Jennifer and Carlos celebrated their ten year anniversary with a charming and elegant vow renewal ceremony on May 10th at High Line Park in Manhattan. In celebrating their anniversary, Jennifer and Carlos reminisced about their wedding day, fondly remembering that first look when walking down the aisle, and the heartfelt high when pronounced husband and wife. Some advice for newlyweds includes “keep dating,” “continue to chase each other,” and “respect your spouse even when no one is watching.”
Read all about Jennifer & Carlos and their ten-year anniversary below – featuring Officiant services by MunaLuchi Coterie member Married by Rev Roxy.
Bride & Groom: Jennifer & Carlos
When did you get married and where? We got married on May 10, 2008 in Guttenberg, NJ
What was your wedding like? Our wedding was nothing short of HECTIC! We got engaged on New Year’s Eve and married less than 5 months later. After being
together for almost 7 years, we just knew we wanted to be together and not wait a
long time planning. It wasn’t about the wedding for us. It was more about actually
being married. We planned the entire thing ourselves, which is NOT something we
would recommend today. There were many moments of frustration, stress, anxiety,
panic attacks, and even break-ups in the process. But when your love is real, it will
withstand the storms! We held our wedding at an outdoor pavilion in Alpine, NJ
with the beautiful skyline view of NYC and the Hudson River. We celebrated
amongst 125 friends and family, live singers, a live jazz band, and the presence of
God!
As you celebrate your anniversary, what do you remember most about your wedding day? Carlos: “I remember the anticipation of seeing my wife. I really just wanted to finally see her that day and how beautiful she would look!”
Jennifer: “What I remember most is the moment right after being pronounced
husband and wife, I felt such a high! There was such a sheer joy in my spirit and all
the nervousness and worries just vanished! At that precise moment I was officially
married to my best friend and I had not a care in the world!”
Was there anything you would have done differently for your wedding? Wow, many things! We would have hired help in planning. We would have cut our guest list in half! We would probably do a destination wedding and not get so caught up in planning so many small details. We’ve learned less is more!
What are your favorite things to do as a couple? Just be together! Sometimes, it’s just sitting back, drinking a glass of wine together, and just talking about life. As cliche as it sounds, we just love each other’s presence! We also like to read books together and discuss topics after each chapter.
Who cooks? Jennifer! I try my best to cook everyday and have a hot meal on the
table when Carlos gets home, for us and our two daughters to sit and eat at the
table as a family.
Do you have any children? We have two beautiful daughters. Elizabeth Faith is five and Ava Gabriela is three.
When it comes to Career, what do both of you do and how do you make time for each other? Carlos is a School Social Worker. I am a Bridal Makeup Artist. With the hectic nature of life with kids, growing careers, and unfortunately, social media, we have to be very INTENTIONAL about making time for each other. Some nights we shut everything off, phones, tv’s, etc., and read a couples’ devotional book together. We schedule dates nights, once a month, with no kids. We try to put our girls to bed at a decent time so that we can have alone time with each other. We also do many things outside of work together. We’ll do food shopping together, running errands, visiting friends, etc., as a family. All of this has helped us to be a united family and also to build a strong marriage.
What would you say are the most important elements for a successful marriage? Prayer! Communication! Spending time with each other! Keeping God at the center! Surrendering your pride! Forgiving! Loving unconditionally! Focusing on each other’s pros, and not so much – the cons. Choosing wisely which battles to fight.
How do you keep the spark in your marriage? We are intentional about kissing each other every morning and as soon as we see each other after work. We communicate throughout the day by texting to see how the other is. We compliment each other throughout the day whether it’s a “you’re beautiful” or an “I love you” or “I’m thankful for you.” Overall, making sure we separate quality time for each other.
Tell us about the shoot. What inspired it? This shoot captured our 10-year vow renewal celebration we held at the Highline NYC. It was a very intimate gathering of just a few of our closest friends and our daughters. We wanted to honor the victory of still having a healthy and blessed marriage after 10 years. It was important for us to
show our daughters us celebrating our love for one another.
What do you love most about one another? Carlos: “This is a tough question. There are many things we love about each other. But one thing I love about my wife is her character. She has integrity, she’s so passionate overall, and she never quits.”
Jennifer: “I love my husband’s personality! I find him so funny, witty, out-going, and
charming…everything I wish I was!”
What advice can you give for newlyweds? Get to know what your spouse’s triggers are, and make it a discipline to NOT push those buttons. Keep dating. Continue to chase each other. Respect your spouse even when no one is watching. Pray for one another. We truly believe that if we had not trusted God with our lives and marriage, we would not be where we are today. Marriage is not easy. It takes so
much work. But it is so worth it!
Vendors:
Officiant: Married By Rev Roxy
Photographer: Robert Aviles
Hair Stylist: Klips Hair Care
MUA: Candace Sheppard
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