Charles
Raquel
Charles
Raquel
October 5, 2023
Our Story in Short.
Once upon a time at SiervoFest '22, our paths crossed. After some social media stalking, he slid into my DMs in response to a meme. Being the millennial girl I am, I stalked him back before leaving him on read. At first, it was all fun and games, and I didn't think much of it. Plus, he was from California, and as a Texan, I had my reservations (no offense, California peeps 🫣🤣). But as we continued getting to know each other, I realized he was different. His messages, conversations, and questions showed depth. I was intrigued. He asked about my goals and challenges as a single female pastor. Who does that? Odd, but it piqued my interest. His passion for God and serving others spoke volumes. I thought we'd make great friends, but with the distance and not having formally met, I didn't expect more. We were just festival acquaintances turned Instagram friends. A couple of days after my birthday, we had our first FaceTime call, and I was smitten. It was short but enjoyable. Surprisingly, he informed me he'd be in Houston in two days for a worship night I planned to attend. It felt like God was again, crossing our paths. Excitedly, I shared the news with my mom, half-jokingly saying, "I'm going to meet my future husband tonight, pray for me." Little did I know, those words would hold meaning. My best friend joined me for the ride, and I shared the deets with her expecting her to call me crazy. Instead, she listened and analyzed. I told her I didn't even know what he looked like, but I didn't care. His heart and spirit resonated with mine. Charlie arrived at the worship night, and I nervously waited in line. When I saw him running towards me, something came over me. We hugged, and in that moment, I knew he was the one. I kept it to myself, thinking I sounded crazy. He served, and I joined my group. Overwhelmed, tears filled my eyes, and my best friend understood as I said again "I think I just met my husband". He knew, I knew, and God knew. Little did I expect that night to change our stories forever. He showed me his commitment to pursue me without the usual uncertainties. He asked me to be his girlfriend. Thinking he was joking, I said, "Sure!" Turns out, he was dead serious. He even wanted to meet my parents before leaving for San Francisco. We prayed together, entrusting our relationship to God and deciding to be intentional about every step on this new journey. Charlie won over my family, friends, and church with his love, servanthood and commitment. We discovered that we had been praying for each other most of our lives without knowing it. He fulfilled every one of my hearts desires and prayers, and I fulfilled his. Since becoming a couple, we pray together daily, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us even in the uncertain. Charlie reflects Jesus in how he loves, shows grace, and pursues my heart. Seeking God together strengthens our bond. Despite the challenges of long-distance, Charlie bridges the gap. Now, we stand ready to commit to a lifetime together. We enter this season with peace, joy and certainty from God, and our families' support. God's presence in our journey is incredible, and we're grateful to have you here at the start of our forever covenant. We love you and can't wait to share our special day with you. If you're reading this, you're special to us. Thank you for being a part of our story. With love and anticipation, Rachel (Soon-to-be Espinel) 🤍
RSVP
Please enter the first and last name of one member of your party below.
If you're responding for you and a guest (or your family), you'll be able to RSVP for your entire group on the next page.
Schedule
Travel
Flight
Flying in
We’re so excited you decided to join us! We highly recommend booking your flight at least one day prior to our wedding due to possible delays or cancellations. There are two major airports- (IAH) and (HOU) We’ve attached our favorite site for booking affordable flights. *please send us your itinerary by 09/22/23 to make necessary arrangements and shuttle for your arrival*
Hotel
Hampton Inn Houston I-10W Energy Corridor
Follow Website directions for our special rates. If you choose to call in or need any extra assistance please let them know you’re booking for the Charles & Rachel Wedding so they can assist you with our lowest rates.
Discount Code - Charles & Rachel Wedding
Hotel
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Katy
New Hotel added to the Hotel Block. Within walking distance of a Shopping Mall, Walmart and several shopping centers.
Discount Code - Charles & Rachel Wedding
Registry
Our Photos
FAQs
Question
When should I RSVP by?
Answer
Please RSVP by August 31st, 2023. Don’t worry, we know deadlines tend to be forgotten, we’ll send you a reminder a week before the deadline for your convenience.
Question
Is there a dress code? What should I wear?
