How They Met

One beautiful October evening, Yumi got together with a group of friends and co-workers to celebrate Oktoberfest at Beethoven Maennerchor’s Oktoberfest. The Biergarten was alive with a Polka Band pumping out Oompah music and the air was filled with the scent of grilling bratwurst and draft beers. They were all having a wonderful time joking, drinking, eating, and chicken dancing! After a few hours, the couple’s mutual friend Alyssa, mentions that she invited her friend Dax to join. Yumi didn’t think much of it except the more the merrier! (Confession: Yumi first thought she said his name was JAX!) Unbeknownst to either of them that an introduction would happen that would change the two’s lives forever.

The Proposal

Dax reminisces, “As I was looking at rings and talking to salespeople, I would catch myself daydreaming of ideas on how to propose to her. How do I tell the most amazing person in the world that I want to spend the rest of my life with her? We both love to laugh so do I make it fun and a little silly? Should I get a big group of our friends & family together and surprise her in front of them? Or maybe a trip somewhere outdoors and romantic like on our trip to West Texas? One thing was certain, I wanted it to be a moment that was genuine, heartfelt, and a memory we would both cherish in our own ways.

After a lot of searching, I finally found the ring (thanks Lee Michaels!), and my proposal ideas started to get much clearer. I knew that I wanted it to be a special moment for the two of us with just a friend or two there to help us capture it. Downtown San Antonio and Southtown are places we loved to explore while dating (and today as well), so I now had an idea of the location to propose and all that was missing was the date. The holidays were coming up and all I could think about was how I didn’t want even a minute of 2020 to pass without Yumi knowing how much I truly love her and that, if she would have me, I would be blessed to spend the rest of my life with her. And that sealed it…I would propose exactly at midnight on New Year’s Eve somewhere downtown under a fireworks-filled night sky and hope for a resounding yes.

Now that I had the plan, it was time to figure out how to make it happen! Thankfully, our amazing friends, Diana (our officiant) and Andrew stepped in with a huge assist on this and helped me figure out a way to execute the whole thing. They invited us to a small NYE party at their friend’s home in Southtown which would put us exactly where we needed to be that night. Andrew even scouted out a fantastic little spot at a bridge over the San Antonio River near Blue Star that had an awesome view of the fireworks at the Tower of the Americas. I was a bundle of nervous energy all day and just too excited about the moment. About 20 minutes till midnight, we finally convinced Yumi to go check out the spot that Andrew was telling us about for fireworks viewing…she still had no idea! We hustled out the door and started walking down the river. An app was counting down to midnight for us and people were starting to come out to their balconies to watch the fireworks. As the clock struck 12:00 am, I turned to Yumi and gave her the greatest hug I’ve ever given in my life and I started to tell her everything that she has meant to me. Fireworks blasted around us, people were cheering like crazy but for me, the world just slowed down and melted away as I looked into her eyes. I got down on one knee and asked her to be my wife. With a huge yes and even bigger kiss, we sealed the deal. I slipped the ring on her finger and soaked in every second of the moments afterward as we looked up and watched the fireworks together.”

The Inspiration

Because of their NYE proposal, the couple knew they wanted to get married on New Year’s Eve so they could have the opportunity to not only renew their love for one another on their anniversary but also ring in the new year as newlyweds! While NYE was the primary inspiration of their theme, COVID played a huge role in the design of their big day. Dax says, “Downtown San Antonio on NYE is something special – the food, the music, the Riverwalk lights, the fireworks across our skyline – all of these were elements that we knew we wanted to incorporate into our celebration. We knew hands-down the best 360* view of the city at midnight would be at the top of the Frost Tower. We were so fortunate to be able to secure the venue thanks to a wonderful friend that works there. With the 24th floor being a blank canvas, as it had not been occupied yet, we had a great opportunity to bring in vendors to create an intimate but festive ambiance. The vendors we chose were all small, local-owned businesses. It was important for us to support our community during this unprecedented time and do what we could to give back.”

Unique Elements

“For the ceremony, prior to me walking out I was presented with a “something blue” gift from Dax. When I opened the gift box it was a beautiful gold and silver bracelet that had a blue cloth intertwined through it. At first, I didn’t know what it was until my event planner Jaime said it was a piece of my dad’s bandana that he carried with him all the time. My dad passed away 12 years ago and it’s one of the very few personal things I have left from him. It was absolutely the sweetest thing. For the reception, we wanted to create an intimate but exciting party environment for our guests. To keep our guests safe, we made a little printed bag with covid rules to follow in the front (social distance, wear a mask, wash hands, etc.). They were placed at each table setting that had a menu, mask & hand sanitizer. We love to sample various foods and also wanted to represent our heritage, Dax being Mexican and me half Japanese. With that, we served up fun foods from Spice of Life such as chicken and waffles, street tacos, steamed dumplings, and Godiva milkshakes. To accomplish the exciting part, we had an LED dance floor that not only displayed customized images but also lit up with custom colors and music videos! And for our stroke of midnight, we had two big confetti cannons blast off to bring in the New Year with the city’s 360* skyline full of fireworks!” – Yumi Moreno

Words of Advice

“Our advice would be to not shy away from local small businesses, they can offer you great deals and work to get the biggest bang for your buck. Do your research, look at online reviews and follow up on referrals that you get from friends, family, or others who have gone through the process! If possible, find a wedding planner that fits your budget and personality, they can be invaluable in navigating the crazy process of planning a wedding.” – Dax & Yumi Moreno