We at the Downtown Management District (DMD) had plenty of opinions about what was romantic and memorable about the stories submitted to us but we finally came to a consensus about who stood out in the immense amount of entries we received.
The winning entry had the added flurry of an actual video which was used to propose to his wife while in Downtown. We thank you all for participating and congratulations to Isaac Medina and his partner Samantha Trevizo, who will be treated with a gift certificate, courtesy of Café Central and two front row tickets to see the legendary Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan at the Plaza Theatre on Valentine’s Day!
Below is the winning entry:
My downtown story not only references the love I had towards my Girlfriend at the time, Samantha Trevizo, but also a love that we both shared of our wonderful city and Downtown.
My then Girlfriend (now my wife!!!) and I had been dating rather sporadically since our junior year of High School. She went to Silva Magnet and I went to Chapin High School. We both met at a Diablo’s game and the rest is pretty much an amazing history that we share.
We literally grew up together! Finishing out High School as “High School Sweethearts” and then entering into EPCC and taking almost all the same classes together.
When we finally entered into UTEP- that’s when our relationship was really challenged. We both were different majors, Sam, was an Art Ed Major and I went from BS in Psychology to a BA in Multimedia Journalism.
We grew up together, and I couldn’t see my life without my best friend in it as my bride.
I organized a HUGE scavenger hunt through downtown El Paso masked as just a day to make a video with friends, where at the end I finally went down on bended knee and made my girlfriend my fiancé. Stops included: The Percolator, The Aztec Calendar Monument, and the final stop at the Plaza! Where all our families were waiting anxiously for the moment to happen.
Honorable Mentions:
Thomas and Kristy Mari Sotomayor
December 16, 2013 my girlfriend Kristy Marie and I were headed to the Plaza Theater downtown El Paso to see The Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker.
Throughout the entire show I sat very attentively with a neatly wrapped gift with a very large silver bow on my lap. Upon her one very vague inquiry about the gift I simply smiled and kissed her and refocused on the show. Once the show came to an end we decided to take a stroll through the wonderfully decorated San Jacinto Plaza to enjoy the Christmas lights. While enjoying the plaza we found a bench where I could finally present Kristy Marie with her long awaited gift.
She was surprised to find a small book with the pages filled with stick figures depicting all of our dates we have had over the last six months. As she reached the end of the book she found a page that said “I am proposing to you!” By the time she finished reading the page I was already down on one knee and nervous as hell. The time had come to ask the woman of my dreams to be my wife.
With her tearful yes this became the perfect night in our favorite part of the city! Although the redevelopment of the plaza has changed our plans to return to the same bench every year we will continue to hold downtown El Paso and the San Jacinto Plaza in our hearts and memories.
Alejandra Pena and Ruben Baquera Jr.
“Beso! Beso!” The shouting crowd began, as they were leaving from an evening of AL FRESCO FRIDAYS! Both Ruben Baquera Jr., and I decided to take our engagement photo shoot in Downtown El Paso, because of its beauty and history.
These pictures show clips of our most romantic moments spent in Downtown El Paso. Top right: Drinks at the Dome Bar in the Camino Real Hotel, Bottom right: Outside Cafe Central, Bottom Middle: Our first time kissing in the Rain, Bottom Left: Dancing under the moonlit night (Plaza Theater).
This Night was full of romanticism and enjoyment! During our photo session we were sitting in front of the water fountains by the EPMA and as the crowd was leaving the event AL FRESCO FRIDAYS! Event, they began to shout, “beso, beso,”… and they would not let us go without a bit of public display of affection. We had to do what the public asked so we kissed in the rain. Despite the weather we had an evening to remember for many years to come!
P.S.
Our wedding will be June 14,2014 exactly 4 months from Valentine’s Day! Happy Valentine’s Day from The Happy Couple.