Celebrating Latinx Love
Alejandra Baca-Rodriguez, Editor in Chief Belle the Magazine is sharing the Latinx Love Initiative.
One thing is for sure, weddings are celebrations of love! And today we are celebrating Love... more specifically Latinx Love. Today Monday, August 3rd marks 1-Year of the El Paso Shooting, the deadliest race-based attack on Latinos in modern American history. And instead of remembering this date with hate and sadness, we are inviting the Wedding World to turn things around and celebrate Love.
Originally from Mexico, I moved to the United States 20 years ago. Right after college I jumped into the wedding world and I never looked back. I had lived in many different places, but I called El Paso, Texas home. This is where I am raising my 3 kids and 5 dogs alongside my husband, and where I operate my publication Belle The Magazine that allows me to live my passion of bringing a dose of chic wedding ideas to thousands of couples every day!
HOW DO WE CELEBRATE LATINXLOVE TODAY?
We invite you to do 2 simple things today:
Photo: Carlos Lozano
1. SHARE LATIN LOVE
Share a Latinx friend, couple, client and/or vendor on your social media channels with the hashtag #LatinxLove.
2. OFFER AN ACT OF KINDNESS
Spread Love Not Hate. We put together a list of acts of kindness for pandemic times and you get extra brownie points if your act of kindness is targeted towards a Latinx friend. You can also find a list of Latino organizations that you can donate to if you wish. Please DM us your act of kindness, we would love to share (@bellethemagazine).
Photo: Carlos Lozano
LATINX WEDDING WEEK
Tune in on @bellethemagazine every day of the week from Monday, August 3rd to Friday, August 7th for an amazing series of Instagram Lives with a lineup of uber-talented Latinx wedding pros that you need to get to know.
The Latinx Wedding Experience
Join us on Wednesday, August 12th at 1 pm ET (register here) for an educational experience with a comprehensive group of talented LatinX Pros to educate the wedding industry about the LatinX wedding planning and wedding industry experience in America.
We will be discussing and celebrating the diversity and contribution of Latinx couples and ways to open the doors for new Latinx pros in the industry. Register now.
Meet the Pros
Amy Anaiz
I'm a New York City based intimate editorial wedding and portrait photographer. My professional journey began as a talent agent for New York City’s top still-life and beauty photographers where I learned the ins-and-outs of advertising and commercial photography and was surrounded by beautiful images on a daily basis. While representing these top talent photographers, I masterfully integrated this knowledge and experience into my own business and refined my skills as a photographer. My work has been featured in the NY Times, Brides, Inside Weddings, Huffington Post, NY Weddings, VH1, E!, HBO, TLC, Essence and Grace Ormonde.I'm keen on creating beautiful, joyous and heartfelt imagery that tells a story. My style is focused on connecting with my subjects and capturing the emotion and personality of everyone I work with while using beautiful, flattering light, paying close attention to detail, and ensuring the images are clean. I enjoy creating portraits of couples that have a visual impact because your eyes are drawn to their deep expressions and deliberate placement — similar to what you see in magazines. I loves to travel and live life by Paolo Coelho’s words: "It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting!”
Francesca Miranda
Francesca Miranda is a renowned Latin American designer based in Barranquilla, Colombia. Drawing on the best of authentic craftsmanship and the diverse indigenous aesthetic around her, Francesca designs with a captivating sense of style and inimitable creativity. Detailed to perfection, the Francesca Miranda collections incorporate intricate fabrics with unexpected silhouettes, each design is hand-made by the talented hands of Colombian artisans. Francesca Miranda’s designs are sold worldwide throughout South America, North America, Europe, and Asia.
Jennifer Cortiella
Miami Photographer for couples that love authentic moments. I approach every wedding with the same foundation of knowledge and experience I have gained in almost 7 years of business but with a different perspective that is customized to each individual couple. Although every wedding is unique, my goal is always the same: to create beautiful images that stand the test of time and to give my clients and their wedding guests an exceptional experience. I do this by providing my professional expertise through education and going above and beyond in any way possible for my couples. As your photographer, I will give you an experience you won’t ever forget by providing natural, fun, and nontraditional images that truly represent you as a couple. I create dynamic but comfortable environments during my sessions that allow you to relax and reveal your true personalities. I also value individuality and understand that everyone’s style is different, so I’m passionate about getting to know you. I want you to look back at your photos in 40 years and see yourself—your real, beautiful, flawed self on the happiest day of your life. I also offer videography & photo booth services!
