Almarie and Sean
September 18, 2011
Maitland Art Center
Holy Trinity Reception Center, Maitland
Photographs by Mandy Blair
Almarie Guerra met Sean Dale Wilson while salsa dancing—sort of. The 27-year-old actress/performer took private dance lessons with, unbeknownst to her at the time, her future husband. At the studio, her focus was intently on Sean, 37, the teacher. “He was a gorgeous man with the best smile I had ever seen,” Almarie says. “I was a complete mess during the entire lesson.” She wasn’t the only one smitten. Says Sean: “I knew I’d have to work extra hard not to fall for her. I failed miserably.” Their teacher-student relationship soon developed into something more and on March 30, 2011, Sean knelt before Almarie in the rain on the exact spot where he had first seen her, the parking lot of the Zebra Room, the dance studio where he had given her that first private salsa lesson. They wed less than six months later, surrounded by family and friends at the Maitland Art Center’s outdoor courtyard chapel. The reception that followed was a multicultural celebration. “With me being Puerto Rican, and Sean being Jamaican, it was important to have the food and music be of those two cultures,” says Almarie.
"Since Sean and I met dancing, it was fitting that we put together a salsa routine to perform for our guests. Dance has always been an important part of our relationship. It’s something that will always unite us.” – Almarie
DETAILS
Wedding Planner: Jaclyn Fraser with At Last Wedding & Event Design
On Their Choice of Reception: “We wanted a beautiful outdoor setting for the ceremony,” says Almarie, “but we also wanted to dance the night away in the comfort of an indoor reception space.”
Most Memorable Moment: “For both of us, it was those first few moments after being pronounced husband and wife,” Almarie says. “Everyone had left the ceremony site and we were alone.”
Gown: Alfred Angelo Sapphire Collection
Videographer: Jareau Almeyda
Caterer: Puerto Rican food by Puerto Rico’s Café (Marisol), Kissimmee; Jamaican food by Caribbean Sunshine Bakery
Cakes: Puerto Rican cake by Elizabeth at Cakes for Special Occasions; Jamaican cake by Marsha Rusten
Florist: Jonathan’s Flowers
Officiant: Father Michael Smith
Music/Entertainment: DJ Rob Fernandez and MC Shaka Brown
Father-Daughter Dance: “Mi Nina Bonita” (Ismael Miranda)
Mother-Son Dance: “Thank You Mama” (Sizzla)
First Dance: “Is This Love” (Bob Marley)
Honeymoon: Nine days in Greece
