Wedding date: August 31, 2024

Photographer: Margarita Dueñas

Ams weasr the penelope corset & sadie skirt from LOHO Bride

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR PARTICULAR GOWN/LOOK?

Though I had a clear vision of what I wanted my wedding to look like, I didn’t really know what I wanted my wedding dress to look like. I knew the things I didn’t want–but if you looked at my Pinterest board there were all sorts of styles on there so it was hard to identify what look I was going for.

You would think that would make shopping for a wedding dress hard but it actually made shopping for a wedding dress easy because I had no expectations. I went into it excited to try all sorts of things and I trusted that I would figure out what felt like me once I was trying on dresses. When I made my appointment at Loho Bride in Los Angeles, I had no intention of actually buying my dress on that day. I figured I would go to several boutiques before making a decision. However, a few days before my appointment I was informed that since I was trying on dresses in March and I was getting married in August–6 months before my wedding date– my dress would be considered a “rush order”. That quickly changed my plans and I knew then that I would have to make a decision that day.

I tried on 6 dresses in total. The dress I chose was the second dress I tried on that day and I knew the moment I looked at myself in the mirror that that was my dress. I loved that it was two pieces–it looked classic and timeless while still having an edge to it. I knew I didn’t want a wedding dress that I’d seen before and a two piece dress was something I hadn’t seen a lot of! I also realized that the dress resembled my everyday style–simple, classic pieces with a bit of edge to make it different and more my own. The Penelope top fit like a glove. I loved the way it shaped my body. The Sadie skirt effortlessly flowed and created a gorgeous drape. Everything about it just felt like me–and that’s ultimately what I wanted on my wedding day–to feel like myself!

WHERE DID YOU PURCHASE YOUR PREA JAMES LOOK?

I purchased it at LOHO Bride in Los Angeles, California.

“Carolina Lopez from Orafe made my engagement ring. We melted our mother’s gold to make our wedding bands. Nicole Morillo made our wedding bands. Mine was really special because she molded my wedding band to fit my engagement ring which has a wavy shape.”

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR BRIDES TO BE?

I definitely stressed out a lot while planning my wedding. I had a short engagement of less than 10 months and my wedding was a destination wedding.Though I was born and raised in the United States, I am half Ecuadorian and my husband is fully Ecuadorian and we live in Ecuador–so naturally we chose to get married in Ecuador! In addition to planning the wedding itself, we also planned all the events for the people coming from the United States in the days prior to the wedding. We wanted it to be not only a beautiful wedding but we also wanted people to get to know Quito–the beautiful city we live in and really enjoy their time in Ecuador. After all, we were so grateful that people made the trip to celebrate us that we wanted to express that gratitude by planning something special for them! Looking back, I wish I was better equipped to respond to the stress I felt in a healthier way but there were somethings that helped both my husband and I–so here is my advice to future brides: Before you start planning the wedding, sit down with your partner and make sure you are aligned with them on what you consider to be the most important things or what matters the most to you on your wedding day. For example, for my husband and I, we really wanted a special and unique ceremony that reflected us as individuals and as a couple so we knew we wanted to put a lot of energy into that. We also cared a lot about the food and the party itself. Since we knew those things were priorities–it helped us avoid arguments or stress on the things that didn’t matter to us as much. Also, your wedding isn’t only a big day for you–it’s also a big day for your family! That can be stressful at times if what you and your partner want isn’t aligned with what your families want. Remember you and your partner are now a family and it’s important for you two to remain a united front. However, compromise is important too. Don’t sacrifice on the things that REALLY matter to you and your partner but also compromise on the things that don't make it or break it for you so that your families can enjoy the day too! This at least helped us a lot!

“I wore an X earring in my second whole since my husband’s name

begins with an X. That earring was from Mejuri. I also wore a small hoop with an emerald because my birth stone is emerald and my husband engraved an emerald on the inside of my engagement ring. I wore my mother’s pearl earrings. My choker was from Es Fascinante–a boutique in Madrid. I saw the choker on Pinterest before I even had my wedding dress. Once I bought my dress I knew I needed to wear that choker. For the party–I changed into a sequin skirt from Zara but stayed in the Penelope top and I changed into ballet flats from Alohas.”

WEDDING VENDORS

Photographer: Margarita Dueñas (it was really special because she is a good friend of mine) // Hair & Makeup: Alex Justimbaste (Also really special because him and his partner are good friends of mine so having them in the room with me while I got ready was really special) // Stylist + Co-ordinator: Christian Herrera // Florist: Fiori Event and Design Studio // Celebrant: Roberto Troya (my husbands uncle) // Caterer: Nazai (our food was maybe the biggest hit of the night) and El Hornero Pizza Food Truck made us pizzas for the party // Groom Suit: Custom suit from Dormel // Bride shoes: Betsey Johnson // Groom shoes: Bugatti // Venue: Private Family Property

Ams + Xaviers stunning Quito Wedding