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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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