Tawny and Angelina Esquivel’s Colorful Same-Sex Summer Wedding at Recreation Park Golf Course 18 - Long Beach, California

May 21, 2016

Tawny and Angelina’s wedding literally was the Best Day Ever! We tell just about every client all the positive steps in the right direction these two ladies took to ensure they would have a seamless day. From awesome vendors to understanding the need for punctuality, including fun but also touching moments, and for exuding so much love, these are the reasons they were able to pull off a memorable wedding.

Tawny and Angelina decided to get ready for their big day in two separate areas which led to such a sweet first look moment. Tawny got ready surrounded by her wedding party while Angelina had not only her wedding party but her mom and sister too.

Tawny and Angelina planned a first look ahead of time and were set to arrive at the venue with enough time to celebrate this special moment. To our surprise they arrived even earlier than expected which allowed even more time for pre wedding pictures. We can not stop gushing over how stinking cute their first look was!

Their wedding party shared the same spunk and humor the brides did which made for hilarious wedding party photos. The bright summer colors paired with those cool yellow parasols were perfect additions for the pictures.

With the extra time Tawny and Angelina accrued by arriving early they were able to take more candid pictures as they walked from one area of the venue to the other. Heck yeah!

For the ceremony the couple created a multipurpose program that served as informational and interactive. One side listed the names of the wedding party while the flip side had a cross word puzzle! And to top it off it also served as a shield from the sun for guests. Tawny and Angelina, along with members of their wedding party, created a custom paper pinwheel ceremony arch to attach to the gazebo at Recreation Park Golf Course 18. They had a sand unity ceremony and passionate first kiss!

Cocktail hour consisted of an alternative guest sign in. Instead of having the typical book for guests to fill out Tawny and Angelina built a bench themselves, had guests sign their names and leave messages, then glazed it and have it to enjoy all year long at their house. Instead of favors guests got to enjoy a caricature artist, Joseph Yakovetic, capture their animated self portraits.

Tawny and Angelina wowed their guests with a grand ballroom, upgraded floor length linen, and chivari chairs. In keeping with their circular theme they had paper lanterns for centerpieces and as well as various circle decor throughout the room.

This duo had an exhilarating grand entrance into an epic choreographed first dance!

After all that fun it was time for some seriousness. Father-Daughter dances are always such an emotional moment. We love to see which songs were chosen and like to bet on how many seconds in will the dads make it before crying. But Angelina and her father Anthony win the award for most tears shed during a Father-Daughter dance! Angelina selected Luther Vandross’ song “Dance with my Father Again” since Anthony was wheelchair bound. He was determined to stand up and actually dance with his daughter, which with the help of his wife and other daughter, he made possible.

Did we mention this was one of our favorite weddings? Tawny and Angelina had the most thought out timeline that even had sunset photos scheduled in! While guests enjoyed dinner the couple got to sneak away for some awesome shots out on the private patio.

We all know that cake cutting has become a staple at weddings but not for all of our clients. Some opt out for dessert bars instead or even pie. These ladies went with Italian ice cream from Rita’s Italian Ice. Instead of their first slice of cake as a married couple they enjoyed their first bite of ice cream.

What a perfect way to end a perfect wedding. Choosing a sparkler exit was perfect for these two ladies who just radiate any space!

The Esquivels have been married for almost three years, have bought a home, and we are so excited to announce this: they are set to be parents in October of 2019!! We have planned and coordinated close to 90 weddings now and their wedding ranks Top 5, it may even be in the top position! Attention to detail is key but so is listening to the advice your coordinator or planner suggests. We wish Tawny and Angelina nothing but continued happiness and success in the future.

Dream Team:

Coordinator: Rock n’ Willow Events \\ Venue: Recreation Park Golf Course 18 \\ Photography: Sergey Green \\ Videography: EAV Weddings \\ DJ: DJ Award \\ Ice Cream: Rita’s Italian ice \\ Caricature: Joseph Yakovetic \\ Rentals: Striking Elegance \\ Linen: Dream Decor \\ Dresses: Strut Bridal