How did you meet?

Lukas and Monica live in Los Angeles, California. They met while working at the TV Academy for an HBO event. Monica first noticed Lukas and went up to him to introduce herself. She learned he was from Lithuania, a country she didn’t know much about. He was a high fashion model for many years and had just become a personal trainer. They got to talking and found they had a lot in common—taste in music, movies, etc. Lukas and Monica could both agree that they have a similar sense of humor, and it felt like they’d known each other for years. They ended up getting paired up to work together that night and had a blast. Monica told Lukas that she was a professional dancer and he expressed his interest in taking a dance lesson with her, he asked for her number and called her immediately after the event was over. They met a few weeks later for his dance lesson and were inseparable from that moment on.

The Proposal

Lukas proposed to Monica during the pandemic, just after they celebrated their one-year anniversary. Places they could go to were minimal, however, there was a hiking trail in Palm Springs that they had planned to go to for the day. Monica remembers thinking that Lukas was acting weird that day, but didn’t think much about it. They came upon a waterfall and Monica dunked herself underneath the water because it was unbearably hot, not knowing he was about to propose! Lukas ended up stalling to give her some time to dry off before they went back to the opening of the trail. He set up a tripod camera and pretended to take photos of them. The camera was on the recording setting the entire time and went right into a speech, Monica did not realize why he was so emotional until he went down on one knee and proposed! She was very happy and very surprised.

Wedding Design Inspiration 

Monica knew from the start she wanted the wedding to feel colorful and festive, she kept saying, ” elegant fiesta.” Her mother was born in raised here in San Antonio, and her whole life she grew up visiting her grandparents and family here, so having the wedding in San Antonio just felt more like home. Monica used the city as her influence, specifically the bright, festive, beautiful colors and culture that make up the city. Lukas is from Lithuania, so this would be his family’s first time in the states, and Monica believed this would be the perfect introduction to her family. Butterflies were also a central theme in her and Lukas’ relationship. They were long-distance for three months, and throughout those three months, she wrote little love notes inside origami butterflies. When she got back to LA she hid the butterflies everywhere for Lukas to find. Ever since then they both leave surprise butterfly love notes to each other. Throughout their wedding venue, the cake, and the decor all had butterflies.

Venue and Vendors 

Monica and Lukas had a very interesting time finding vendors. Being from out of town they did a lot of searching online before they set up appointments during their visit to San Antonio. Their first venue choice ended up falling through, however, they had seen a video of The Dominion Country Club online and made an appointment to see them. They loved that the venue offered an indoor and outdoor option. they visited during an open house which worked perfectly because they met their DJ there as well. They also loved that the package was all-inclusive and easier for them being out of town because the catering, bar, and venue were all under one roof.

Here are some statements from Monica regarding some of the vendors included in their wedding!

“Vega DJ Services was awesome from day one. They were kind and communicative, they were organized and the process was seamless. They offered a wonderful package at a great price and we were so happy with them”, Monica.

“It took a long time to find our videographer. One thing that was incredibly important to us was that we wanted all of the footage taken to be given to us. This is something I learned is not common in San Antonio as many videographers did not want to release all of the footage and actually would get very upset when I asked. We also wanted to make sure that the video taken would portray the color and vividness we were going for. Limelight was the perfect fit. They met all of our needs and were enthusiastic about working with us”, Monica.

“Freesia Design did a wonderful job with my bouquet. They were a referral by the Dominion and we were very happy with how the flowers turned out. I had given them an inspirational photo to go off of and they were perfect”, Monica.

“Betty Jane’s Bakeshoppe I found through an Instagram search. We met with the owner Peggy and I loved her presentation. She brought the cake samples with fillings on an artist’s palette. I thought it was such a clever idea. Not only did the cakes look beautiful but they tasted amazing”, Monica

Unique Wedding Elements 

There was a lot of DIY involved in Monica and Lukas’ wedding. Monica had a very strong idea of how she wanted the bridesmaids to look. After shopping around and not finding what she wanted she decided to make them herself. She had taken a dress-making course during the pandemic and wanted to use her newfound draping and design skills to make outfits for her girls. She wanted the outfit to be wearable after the wedding as well, she also loved jumpsuits and transitional clothing. She made a detachable overskirt that would be worn during the ceremony and then be taken off to reveal a jumpsuit underneath for the reception. They took 3 months to make and fit with the added help from her mom who did some of the sewing of the final garments.

Monica also made all of the feathered centerpieces that were on the dinner tables. She works at a lot of events in Los Angeles and took inspiration from a Grammy Awards afterparty that she had danced at a few years prior. “The feather created a palm tree effect in colors that would match the bridal party,” says Monica.

Advice for San Antonio Wedding Planning

“Give yourself plenty of time to plan. We did it in a year and it felt quick. Many vendors like videographers and photographers book up very quickly, so keep in that in mind throughout your planning process. Don’t get caught up in the little things. Sometimes when things don’t go to plan or how you thought, it’s actually for the better. Have a clear plan of how much you are wanting to spend and where there are areas you don’t mind splurging on. Try to relax, as the planning process is very stressful. We lost a bridesmaid, and a groomsman a week before the wedding, our first venue was canceled on us, invitations got lost in the mail, guests who rsvp’d didn’t attend, and prospective vendors were rude… you have to let it go and just roll with it. Don’t let it overshadow the fact that you’re marrying the love of your life. Have fun! Because when its all said and done the day goes by so fast and it’s the best day of your life!.” – Monica