Wedding Inspiration

Dan & Theresa’s Classic and Culturally Rich Florida Wedding

This feature was submitted by Dan and Theresa Weldon

Dan was best friends with Theresa’s cousins in high school. Even though they all were in the same small Catholic “bubble”, Dan and Theresa never connected until after college. Theresa’s cousin had individually spoken to both of them about maybe dating, and not long after that, they connected on social media over shared interests, and the rest is history!

As many modern love stories go, they dm’d each other and never stopped. The more they talked, the more they liked each other, and Dan asked Theresa out on a date within a few days. By their fourth date, they both knew their feelings were strong and intentional, and Dan asked Theresa to be his girlfriend.

After dating for 2 1/2 years, Dan proposed to Theresa in Porto, Portugal. They bonded over their family heritage and shared cultures (Spanish & Portuguese), so a surprise proposal in Portugal was perfect for these two. After a lovely dinner, calling friends and family, they continued their European adventure as fiancés, and started thinking about planning their wedding!

Dan and Theresa’s priorities were to find the right vendors that were on budget and available, and more importantly, get married at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Tampa, FL. Theresa attended this church as a child and several members of her family have celebrated their weddings there. After getting engaged, Dan and Theresa became parishioners; “it was nice to strengthen our faith together.” They also wanted to make sure their family was a large part of the day, including all the cultural elements and traditions that meant a lot to them.

They wanted a classic, elegant, and timeless feel for their wedding, and executed it beautifully!

“Everything came together so well! I only wish we had more time to enjoy the day.”

Just days after Hurricane Helene, Dan and Theresa’s wedding went off without a hitch. They were surrounded by family and friends who meant the world to them, and was the highlight of their day. From their first look to their private last dance, to the puppies at cocktail hour, Dan and Theresa filled their day with beautiful intimate moments, unique to their relationship.

“One of the things I think we will share with our children is how we stayed by each other’s sides throughout the whole celebration and danced all night.”

It was important to Dan and Theresa to include elements of their culture and heritage. They incorporated things like azulejo tiles at the rehearsal dinner, a Spanish guitarist at cocktail hour, a ceviche appetizer, and even imported a ham leg from Spain! They also included photos of their deceased family members to acknowledge their spiritual presence. Theresa tied her grandmother’s chain she wore every day to her bouquet, and her father-daughter dance was to traditional Spanish folkloric music.

“It was a day we will always remember; we kept God at the center and tried to focus on each other, despite the chaos of the day.”