Real Bride

#EnzoaniRealBride: Ana + Mario

Did someone say destination wedding?

BRB - Weekend getaway. Grabbing our passports and ubering over to the airport right now. We're feeling some serious Fast and Furious vibes as Ana and Mario tie the knot in gorgeous Puerto Vallarta. White sand and blue waters make this a destination wedding we don't want to miss! Catch this bride dancing the night away to Latin beats in her Enzoani gown and more.

Gown Featured Above: MCKINLEY | Enzoani

Mario and I knew each other in high school back in 2009, but didn’t officially meet until April 27th, 2012 at my best friend’s birthday dinner. I must say, the smile he greeted me with that day completely blew me away. After some conversations, I noticed the interest he expressed towards me and I knew something special had sparked between us.

Gown Featured Above: MCKINLEY | Enzoani

We hung out that whole summer, and the summers thereafter. We officially began dating the summer of 2013, and of course, he convinced me to stay in Sacramento for college. He was a big source of moral support through my stressful college days and always pushed me to explore beyond my limits.

Gown Featured Above: MCKINLEY | Enzoani

I was very attracted to his hard-working attitude, and to see how important family was to him, as I was raised by a very hard-working, and loving family myself. Just like any other couple, we too had our fair share of ups and downs, but together, we have worked on our relationship day by day.

Gown Featured Above: MCKINLEY | Enzoani

Flash forward to June of 2016, we took a vacation to Cancun, Mexico with my family. It was such a fun time and we were truly having a blast! On June 24th, 2016, he tricked me into wearing a white dress by telling me my family told him we had an “all-white” photoshoot planned for dinner.

Gown Featured Above: MCKINLEY | Enzoani

We walked towards the beach, and that’s when I realized it was a romantic dinner for two on the beach. I thought to myself, “What a beautiful gesture to celebrate our anniversary”, which was just a couple days away. When we finished dinner, a huge bouquet of roses arrived at our table and he had set up his tripod to record.

Gown Featured Above: MCKINLEY | Enzoani

That’s when he got down on one knee and popped the question! I was taken by absolute surprise, and we both cried happy tears as the hotel guests, also dining, all clapped in joy. It was absolutely magical.

Gown Featured Above: MCKINLEY | Enzoani

We took a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in November of 2016 to check out the Hyatt Ziva. We left Puerto Vallarta and headed back to Sacramento with a deposit made and date booked to our name. We spent the next two years planning our wedding, as I finished college and we bought our first home in 2017.

Gown Featured Above: MCKINLEY | Enzoani

The timing was perfect for us and it gave our guests plenty of time to make travel arrangements. I’m originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, which is a few hours away, and I have many family and friends who still reside there. Most of Mario’s family resides in Sacramento. We decided we wanted to bring our family and friends on vacation with us during this special time in our lives. So we did!

Gown Featured Above: MCKINLEY | Enzoani

Our wedding day was full of surprises! We began the day with a bride prep session with my mom and bridesmaids, followed by the first look with my dad, which was just beautiful and full of emotions. During our ceremony, the hot sun was shining down, but thankfully we had plenty of parasols to go around.

Gown Featured Above: MCKINLEY | Enzoani

As the ceremony proceeded, I was swept off my feet by my husband’s sweet vows and his reaction when he saw me walking down the aisle. I will never forget those beautiful words and the look on his eyes.

Gown Featured Above: MCKINLEY | Enzoani

Our bridal party made a fun entrance into our now perfectly forecasted reception, at which we were delightfully amused by my flower girl’s “stage fright”, as she calls it. I can’t wait to share this memory with her when she’s older.

Gown Featured Above: MCKINLEY | Enzoani

One of the moments I really took in was seeing our closest family and friends dancing and truly enjoying themselves. I love the fact that everyone stayed on the dance floor through the versatile music selection ranging from Latin, cumbia, banda, and hip-hop. We were later surprised when the sky was lit up by fireworks.

Gown Featured Above: MCKINLEY | Enzoani

This was one of the night’s favorite moments, as well. My parents brought the Mariachi band in to end the reception on the beach, and we were serenaded as we made our way to a beautiful sparkler exit and into the Tequila Bar for our after-party.

Gown Featured Above: MCKINLEY | Enzoani

Our wedding day was just magical. We managed to get 75 guests present and we can not thank them enough for making many travel plans to be there for us on our big day. We are forever thankful!

The Dress

I tried on close to 30 dresses during my wedding dress hunt. I knew I wanted a silhouette hugging dress with straps, yet elegant and perfect for the beach. I had many beautiful wedding dresses by many designers saved in my “Wedding Dress” album on Instagram, yet the McKinley by Enzoani completely stood out amongst all the others.

Gown Featured Above: MCKINLEY | Enzoani

I called my local bridal shop, Miosa Bride, in the heart of downtown Sacramento and luckily they had it in ready to try on! When I finally got to slip into the McKinley dress, I instantly fell in love with it. The dreamy train was definitely my favorite part of the dress; beautifully detailed, beaded lace.

Gown Featured Above: MCKINLEY | Enzoani

The studded straps, the breath-taking low back, and the gorgeous, beaded lace top was the cherry on top. The length of the train raised some concerns, but with the carefully applied bustles, it was just perfect.

Gown Featured Above: MCKINLEY | Enzoani

When unbuttoning a couple of the bustles, the dress served as a perfect Folklorico skirt to dance along the Mariachi band at our after party. On top of it all, the dress quite resembled a wedding dress Mario told me years ago I would look beautiful in.

Gown Featured Above: MCKINLEY | Enzoani

Advice to other brides?

If you’re planning a wedding on your own or with your fiance, like I did, organize your time; block some time out for wedding planning and some time for zero of it. Instead, use the free time to take care of yourself and enjoy some date nights.

Wedding planning can be stressful, so remind yourself to not stress the little things and go for whatever your heart desires. It is your day! Also, try on as many dresses that you want. You’ll know the right dress when you see it.

Gown Featured Above: MCKINLEY | Enzoani

On your wedding day, don’t let anything bother you. Sometimes things don’t go 100% the way you planned them, but don’t let anything bring your spirits down on what will be a beautiful and unforgettable day.