Jovanna had just made the decision to move to Chicago, so Love was not what she was looking for when she walked into a Kansas City MO area barwith friends in early spring, 2011.
That night she was in a “mood”, yet there he was: this guy who kept doing everything he could to get her attention, even though she kept
looking away; this man who insisted on making her laugh and getting her out of her “mood”; this person who kept finding his way back
to her every time the night separated them.
It would be that last talent that would doom all of Jovanna’s prior plans, for whether she was looking for it or not, love had found her,
and Brian would continue making his way back to her over and over and over again.
On a very hot summer day in July 2016, Brian and Jovanna arrived in Washington, D.C.
with Brian’s 9 year-old son Chase for a family vacation. Jovanna thought it was a great
opportunity for Chase to get to know the Nation’s capital before school started.
Brian and Chase thought it was the perfect occasion to ask Jovanna to formally become part
of their family. In the middle of a night stroll to the Washington Monument, Brian stopped
and told Jovanna that Chase and him had a question for her. “Will you be in our lives forever?”
he calmly asked her. Time stopped. The world stopped. Jovanna’s mind went blank.
She could not believe this moment was real. Brian, apparently reading her mind, said “Yes, this is real”.
“I can remember hearing Chase’s voice in the background saying “It’s real JoJo, it’s real. You’re going to be my step-mom”.
“The next thing I remember was him saying he wanted me to be in their family forever and would I marry him and in the most humble and
sincerest tone I’ve ever heard myself speak I said “Yes”.
Brian and Jovanna wanted a local wedding ceremony that truly represents who they are and included all their loved ones. They knew they
would need time to plan that and didn’t want to rush it. In the meantime, they decided to celebrate their long time commitment to each other
with a fuss-free, intimate ceremony in the gorgeous Azul Fives Hotel in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
They had been there before and knew it offered everything they wanted.
“We had our option to choose the ceremony on the Beach, SkyView Deck, Pier or Garden Gazebo. Garden Gazebo was the most natural fit
as it provided natural lighting and landscape. The only decoration added to the ceremony was personalized silk petals with each of the guest
names individually written, ranging in in color from Green, White and Pink. After the ceremony the petals were collected and added
to a keepsake jar we brought home with us.”
“This particular ceremony aka “Cancun Ceremony” was specifically chosen to celebrate our long time commitment to each other.
2017 marks the 6th year we’ve been together.”
“When we made the decision to invite all of our closest friends and family on a Winter get-a-way Azul Fives, Playa Del Carmen was our first choice.”
When the day came, being surrounded by the people they love and their energy in this idyllic location had certainly worked its magic,
Jovanna was uncharacteristically cool and collected. Brian, she was told, had also been relaxed and composed.
There were no nerves, no crisis, no pressure. They were there, in the moment and when the time came to exchange rings, they understood
completely what this all meant: their love was here to stay.
“Our experience with Caribephoto was top notch! Camila, Javier and the photographers who shot our ceremony were all personal
and professional. The meeting before the ceremony was already set up upon arrival to the resort for a walk through of the resort to discuss
picture sites, ceremony and reception space. On the day of the ceremony the photographer gave specific instruction to act as though
he wasn’t there. Once I was able to do that, I relaxed and put the photo taking into his professional hands. Caribephoto team was on time,
resourceful and easy to work with. I would recommend their service as well as use them for any future photography needs.
It was a wonderful experience and I’m thankful so many memories were caught on camera by Caribephoto.”
Submit your wedding/event: mkg@caribephoto.com
Thank you Jovanna and Brian for sharing your love story through us!
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