Grab your passports because this Peruvian wedding is going to have you booking tickets for two!
Diana and Ruben knew they wanted to celebrate with the people they love the most, which for them meant back home in Peru. Everything was supposed to happen on June 6, 2020, but, of course, pandemic. So, after rescheduling (and then rescheduling again), they settled on a January 8, 2022 date with a much smaller guest list, which turned out to be more than perfect.
Peru’s seasons are the opposite of Northern Hemisphere, so their new date was in the middle of summer—excellent for an outdoor wedding. Plus, says Diana, “The day was the best of our lives, you could actually feel the happiness and love in the air. All our best friends and closest relatives were there, this made our wedding extra special, we both knew each and every person at the wedding very well and felt so comfortable the whole day.”
To get the details of Ruben’s sweet, on-point proposal (alfajores were involved), how Diana found her gown, and more about their day, read what our vivacious bride has to say below:
How did you and Ruben get engaged?
“It was a terrible week for me, work was very busy, and I was sick. So, Ruben asked me out to “grab a bite.” He, however, took me out to my favourite restaurant. Which was a great surprise. When we sat down, he told me he forgot a gift he had for me in the car – Since it was December and I was getting out of town for Christmas I thought it was going to be my Christmas present. (I never suspected a thing) When he came back it was a big bag, he told me there were multiple gifts so he was going to give them one by one. He started saying, that he knew how bad my week was going and he wanted to make me feel better. First, he took out a box of Alfajores, my favourite kind, saying if that if that did not help, then maybe some flu medicine will if that did not help maybe a bottle of Jagger will and if that did not help perhaps marrying him will….he popped the ring out of the box and asked me if I wanted to marry him. Not sure how much time was I in silence, but he had to ask a second time, to which I responded YES, obviously YES.”
wedding gown: custom Lea-Ann Belter Bridal gown via the flagship Toronto bridal boutique | photographer: Jose Lara Bodas | full vendor list at bottom
How did you choose your gown?
“I wanted something unique, that nobody else could have. So, we worked with Vanessa and created something based on the beautiful designs Lea-Ann Belter designed making it more me.”
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
“We wanted to be back home, Peru and celebrate our day with the people we love the most. It was summer (yes Peru’s seasons are opposite to this part of the world) and we knew we wanted to do the ceremony and reception in a place open with lots and lots of green!”
Tell us about your day!
“We were supposed to get married on June 6, 2020. The pandemic hit in March, and at first, we thought it was not going to last long, so we did not postpone. Until a month passed by, and things were getting worse. By end of April, we started calling all our vendors to postpone the date. We then decided it was going to be June 26, 2021, but the second wave hit around the same time the first wave did and the world was not even close to the vaccination phase. So, we postponed for a final time. Jan 8, 2022, we reduced the guest list from 250 to 80 people and planned an intimate wedding.
The day was the best day of our lives, you could actually feel the happiness and love in the air. All our best friends and closest relatives were there, this made our wedding extra special, we both knew each and every person at the wedding very well and felt so comfortable the whole day. (Even our week planner, Jacky, was a friend from high school.)
We think that what make the day a reflection of us as a couple, was how easygoing everything was. The chorus, the ceremony songs, the food, (we choose Peruvian courses and not what we usually see at weddings), the dessert table, we had a donut wall among other not ” wedding” desserts. We just picked what we liked the most and did not let traditions take over our preferences. Fun Fact: our wedding rings have the first date of the wedding engraved, we will engrave June 8th, 2022 soon. We will keep both dates.”
What was your first dance song?
“The Way You Look Tonight”— Frank Sinatra, and “I Wanna Love You” – Just Friends.”
Three words that best describe your partner:
Diana’s response: Funny, caring, intelligent
Ruben’s response: Joyful, resourceful, determined
Any tips for couples getting married?
“It’s ok if you want to plan your wedding by yourself, I did it, and I loved every part of the process. But I 100% recommend you hire a week wedding planner or even a day wedding planner. I did, and it was the best decision I made. From the moment I woke up, I felt I was another guest at the wedding, (the most important one hahah), worriless and excited!”
Diana and Ruben’s Peruvian Wedding Vendors
wedding gown: custom Lea-Ann Belter Bridal gown via the flagship Toronto bridal boutique | photographer: Jose Lara Bodas | wedding planner: Meraki Planner | makeup: Elsa Julca Makeup | catering: Derek Hall Catering | decor: Backyard + Artmen
