The couple ensured all of their weekend’s events featured Filipino traditions.

For Rizza and Josh, it all started with a wedding. The duo met at a mutual friend’s nuptials in 2016, and Josh insists that he knew Rizza would be the one he eventually married that very night—but it wasn’t until two years later that he worked up the courage to actually ask her out. And a few years later, he started working up the courage to get down on one knee.

Luckily, he had the perfect opportunity to propose already built into the calendar. The couple enjoys traveling to Hawaii annually, so when Josh booked a trip for his birthday, Rizza had no clue what was in store. On June 5, 2021, Josh convinced Rizza to join him on the beach before dinner to catch some sunset photos on his new phone. They were taking some selfies when a stranger (who was actually their proposal photographer moonlighting as an eager student) stopped them and offered to take their photo. As they posed for a few sunset portraits, Josh got down on one knee—and the pair spent the next few hours posing around the island, basking in the moment.

Rizza and Josh had always dreamed of a tropical destination wedding during their anniversary month, September. They initially wanted to host their wedding in Hawaii as a nod to their proposal, but they were uncertain whether travel restrictions would hinder their plans. Instead, they chose to invite their 200 guests to The Holly Farm in Carmel, California, which offered a tropical oasis vibe closer to home. The couple had the family-owned estate to themselves for four days over their wedding weekend, which kicked off with a traditional Catholic ceremony with Filipino traditions on September 1, 2023, followed by their main wedding event the next day.

Inspired by The Princess Diaries and Bridgerton, the couple had a slogan of “The Dodson Diaries” for their wedding weekend. They worked with Emily Gaikowski with Heartthrob Events to marry the royal theme with the tropical setting. Read on to see the details from Jenny Quicksall Photography.

Article source: brides.com