Sra. Toro's Trips and Tips: My big fat Irish-Colombian Wedding

The best part about my wedding was how two very different families became one. It happened like this.

On Thursday, the men went to get their tuxes, and in no time, there was a mix of Spanish and English in the air. After, we bonded over pizza which make the rehearsal dinner the next night go much smoother since some people already had met.

On Friday, the rest of the Colombian family and friends were introduced, and they were the stars of the night. With everyone getting along so well, I knew that our wedding was going to be a great time. I was a bit worried about how the families would be, but Irish and Colombians are both fun groups so really I had nothing to worry about.

On Saturday, I picked up my sister-in-law for our hair appointments. One of my good friends who is also Colombian needed a ride down to the church so I picked her up, too. It was great because she could help my sister-in-law who spoke no English. I got back to my parent's house and got dressed. I was cool as a cucumber because I've never been one of those Bridezilla-types.

We made it to the church in time to hearing the bagpipes playing. My bridesmaids were all dressed in green because that was the color of my Colombian emerald which is also the same color that symbolizes my Irish heritage. My dress was Spanish inspired with lots of lace, and I wore a mantilla veil to match. Since both our families are Catholic, we had a full Mass. It was really meaningful to the both of us. My wedding band is actually from Ireland, and it is adorned with the Trinity knot. I love telling the story of my rings to people because it is so unique just like my husband and I. Plus, it's a way to carry Colombia and Ireland with me everywhere I go.

We had a great time taking the wedding party by limousine to the reception which was at the Westin Hotel. Again, the cultural theme was present throughout. The place cards were placed in trays and held up with whole coffee beans. The favors were spice jars filled with Starbucks Colombian coffee, and the tags said, "Thanks a latte". Our DJ lit the room up with a green backdrop, and he played American, Irish, and Latin music for us to dance to. Our cake also fit with the theme. The bottom layer was chocolate cake with Bailey's Irish Creme mousse. The second layer we offered our guests was a white cake with mango mousse. It was decorated with Irish shamrocks and coffee beans covered in chocolate.

My goal was to make this a wedding to remember. I wanted to highlight the things that make my husband and I special. I wanted it to be a learning experience for others as well. I think that I accomplished that. When I had the chance to observe what was going on at my wedding, it made me smile. Love broke down the language and cultural barriers that existed. People found joy in the universal language of love and celebrated by dancing the night away. I couldn't have asked for anything more. It was the wedding of my dreams.