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Cultural Fusion
Pamela Danyleko and Juan Saldivar, June 28, 2008, Winnipeg. By Roseanne Dela Rosa
About the Couple
Bride: Pamela Danyleko
Groom: Juan Saldivar
How they met: It was October 2000 and Pam’s friend had an exchange student, from Mexico City, Paulina, staying with her and her family. One evening as Pam began to flip through Paulina’s album of photographs, she came across a picture of Juan and thought he was pretty darn hot! Pam asked Paulina to tell him she said hello the next time she saw him. When she delivered the little hello to Juan he was intrigued by who this mysterious Pam was, and he told Paulina to say hello back. After a couple of weeks of hellos going back and forth, Paulina arranged for them to meet at a Halloween party.
Fave date: Their summer trip to Paris.
Engagement story: After a surprise dinner, Juan presented Pam with a gift. At the very bottom of the giant box was a small envelope. Pam opened the envelope to find a message that said, “This is the first clue for finding your special gift.” The clues led Pam all around the house and finally ended at their fireplace where she found a tiny envelope. The card read, “Some do it in Paris. Others do it in Rome. Some do it in fancy restaurants. But I prefer to do it right here where we call home…” As Pam turned around, Juan was down on one knee.
The Wedding Day:
Wedding date: June 28, 2008
Guests: 150
Wedding theme: Contemporary yet timeless, but also very urban-chic: a cultural blend of Mexican and Canadian traditions.
Her best moment: “The entire day was full of absolutely incredible moments, but I would have to say the single best moment for me was walking down the aisle towards Juan.”
Advice to others: Enjoy every single second. The day will go by so quickly. Make sure to stop and look around every once in a while and completely soak up and appreciate the moment.
Wedding song: “By your side,” by Sade.
Best surprise: “When I woke up that morning it was dark, cloudy and rainy. It looked like it was going to rain all day, and so I figured we would have to do most of our pictures inside. But, to my surprise, just as I finished my hair and makeup appointments, the clouds seemed to roll away and out came the sunshine. It turned into the most beautiful day, so luckily we did most of our pictures outside and they turned out beautifully.”
Fave wedding detail: “We had a personalized aisle-runner with our names and wedding date on it—it really added a unique touch to the simple decor.”
What made his day: “Everything that we had been waiting for was finally happening and so many of my friends and family made the special trip to join us in celebrating.”
Honeymoon: An all-inclusive resort in the Mayan Riviera.
The day in three words: Fun, exciting and emotional.