Diana Dorsey, Simply Elegant by Diana
Diana's passion for arts and entertainment was ignited at the age of 15, when she began choreographing waltz for Quinceanera celebrations. She embraced her talent for curating events during the planning of her own wedding in 2010. Since then, she's demonstrated her abilities by organizing, planning and creating breathtaking weddings, birthday parties and corporate events for almost 10 years. Diana has a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and spent several years as an educator in the Berkeley Unified School District. She believes education is important and although she's curated hundreds of events, she decided to take her experience even further, by becoming a Certified Event Planner. Diana is recognized within the event industry for her calm and pleasant demeanor. Her goal is not only for clients to enjoy the planning and day-of experience but also, for all vendors involved to enjoy the process as well. Her "eagleye" attention to detail and willingness to go above and beyond, is what makes planning an event with Diana such a delight! It's no surprise, that clients choose to work with Diana for subsequent events, after their first experience with her. Diana is known amongst friends and family to be a fun and loving person, always extending herself and helping others. If you don't see her hard at work, you'll find her dancing and entertaining, spending time with her beautiful family or traveling to an Island for a little relaxation.
José Rolón
José specializes in bringing comfort to a process that’s famously filled with tough decisions and mounting stress. In doing so, he leaves his ego out, and gets the job done—step by easygoing step. A hospitality veteran (he opened two high-end restaurants in the early aughts), José planned his own wedding at The Foundry, one of the most coveted wedding venues in New York City. Passionate about the venue, he joined their staff and quickly become a crucial and beloved member of the events team. He made a name for his chill vibe and generous command, then left to start José Rolón Events.
Preston Bailey
Recently named as one of the best wedding designers in the world by Vogue Magazine, Preston Bailey has been globally-celebrated for his unique ability to transform ordinary spaces into lush, theatrical environments. This has helped to establish him as the premier event designer for a client roster that includes celebrities, royal families, CEO’s and athletes. Since opening his design studio in 1980, Preston has been sought out to create one-of-a-kind, transformative designs that serve as backdrops for some of the most memorable moments of his clients’ lives. A designer with a passion for creating designs to be enjoyed by the public as well as his clients, he has created a number of art installations which featured across the world with showcases in New York, Las Vegas, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Taiwan, and London. He was recently commissioned to do a few installations in Macao. “I love creating something that everyone can enjoy. As an artist, this is important to me,” he says. This passion also translated into his tabletop linen collection, a collaborative effort with Nuage Designs. His dedication to supporting and remaining accessible to the industry initiated the idea for his PB Protégé program, a series of specialized masterclasses that offer mentorship and education to industry professionals at all levels. Additionally, The author of seven books–five of them bestsellers—he is often asked to share his experience through speaking engagements, seminars, editorial profiles and television and radio interviews.
Sofîa Cristina, Bloom PR Weddings & Events
I'm the creator, leader, and mastermind behind Bloom PR Weddings & Events, based in Puerto Rico. My creative and organized side lets me be your advisor and friend during the process of planning your wedding or event. I believe in love and dreams, and coordinating your wedding or social event is my way of helping make your dream event a reality. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Event Production & Management from the University of Sagrado Corazón in Santurce, Puerto Rico.
Ashley Espinal Riggs, Dulce Dream Events
Hi! I’m Ashley and I believe that Life Should be Punctuated By Celebrations.
I’m a NYC based celebration planner, celebrating with couples from all over the world. My couples value community, design, family, and appreciate celebrating all of life’s milestones. I’ve been planning events for over 10 years, from weddings to galas, baby showers to bridal showers, and even birthday celebrations. For all of life’s moments, there truly is not an event too small.
A Massachusetts born Latina, I’m the firstborn of immigrant parents which has resulted in a funny, challenging, and interesting point of view on life, love and womanhood. Like most of you, I’m a multi-passionate entrepreneur and love exploring and learning about the world around me.
A fierce believer in defining your own version of happiness, my husband and I live in Astoria, Queens with our puppy, Sammie, although if you look hard enough, you will usually find us on the dance floor.
This initiative is especially close to my heart because I live and operate Belle The Magazine in El Paso, TX. This is my home!
So I invite you to post your #LatinxLove, do your act of kindness, tune in for the IG Lives on @bellethemagazine and catch the Latinx Wedding Panel next Wednesday, August 12th!
View All Images
- Wedding Photographers: Cortiella Photography
- Editor in Chief: Alejandra Baca
- Event Planning & Design: Simply Elegant by Diana
- Event Planning & Design: José Rolón
- Event Planning & Design: Preston Bailey
- Event Planning & Lifestyle Brand: Dulce Dream Events
- Magazine: Belle the Magazine
- Photographers: Carlos Lozano
- Photographers: Amy Anaiz
- PR and Event Planning: Bloom PR Weddings & Events
- Wedding Dresses: Francesca Miranda