page 108 X metropolitan weddings
X WINTER / SPRING 2025
written by | meg daniel photographed by | Shalyn O ' Neal photography
Best of BOth Worlds
After dating for three years , Daniel knew he had found his bride . Briza and Daniel enjoy fishing together and he had planned to pop the question on a fishing trip . He invited her family , bought her a new fishing pole , some lures and hid the engagement ring in a tackle box . Briza was completely surprised . She says “ I was wearing old clothes and had not even had my nails done !” Regardless , the couple knew they wanted a short engagement and were excited to tie the knot .
Knowing they wanted to get married in just 6 short months , they needed to find a venue first . Years before they had been to a wedding at Stonegate Glass Chapel and loved it . When they visited this beautiful space , they could envision themselves saying their “ I do ’ s ” here and luckily the date was available . But more importantly , Stonegate Glass Chapel offered an all-inclusive package which made everything flow seamlessly and allowed Briza and Daniel to pick and choose from Stonegate Glass Chapel ’ s trusted vendors some key elements to make their wedding dreams come true . They were able to include the flowers , cake , catering and DJ in their wedding package and this one step saved the engaged couple so much time and stress !
Briza had a vision of using hot fuchsia pink , dusty blue and bright orange in her wedding and Linda ’ s Flowers was able to achieve this vision with a beautiful arrangement of flowers , tucking these bright colors into unexpected spaces . The cake from Sugar Leaf Bakery was over-the-top delicious . They couple chose a neapolitan style cake with chocolate , vanilla and strawberry flavors . Briza raved about the strawberry icing and delicious cake ( her favorite ), and their guests enjoyed the neapolitan style cupcakes as well . The DJ that was included with Stonegate Glass Chapel ’ s wedding package was fantastic . He was able to incorporate Spanish , Mexican , alternative music and more and the couple loved having a dance party with their close friends and family . Seeing all of their loved ones having fun , mingling on the dance floor together is one of the bride ’ s favorite memories . “ I saw everyone I loved in this one space .”
While Daniel ’ s family is Polish and Briza ’ s family is Mexican , it was important to the couple to have lots of food that everyone would enjoy . The catering , provided by Catering
Creations , served delicious chicken parmesan with alfredo pasta . Briza ’ s mother and aunt , who are as she says “ the best cooks ever ,” also made tacos , brisket , and Mexican “ green spaghetti ” while also creating a beautiful charcuterie spread for appetizers . This dynamic duo handmade personalized charcuterie boards for each guest to use and take home , creating their own appetizer tray . Dinner was the best of both worlds and no one left hungry !
So now that many of the big decisions were made , the couple knew they had to find the perfect photographer to capture this special day . Briza found Shalyn O ’ Neal and loved how bright and colorful all of her sample photos appeared .
Next step , a dress ! Finding the perfect wedding dress is something every little girl dreams of and Briza wanted something that was simple , yet made her feel like a princess . She found one that was ivory , strapless and had exposed boning . There was a long train with buttons all down the back . Briza instantly fell in love with the dress and knew that it was “ the one .” When she put it on in the dressing room , before she walked out to show her friends and family , she made them close their eyes . Once they opened them , with Briza standing in the center , everyone burst into tears . It was definitely a “ yes to the dress ” moment !
Daniel wore a white jacket , black pants and an orange flower on his lapel while his groomsmen wore black jackets and black pants . The bridesmaids wore a variety of colors from Briza ’ s chosen color palette of hot pink , dusty blue and bright orange , coordinating perfectly with the flowers . Lots of family members were part of the wedding party , from flower girls to ring bearers and door greeters , everyone had a role to play .
The speeches at the reception from best friends brought tears of joy and gratitude to the newlyweds and they loved spending time with all of their guests and family at the reception . Daniel planned the perfect honeymoon trip to Florida and they left early the next morning , knowing that now their two lives were joined as one , they had the best of both worlds . Xxoxo