Answer
We request our guest wear ALL BLACK Formal or Black Tie attire. Given our wedding is not the Met Gala or the Oscars, you don't HAVE to be super duper extra... unless you really want to. 😂 We know you're gonna look stunning and handsome! and who are we kidding, black looks good on everyone!
Question
What time should I arrive at the ceremony?
Answer
Weddings are notorious for never starting on time because “uncle Bob is not there yet.” Let’s break the cycle my people! Doors to the venue open at 3pm Pre-Ceremony Cocktails & Hors D'oeuvre begin at 3:30pm Ceremony will begin at 4pm During the ceremony, venue doors will be locked and will only be reopened after the ceremony has ended.
Question
Is the wedding indoors or outdoors?
Answer
Our wedding ceremony is outdoors, but our reception will be indoors :)
Question
What will the weather be like?
Answer
Welcome to Houston, all of you out-of-towners! The weather here can be... funny. During the October month, the weather in Houston should be beautiful, but we're never 100% certain of anything here. October is THANKFULLY starting to cool down from the scorching Texas summer heat and the 5th of October SHOULD be averaging 70-88 degrees. emphasis on should though... Whatever that means to you, pack accordingly.
Question
Can I bring a date?
Answer
Please check your invite for your +1! We do have limited space by our venue and as much as we wish EVERYONE could celebrate this day with us, we have narrowed down our invitations to family and very close friends/loved ones. In other words, this is an “invite only” wedding. Thank you for understanding!
Question
Are kids welcome?
Answer
**Unless otherwise stated in your invitation & RSVP Portal** As much as we'd love to have all the little ones on our special day, we've decided we are keeping our Wedding Day an adults evening celebration to give you, wonderful parents, a night off to dress up, celebrate the Bride and Groom, enjoy a delicious meal and party the evening away, without children. For this reason, we have made our send off hour to 10pm and trust us, you want to stay thru to the end!
Question
Is there parking for the ceremony or reception?
Answer
There will be free parking on the premises of our venue
Question
Are the ceremony and reception locations wheelchair accessible?
Answer
Yes! we definitely don't want a wheelchair to limit anyone. You know what else is wheelchair accessible?!... The Dance floor! Ain’t nothin holding us back!
Question
Is it okay to take pictures with our phones and cameras during the wedding?
Answer
Yes! We would love for you to take photos and will even have an app where you can share your "professional" phone photography pictures with us and we can keep them as part of our wedding day memories! However, please refrain from taking photos during the ceremony. We paid top dollar so you can sit back and enjoy the moment with us, so please, save your battery and storage for the reception pictures!
Question
Is there a gifts registry?
Answer
Your presence is already an incredible gift to us but if you would like to sow into our marriage, our registry/wish list in on this site. We appreciate any and EVERY gift receiving it as a seed and a contribution into our marriage and future.
Question
Will there be dancing?
Answer
Is it even a wedding celebration without dancing?! Get your stretches in, do your warm ups and oil them joints for a night of celebration and DANCING!
Question
Is there transportation being provided between reception and hotels?
Answer
Unfortunately, our private shuttle agency (our cars) has limited range of commute (someone is probably gonna be using them to run last minute errands or for load in at the venue)... We will however have a shuttle from our hotel block hotel ONLY. The shuttle has a capacity for 37 passengers (40 if we squeeze) and will be departing from the hotel block at 3pm without delays. (Find our hotel block on the “Travel” tab.) We will do multiple trips if necessary.
Question
Will you live stream your ceremony?
Answer
We will be streaming our ceremony only. A private link we will be made available to all of our guests who regretfully won’t be join us in person.
Question
Who should I call with questions?
Answer
Question, we all have em and we’re here to answer! You can send us an email at crewmanagment5@gmail.com or TEXT (832) 800-2939 -iphone Or you can reach out to one of our lovely maids of honor Ruth Cruz or Angie Martinez :) Ruth: (346) 333-8236 - android Angie: (346) 857-5057 - iphone **please include your name and specify what you're messaging about when reaching out**
Question
What time will the reception end?
Answer
While we wish we could party all night, please understand, we’re newly-weds 😂 Our send-off is at 10pm sharp and trust us, you want to stay all the way till the end 🤭☺️