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t was the gift of music that brought Vanessa Mae Castillo and Mark
William Taino together. They met through their church and soon
discovered that they were both members of the choir. They would
see each other at practice every Thursday, at service on Sundays, would
run into each other at special activities at church and eventually became
very close. Mark has always been very into sports and was a power lifter,
eventually becoming a bodybuilder. After college he began working as a
surgical assistant until his life changed. He was injured on the job leading
to a series of hospital visits, treatments and years of pain associated with
his debilitating condition. Mark knew that Vanessa was meant for him
because throughout all of his struggles, she stood by his side. “I suppose
I realized she was the one when I became disabled and she stayed with
me. Vanessa has always been my rock. She has helped me through so
much and the fact that she stuck with me proved that she loved me for
me and not how I looked or what I could do,” said Mark.
The proposal was a complete surprise to Vanessa. Mark recruited
friends to help with the plan of convincing Vanessa that they were
shooting a Christian music video in the amphitheater behind the
Pensacola Blue Wahoo Stadium. Vanessa was “in charge of makeup” and
Mark was “in charge of the audio.” Vanessa’s family was visiting from
California and helped keep her occupied while Mark snuck to set up
the stage with lights and music and a single chair on stage for her to
sit. The stage was set, the moment was perfect and Vanessa’s family led
her to Mark, to the moment that would change her life forever. Mark
remembers it like it was yesterday. “As she came around the corner, I
cued the music and began to sing John Legend’s All of Me, I sat her down
in the chair. Toward the end of the song I got down on one knee and
proposed. I suppose what made the night so memorable was her answer
because she didn’t just say yes. I believe her exact words were, “Well I’m
not going to say yes...I’m just going to say FINALLY!””
They were married at the church that brought them together on
November 4, 2016 in Pensacola, Florida. Mark does a lot of woodworking
and they both share a love of music, so they combined the earthiness
and beauty of both of their styles to create a rustic elegant theme for
the big day. Mark made all of their décor by hand to compliment their
ivory, teal and red color scheme. “I admire his talent and vision,” said
Vanessa. The wedding had many unique touches that made the event
specially catered toward the couple. Mark is allergic to flowers, so
tiny wooden flowers from the Philippines were used throughout their
decorations. The bouquets were designed and assembled by the couples’
friend, Mrs. Rizalina Escoto, and were truly special. Some of the “flowers”
were made of sheet music of the song All of Me by John Legend, printed
on cream-colored sheets and adorned with crystal studs. The reception
was held at V. Paul’s Italian Restaurant and instead of a typical buffet or
plated meal, the chef cooked the food to order per individual on a staged
kitchen. As a tribute to the couple’s music background, a bunch of their
friends performed songs, including a group performance of Love is an
Open Door from the movie Frozen in which Vanessa and Mark were
brought up on stage to be a part of the skit. Vanessa looks back on their
relationship saying, “I knew Mark was the one when I started to realize
that I wanted to share everything with him. I’d come across something
and the first person I thought about was him, I wanted to know what he
thought. We want great things in life. We don’t have everything. But that’s
all right as long as I have him. He’s my happy place, my confidant.”
Mark and Vanessa truly are a perfect match and are set for a lifetime of
happiness and adventures together.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Coordinator: Rizalina and Biejay Escoto
Photographer: iNVision Photography in Gulf Shores, Alabama
Floral Design: Mrs. Rizalina Escoto
Bridal Dress: The Bridal Loft in Pensacola
Venue for Ceremony: Church Of Christ
Venue for Reception: V. Paul’s Italian Restauran
Coordinator for Reception Venue: V. Paul’s Italian Restaurant
Vanessa Mae
Castillo
Mark William
Taino
story by Courtney Murray | photography by iNVision Photography
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