conversation we ever had. From that day on, we became inseparable for the next four years of high school. We were best friends—though there was a time in Grade 10 when I thought he hated me. (Puberty? Who knows.) Over the years, I was always in awe of how talented Dylan was. His portraits were incredible, and he could draw and paint so effortlessly. I was proud of him—and, I’ll admit, a little jealous. Hopefully, our kids will get our artistic genes one day. Somewhere along the way, there were feelings—Grade 9, I think—but nothing came of it at the time. By Grade 12, we explored those feelings again, and this time, it turned out it was always meant to be. Scared 18-year-old Dylan didn’t officially ask me out until November, four months after graduation. But when something is meant to be, it always finds its way. Not only have we shared the most incredible highs over the last 8 years, but we’ve also faced some of the toughest lows together. Through it all, there’s no one we’d rather have by our side than each other. We’ve built a love and a bond stronger than anything, one that has carried us through every challenge and will continue to do so. We are so excited for the beautiful future ahead of us. Now, here we are—13 years since that first day, and 9 years together by the time we get married. It’s wild to think about. One day, we’ll tell our kids how mom and dad met in a dark art room filled with stuffed animals and teenage nerves—and how that one project led us to forever. We can’t wait to write the next chapter of our story together.

Santana & Dylan

Santana & Dylan

S&D

Wedding Day

3:30 PM–4:00 PM

Ceremony

4:00 PM–5:30 PM

Cocktail

5:30 PM–1:00 AM

Reception