Our Real Bride this issue was married just little over a year ago
and we are still in love with the story of how he proposed! Read more below!
The Details – How He Popped the Question:
What is your name and when was your wedding date?
Maylene Pence & Basilio Peñuelas 03.27.15
How did you and your groom meet?
I met my husband in 2003 when I was 18. I was looking to buy a car and my brother had a friend that was a mechanic (my future husband) who could help me out. He had a long term girlfriend at the time and needless to say it was not love at first sight. After purchasing my new car, we all went our separate ways and I would not see him again until a year later. In 2004 I was working at the mall when he was walking through. He lingered around the kiosk I was at and finally approached me to say that he knew me. After seeing him again that day, I had no idea what lie ahead of me. We quickly started hanging out together and we have been together ever since.
We are dying to know, how did he propose?!
The proposal was so unexpected! It happened during a difficult time in both our lives as I had recently lost my father and Basilio’s brother has just passed as well. It was a point when I looked at our lives and asked myself “what are we doing and where are we going with our relationship?” I had decided then and there that I wanted to be married. I had discussed my concerns with my boyfriend at the time and decided that we could continue the way that we’re going to see where it leads us or we could go our separate ways. This was difficult for me to 
bring up because I loved him. That evening, we decided to go out to a typical dinner spot to talk further. After dinner we took a walk around Tempe Town Lake and, once on the bridge, my boyfriend kept stopping to ‘look’ at the lights. Eventually we made our way across the bridge to the benches and talked for hours. We enjoyed the atmosphere, watching people as they passed and reconnecting and understanding one another. When it was quiet, and we were alone, he dropped to one knee and asked if I would be his wife. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing! I was not at all expecting him to propose. He had totally caught me off guard with such a wonderful surprise and of course, I said “Yes!”
The Planning:
What were your wedding colors? Did you have an overall theme for your wedding day celebration?
Our wedding colors were pink, coral and cream and we had a romantic theme.
How large was our wedding party?
4 bridesmaids and 4 groomsmen.
Where did you find your dress? Would you say that finding your dress was a relatively easy or a difficult process?
I purchased my dress at La Bella Bridal. It was relatively easy finding my dress. I initially brought friends with me to my first appointment and dwindled it down to 2 dresses, then I went with only my maid of honor to my second appointment to make my final decision. I absolutely love my dress!
The Venue:
Where did your ceremony and reception take place? Was there any special meaning behind the choice of venue(s)?
We chose Superstition Manor in Mesa for both the ceremony and reception mainly because it was private and had a beautiful backdrop. Our love for Arizona and the beautiful mountains made the venue perfect for us.
What kind of flowers did you have in your bouquet and the ceremony/ reception?
The flowers I chose were baby’s breath for my bridesmaids and baby’s breath and white roses for my bouquet.
What was the flavor of your wedding cake? Did you have a groom’s cake?
No groom’s cake. Flavor was strawberry.
Did you provide favors to your guests? If so, what were they?
Jellybean treats for the guests.
Maylene’s Favorite Memories:
What details from your wedding that made it unique to you?
The fact that we both planned the wedding together and saw it all turn out beautifully made it unique. All of our hard work was well worth it.
Other than marrying your husband, what was your favorite moment from your wedding day?
The fact that every one of our guests will remember our wedding day as much as I will is my favorite moment. Everyone had fun and the place was filled with so much love. The whole wedding day was my favorite! I especially loved our sparkler send off.
Did you take a honeymoon? If so, where did you go?
We have not taken a honeymoon yet but we are planning for a Caribbean cruise in the winter.
What is one piece of wisdom you learned from your planning experience that you would like to share with future brides?
Know what you want out of your wedding and don’t be afraid to assign tasks to friends and family. Surprisingly they are more than welcome to help out. You absolutely cannot please everyone so don’t be afraid to plan the wedding of your dreams!
Who were some of the other vendors that were a part of your dream team?
Of course Babydoll Weddings did a beautiful job with hair and makeup; La Bella Bridal for my stunning wedding dress; Superstition Manor for a beautiful ceremony and reception; Catchlight Design for outstanding photography and Save This Dance for our fun DJ.
Thank you so much for sharing your special day with us!
We wish you and Basilio all the happiness and love!