We're tying the knot!

When we got engaged last September, we couldn't wait to pick our date and start envisioning all of our families coming together to celebrate with us in the city we've been calling home for 3 years now. We chose November 14th, 2020. We reserved St. Paul's Cathedral in Downtown Birmingham for the ceremony & Historic Rucker Place in Five Points for the reception, and then we relaxed for a few months... ...then 2020 came and by March, we found ourselves in the middle of a global pandemic. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, we have been trying to visualize what our wedding would look like. For months we have been paying close attention to the situation and have been hoping to see our lives go "back to normal" by the time November comes along. Now that it is officially August and the pandemic has remained steady, we feel it is necessary for us to make some changes regarding our wedding plans. With much consideration, we have decided to continue with our Wedding Ceremony on November 14th, but we have decided to restrict attendance to only our immediate family (parents & siblings) and wedding party. Our Wedding Reception will be postponed until 2021 (we are currently working out the details, please bear with us). We will send out an official update once the date is determined, so please be on the lookout for that! We decided to postpone the celebration of our wedding so that all of our family & friends can be here with us in person celebrating as safely as possible. With the majority of Isabela's family living out of the state & out of the country–and several of Brandon's family members living out of the state as well–traveling to Alabama at this time would be complicated for some and impossible for others. Ultimately, the safety of all of our loved ones is most important to us. We hope you understand. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us! We really cannot wait to see all of you & celebrate this incredibly special time in our lives.

It was 2014, Brandon had recently graduated from Auburn University and took a position managing a restaurant that would be opening in Auburn that fall. Isabela was going into her 3rd year at Auburn University and was in need of a job. She had applied at several businesses and restaurants around town with no luck. One day, her friend Christine told her about a big "Now Hiring" sign she saw while driving down Opelika Rd. Not wasting any time, Isabela hurried over to the restaurant that was still under construction and would soon become Mugshots Grill & Bar. She filled out an application immediately and was hired on the spot. Now she was only a couple weeks away from starting her new job and meeting her soon to be manager named Brandon. Over the next several months, they would talk endlessly during the shifts they worked together. They quickly became great friends in and out of work. Then one night Brandon decided to go for it. They had been spending the evening with a few friends from work when Brandon suddenly turned to Isabela and kissed her without a word! It caught her completely off guard... but it worked. By May of 2015, Isabela and Brandon were dating. Two years later, after Isabela graduated and the two were faced with a decision to make, they chose to leave Auburn and start their next chapter in a new city. Since July of 2017, they have been living happily together in Birmingham with their two cats. Then, on a family beach trip in September of 2019 with Isabela's dad, sister, brother-in-law and niece, Brandon surprised Isabela on the beach at sunset... He got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. It was a dream come true... Now they cannot wait to get married & continue loving life with each other! :)