First date was at Rita’s
DATE: April 8 HER STORY: Breyana Janell Ayala, 24, was born and raised in Reading, Pa. Breyana works as an administrative assistant at Integra Realty Resources. Her mother, Marcia A. Ayala, lives in Laureldale, Pa.
HIS STORY: Karlen Jimenez, 25, was born and raised in the Bronx, N.Y. Karlen works as a project engineer for Harkins Builders. His parents, Damelis and Pedro Jimenez, live in Reading, Pa.
THEIR STORY: The two met July 2009 at a fair in Temple, Pa.
“We were just walking,” Breyana recalled. “A mutual friend introduced us. I was like ‘OK, cool. He’s a friend.’ ”
By the end of the evening, Karlen had asked for Breyana’s phone number.
She texted him on his birthday. The following day, they went on their first date at Rita’s Italian Ice.
“We just sat and we talked,” she said. “We talked about the common friends we had.”
On Aug. 22, Karlen asked Breyana to be his girlfriend.
“I thought, ‘He was the man of my dreams,’ ” Breyana recalled. “I liked his humor and his style. He was very focused and driven.”
The two have been together from that day on. They live in Towson. THE PROPOSAL: Karlen proposed Nov. 15, 2015.
He surprised Breyana by taking her to Brett Aviation, a flight school at Martin State Airport in Middle River.
“I was thinking, ‘This must be something he has always wanted to do,’ ” she said. “The next thing you know he was down on one knee asking me to be his wife.” Breyana was overcome with emotion. “With tears down my face I completely ignored the ring, kissed him and said ‘yes,’ ” she said.
VENUE: Two hundred and seven people attended the wedding and reception at Delta Hotel by Marriott Hunt Valley.
FLOWERS AND DECOR: The colors of the wedding were green, orange and gold. Flowers were provided by Majestic Florals from Reading, Pa. Lights were provided by Chris Kratz, owner of PlusVibes Productions.
HER DRESS: Breyana wore an Eve of Milady full lace mermaid, beaded-shoulder dress from Betsy Robinson’s Bridal Collection in Pikesville.
BRIDESMAIDS’ ATTIRE: Bridesmaids wore gold sequin dresses by Christina Wu from Pocadiz Bridal in Reading, Pa.
MEN’S ATTIRE: Karlen wore a Michael Kors gray suit with a diamond white Portofino tie. Groomsmen wore heather gray Allure suits from M. Stein & Co. Tuxedos.
MUSIC: DJ Gregg Nyce provided the music. The couple’s first dance was “You & I” by John Legend and “Promise” by Romeo Santos featuring Usher.
FOOD AND DESSERT: Delta Hotel by Marriott Hunt Valley catered the wedding. Appetizers included Maryland crab balls, chicken tempura and coconut shrimp. Dinner included roasted strip loin or oven roasted loin of pork encrusted with sage and rosemary. The couple also served a chocolate fountain with sliced fruit, marshmallows, pretzel rods, short bread cookies, biscotti, pound cake and brownies. Their cake was from SugarBakers in Catonsville.
FAVORS: The couple handed out mini green and orange New Amsterdam vodka bottles with a label reading, “A shot of LOVE for years to come. Thank you for sharing our day.”
SPECIAL TOUCHES: The bride walked down the aisle with her two older brothers, Justin and Devin Ayala, in the spirit of her late father. The officiant, Koran Evans, is Breyana’s cousin. Karlen danced with his mother to “Corazon” by Django. Bryana danced with her mother to “Something to Talk About” by Bonnie Raitt. The reception also featured a photo booth by Electra Entertainment from Ellicott City. The couple plans to take their honeymoon in the near future. The couple served a candy buffet with all of their favorites: Swedish Fish, sour straws, peanut butter cups and peppermint patties. The buffet was provided by Katrina’s Sugar Kreations in Towson.