Real Couples // A Tattooed Garden Wedding in San Antonio: Mykel + Orlando
/Introduce yourselves!
My name is Mykel, and I'm twenty-seven years old. I work for a cable company as a field technician, which is how we met. I have two cats, a yellow tabby named Princess Leia and a Nebelung named Gotham. I like playing video games, getting tattoos, and baking.
My name is Orlando, and I'm forty-two. I work for the same cable company Mykel does, also as a field tech. I love tattoos, fast cars, exercising, video games, and playing my guitars. I also have two cats: one Siamese named Sugar, and a Tortoise Shell named Samus. I have a son named Gabriel from my previous marriage.
How did you meet and fall in love?
M: It was love at first sight for me! The second I saw Orlando I knew I wanted to get to know him. He had a ponytail, a Batman belt buckle, and killer smile. I didn't think he noticed me. It was totally out of my nature, but I chased him! We had found out that we both were musicians and we started to text back and forth. I asked him out for coffee one afternoon, and I was surprised when he said yes.
O: My boss had told me about this girl I needed to meet. She was new at work, but I had no idea that I had already met her. The first thing that caught my attention about her were those beautiful eyes and her smile. She thought I didn't notice her, but how could I not? She invited me out for coffee and after staring into each other's eyes, we shared our first kiss, and after that I knew that she was the one.
What was your proposal like?
M: I had found out that Orlando was going to propose to me on our two-year anniversary, and we were a little bummed that I had ruined the surprise. That evening I went out with some friends, came back home and I proposed to him. I liked to poke a little fun at Orlando about me proposing to him. It was all it good fun!
Two days before the wedding we visited the venue one last time with his father just to make sure everything was set up for us. Orlando decided that it would be a good idea to do a quick walk through, and that I should practice walking down the aisle toward him. When I got to the archway where the officiant and he would be standing, Orlando got down on one knee pulled out another ring and proposed to me! It was so romantic and was more than I could have ever imagined!
O: I had been planning it for months!
Tell us about the engagement ring or rings and wedding bands
O: We chose or rings together. Hers has a vintage style princess cut/pillow on white gold. The second ring is also a princess cut diamond on white gold.
M: He has such great taste; it's prefect for me! His ring has a subtle honeycomb design cut into black tungsten.
How and why did you pick your wedding venue?
M: We originally wanted to go with another venue but it was so difficult to get ahold of that coordinator, so we sort of gave up. We went to the gardens on a whim with Orlando's father, and once we walked in we fell in love. We got lucky, because the owner of the venue was setting things up for a wedding the next day and gave us a tour. There were string lights, trees, and fountains. It was beautiful!
O: It was the most beautiful place I'd ever seen! We put the deposit on the venue that day.
Tell us about picking some of your wedding vendors. What made them special and stand out?
O: Most of our vendors were located online. We meet with the ones we thought would be the best for us. Our officiant was very nice and connected with us. The florist provided all the beautiful flowers and arrangements we wanted. Our caterers had what we needed for dinner and cocktails. The DJ had the music requested. And finally, our photographer was phenomenal. He and his crew acted like they were part of the family.
M: Our photographer was the best! We plan on working with him again soon!
What did you wear? Were any of your accessories or jewelry significant? Were you conflicted about wearing or not wearing certain things?
M: I have my earlobes stretched to 5/8 inches, so it was difficult for me to find wedding-appropriate earrings. My best friend and maid-of honor found pearl plugs for my ears with the vintage design around them. They served as my "something new." My "something borrowed" was two pearl hair pins that were from my matron-of-honor's wedding a few years prior. Both of these matched my pearl chandelier necklace.
O: I am a huge Batman fan! I saw these Batman cufflinks that I wanted to buy for the wedding. Myke convinced me not to buy them, but as we were getting ready on site, she sent Mandy (maid of honor) to our dressing room and said, "The bride has a gift for you!" It was the Batman cufflinks!
Tell us about all of the special music you used: processional, recessional, first dance, cake cutting, something else. Why did you choose this song or these songs, and why are they special?
M: Orlando and I are really big into movies, so we had a lot of songs from soundtracks from movies like The Wedding Singer and Pulp Fiction.
O: We cut our cake to "Grow Old With You" by Adam Sandler.
What was your ceremony like?
M: Neither one of us are affiliated with a religion, but we have family and friends that range from "none at all" to very religious. We tried to accommodate everyone by incorporating a slight spiritual undertone. We kept in a blessing of hands.
What stood out from the beginning of your wedding reception?
M: We were so lucky to have my maid of honor serving as our master of ceremonies! She kept us on time and kept the DJ on track when he would stray. She kept everyone dancing with her music choices and kept all of our events organized.
O: Yes. It would have been a different wedding all together with out her.
What special elements did you bring to your wedding day?
M: We had a Batman cake! Well, half traditional, half Batman. We had another sheet cake that paid homage to Star Wars as well, with the silhouette of Princess Leia and Han Solo with the words "I Love You.... I Know." We're nerds. It was fairytale ending. As we left our venue, my niece who was also a bridesmaid wrote "Just Married" on the car, and my maid-of-honor had our guests line up with bubbles!
Words by Mykel and Orlando, the bride and groom, as told to Amber Marlow.
Photos by Nikk Nguyen Photo.
VENDORS
Photography | Nikk Nguyen Photo
Venue | The Gardens at West Green
Caterer | Heavenly Gourmet LLC
Cake Designer | Cakes and More
Hair and Makeup | My Makeup Movement
Florals | Flowers by Beverley
Officiant | Reverend Sally E. Mosley
DJ | DJ Tako of Metro Entertainment Productions
NIKK NGUYEN PHOTO
A professional Wedding & Portrait photographer based out of Austin, TX. Nikkolas gained his love for photography instantly when his hands touched his first camera; personable, professional, and upbeat, he has been able to exceed the expectations of any client. Routinely capturing engagements and weddings to creating content for brands, Nikk is equipped with the skills and tools to create professional images to cater to any occasion.
