Victoria & Carlos got married privately at the end of March. We warmly invite you to join us in celebrating our marriage. We would be thrilled to gather with you as we start this new chapter of our lives. To keep expenses low, we are hosting an outdoor open house and hope you can be a part of it. Date: Saturday, June 7th, 2025  Time: 1pm-4pm  Location: 2390 Redlands Drive Newport Beach, CA 92660 Light refreshments will be served, activities will be provided. Of course, there will also be mingling with the newlyweds.

Victoria and Carlos both grew up on occupied Tongva land which is currently called Orange County, California. Through work they now reside on the occupied land of Amah Mutsun, Esselen, Ohlone, Rumsen, Salinan territories, of what is currently known as Monterey, California. They have been friends for over a decade, and after the pandemic have cultivated that friendship into love through sharing conversations, laughs, and adventures across beautiful California. Victoria and Carlos share values of community-care, liberation, and cultivating reciprocal relationships.

The Rings are nods to our families and how we are combining two ancestral lines. Victoria is mixed-Indigenous Chicana with her Paternal side coming from Guadalajara, Mexico and Maternal side coming from the Tewa/Zuni tribe of New Mexico. Carlos' family is from Atlixco, Puebla, Mexico with connections to Nahuatl people. Each ring contains materials that were important to our respective ancestors: Victoria's ring contains turquoise and Carlos' ring contains obsidian volcanic rock. During the pre-colonial era, our ancestors traveled across the region and traded these materials with each other. Today we wear both materials on our hands to connect our ancestral lines as we walk new paths together.

Victoria grew up in Costa Mesa, where she cherished the diversity of people and food found in Orange County. She attended Orange Coast College, California State University, Long Beach, and Chapman University. She credits her education with providing her the vocabulary and voice to share her own stories, as well as those of her ancestors, emphasizing themes of resilience and joy. Currently, she works as a social justice educator at the Otter Cross Cultural Center at California State University, Monterey Bay. Her official title is Program Coordinator and Lecturer in the Service Learning Institute. In this role, she collaborates with incredible students to develop curricula and programs that empower them to share their stories and restore Indigenous knowledge and practices into their everyday lives. Additionally, she has the opportunity to travel across the country to present at regional and national conferences about the curriculum her team and students create. Victoria draws great strength from her ancestors, her culture, and the sacred land her ancestors hold dear. She has traveled to Amsterdam, Toronto, London, Copenhagen, Sweden, and most recently, Mexico City. She loves exploring, learning about new cultures and traditions, meeting new people, trying new foods, and appreciating art and music. While she enjoys being active and out-and-about, she also relishes relaxing to music and classic television sitcoms (which she claims to have a refined taste for). Some of her favorite musicians include Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks, among others. Her favorite TV shows are "Golden Girls," "Living Single," "Black-ish," and "Abbott Elementary." Victoria also loves reading, particularly the works of bell hooks, Octavia Butler, Robin Wall Kimmerer, and Audre Lorde, though she enjoys many authors beyond these. Victoria is an open book and loves to chat about anything above.

Carlos was born and raised in Garden Grove, and his family hails from Atlixco, Puebla, Mexico, in the central Puebla Nahuatl region. Mexico holds a special place in his heart, and he aspires to fall in love with the region just as his parents and grandparents have. He dreams of witnessing the landscapes his grandparents admired and imagining how his ancestors lived, aiming to carry their cherished traditions into his life today. As a cooking enthusiast, Carlos can easily spend an entire day watching Instagram recipe videos and indulging in Anthony Bourdain’s various TV series. He often gets lost in Williams Sonoma stores, admiring the culinary possibilities. Professionally, he is an audio-visual expert with nine years of experience, working odd hours to fulfill his clients' needs. Currently, Carlos provides audio-visual services for California State University, Monterey Bay, in the Otter Student Union department. In his free time, he likes to unwind by playing cozy video games like Pokémon and Animal Crossing, as well as more involved games like Forza Motorsport and Marvel vs. Capcom. When he has a day off during the week, he enjoys visiting his favorite cafes for a refreshing iced chai with almond milk. His go-to spot in Orange County is MoonGoat in Garden Grove, while in Monterey County, he loves CounterPoint in Seaside. A perfect weekend for Carlos includes sleeping in, brunching with Victoria, and taking relaxing walks along the beach. During the summer, he relishes driving through winding canyon roads at sunset while listening to great music or insightful podcast. His current playlist features artists like Karol G, SZA, Liniker, Bad Bunny, Gondwana, and insightful episodes from the Deprogram podcast, especially episode 180. That’s pretty much Carlos in a nutshell!