An Exotic, Modern Wedding in Toronto

About the couple

Bride: Lalaine Lacuesta

Groom: Michael Manaois

How they met: “Michael and I met almost 15 years ago through my brother-in-law Mike, who at that time was dating my sister Elaine. We were in high-school at that time. To me, he was just a family friend. I didn’t pay attention to Mike’s on-again, off-again commentary about Michael, building him up for me and dropping hints that he was interested,” explains Lalaine. “When Michael and I ran into each other at family functions, I just brushed him off. He was always smiling – and persistent at trying to engage me in a conversation. It wasn’t until five years later when I finally gave him a moment of my time and we talked. I was struck by his smile and surprised by the nervousness that suddenly surfaced in me. From there, a 10-year relationship unfolded.”

Engagement story: “We were engaged December 18, 2008. In the two-week period before, we jostled between petty bickering and intense arguments. Little did I know it was a rouse – he was purposefully pushing my buttons. I have a knack for unraveling carefully-planned surprises. He needed to distract me,” Lalaine recalls. “On the 18th, we took the day off to spend time together and do some Christmas shopping. In the back of my mind, I thought perhaps being together would resolve whatever tension was in the air between us. After a day of shopping, Michael suggested we do something different for dinner and mentioned that sometime that evening we had to pass by the Rogers Centre to pick up some Disney on Ice tickets he got for free. At some point through dinner I complained about why the tickets couldn’t wait. He insisted we had to pick them up. During dinner, the snow picked up. At the tail end of dinner I also began to pick up a funny feeling that something was not quite right. When we left, I asked why he didn’t stop by the ticket window, why he was changing from his wool coat into his parka and why he insisted I walk out with him. He wanted to find the picnic table where we first kissed. So we went but it didn’t take us long to learn that the table was long gone. Instead, we held each other from the cold and looked at the city. When he asked me to close my eyes and open my hands, I knew the question was coming. In my hands I felt three plastic cards. All I could say was, ‘What did you do? What did you do?’ He spoke about how much he loved me and wanted to take the next step in our journey. I opened my eyes and in my hands were certificates of authenticity for three Canadian diamonds. Out of his parka came a box with the ring. He asked me to marry him and I said, ‘Yes!’ With the moonlight on the snow and the hum of the city, everything stood still.”