Link to our Invitation PDF: https://tinyurl.com/paulceciwedding We're getting married in Mexico's beautiful wine region in a venue that's perfectly nestled between Valle de Guadalupe and Ensenada, in Baja California. The venue is located a two hours drive South of San Diego, CA; and about ninety minutes from Tijuana. Some of the wedding guests will enjoy spending some time before and after the wedding exploring the many vineyards, mezcalerías, top rated restaurants, and beaches in the area. We're looking forward to enjoying the beautiful scenery with you all! PLEASE NOTE: This is an 18+ wedding, and due to the venue's limited space, we won't be able to accommodate any additional guests. Thanks for understanding! Can't wait to celebrate with you!

Paul grew up in Chicago, and Ceci in Puerto Rico, and we now live together in San Diego – so why did we choose to get married in Mexico? Mexico symbolizes many things for us. It was the first country we traveled to together outside of the US, right as we were falling back in love. The moments we shared in Valle de Guadalupe, Rosarito, and Ensenada will be treasured forever; since they changed the trajectory of our lives by helping us realize that our love for one another was stronger than ever before. We love the blending of cultures and landscapes in this region, mixing the Southern California desert with vibrant and colorful latinx decor, mountains, valleys, delicious food and wine, gorgeous architecture, and salty ocean waves. It is just the perfect place to celebrate our love and we can't wait to share it with you!

Paul Lougée (pronounced the French way, loo-jay) and Ceci Jayo (pronounced seh-see hi-yo) met through mutual friends (Becky & George) at a party in NYC. Ceci was living in the Upper West Side, and Paul in the Upper East Side. Two wide-eyed city-lovers, divided by Central Park. It wasn't until several months after they met, that Paul asked Becky for Ceci's phone number to call her out for a date. As Paul and Ceci stepped out of the subway, grinning ear to ear after a lovely first date; they were stopped on their tracks by a bizarre encounter. Walking towards them was a perfect mirror image... but of another couple. Paul would then find out that not only did Ceci have an identical twin sister, but that her twin sister's boyfriend (now husband) was also a redhead and in many ways looked just like Paul. Who could have guessed that these twin couples would eventually go on to share a lifetime together?! Oh, and I should mention that our lovely match-makers Becky and George (who will hopefully make it to our wedding) are now married and have a baby together! Happily ever-afters all around!

By the time Paul and Ceci started dating, Ceci warned him that she and her twin sis Cristi had come up with a master plan to quit their corporate design jobs, start their own remote design company, and travel the world. Ceci's round-the-world trip would take around seven months; leaving from New York City in the summer, traveling through nine countries in Europe, five countries in Asia, landing back in the US in California, and ending up in Puerto Rico for Christmas. She had planned to leave in May 2015... which meant that she had less than a year to really get to know Paul before leaving NYC for an indefinite amount of time. Paul supported her decision to go, and fell deeper in love with Ceci every day they spent together. However, when Ceci finally left for her trip, the change in time zones, constant switching of SIM cards and phone plans, the lack of internet, and the constant shifting of plans, really challenged their long-distance relationship. Eventually, they decided it was best to break things off and go on their separate ways... If it was meant to be, love would find a way, right? After that, Paul decided he needed a change of scenery too. He packed his bags, sold all of his belongings, and went backpacking for several months in South America. There, he reconnected with an old friend (Stuart Cook, who will also hopefully be at the wedding) and together they decided to start a short-term rental company in Southern California which they eventually called "Native Travel". After some time had passed, Paul realized he would need a great logo and branding if he wanted his new company to be successful, and after searching high and low for a designer that would match the quality he was envisioning... he decided to make a bold move. He reached out to his ex-girlfriend Ceci, who at the time lived in Miami, and asked for her help. He promised to keep things strictly professional and never ask for any special treatment or friendly discounts. Reluctantly, she agreed to help him design his brand; and slowly the exes became friends again. A platonic friendship was built and remained for many years.

The year of the great pandemic. It was the summer of 2020 and COVID-19 had taken over the US with strict lockdowns causing Paul's short-term rental business to temporarily be put on hold. In an effort to turn lemons into lemonade, Paul had the brilliant idea to call a group of friends from across the states and invite them to live and work remotely for a couple of weeks from the comfort of one of his many beautiful Palm Springs mansions that were now sitting empty waiting for the lockdown to be lifted. Paul had to work hard to convince Ceci to fly across the country to join them, but she eventually agreed and flew out to California in June. Together again, they explored beautiful mountains, rivers, and hot springs; and it reignited their love. Less than three months later, Ceci officially moved out of Miami and into San Diego with Paul.

The newly reunited couple went on many amazing adventures, traveling to beautiful places like Valle de Guadalupe in Mexico, where their love for one another grew stronger. They also took Paul's converted school bus (The Oliver Bus) on several trips to National Parks, which tested their patience and problem-solving abilities... making them even more closely connected. It all worked out in divine timing. They realized that their time apart had helped each of them mature into their own individuals, who were now ready to choose one another fully. By August 2021 they had bought property together in San Diego, and in July 2022 Paul got down on one knee on a cliffside near Bilbao in Spain and proposed.