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Let Love Sparkle

Vanessa Escobar and Matt Wilhelm

Let Love Sparkle

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When Vanessa Escobar went to a restaurant to celebrate a friend’s birthday, she noticed someone who stood out from the crowd. “He was taller than everyone else,” she recalls, laughing. As luck would have it, this man who had caught her eye knew her girlfriend, and when he came up to the table to say hello, he happened to ask for Vanessa’s name. A few days later, when Vanessa thought she was getting into a limo just to celebrate her friend’s birthday in grander style, she found Matt in the back with a seat reserved for her. She realized she had been set up by her friend.

“He’s very reserved and humble,” she says. “But that evening he said, “By the end of tonight I’m going to make you my girlfriend.” She asked him what he did for a living. He told her he was a rookie with the San Diego Chargers. With that answer, Vanessa thought she had pegged his real vocation—stand-up comedian. Even so, there was chemistry between them.

Though she felt a connection with Matt, Vanessa continued with her plans to move from the Midwest to California to pursue her modeling and television career. About four months later, she drove down the coast to meet him for lunch. What was supposed to be just a casual noon get-together extended into the evening. When Matt proposed two years later at a downtown San Diego restaurant, Vanessa, although “totally shocked,” of course said yes. “When you click with someone,” she says, “everything just falls into place.”

With the help of planner Jennifer Cavanaugh, everything for Vanessa and Matt’s five-day celebration of their wedding fell into place as well. The planning occurred over six months because the couple wanted April 7—the anniversary of their first date—to also be their wedding date. They both love their adopted city, so rather than go back to their hometowns, they chose the Founders Chapel at USD and the Hotel del Coronado for their wedding and reception. That meant family members and friends would be coming in from all over the country. Thinking of her guests and their enjoyment, Vanessa wanted them to experience not only an incredible wedding but also a fabulous visit to San Diego.

They began the festivities on Wednesday night with a quintessential San Diego experience: dinner in Old Town with Mexican food and margaritas. The next night everyone climbed aboard a chartered Hornblower cruise. While guests enjoyed a Southwestern buffet and sangria, the lights of the city twinkled as a joyous backdrop. They also made sure their guests had information about San Diego’s attractions, including SeaWorld, the Zoo and the Padres’ game schedule.

For their rehearsal dinner, Vanessa and Matt hosted more than 100 people at Pehohe’s in Coronado. Jason Taylor created the photo montage of Vanessa and Matt, from childhood to their engagement. “Everyone was crying by the end of it,” Vanessa recalls. “I tried to talk during it and kept breaking down. It was beautiful.”

On Saturday afternoon at four o’clock, guests were seated while LaTorsha Tomlinson sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” As Purcell’s Trumpet Voluntary rang through the chapel, Vanessa walked down the aisle accompanied by her father and step-father. After the ceremony, it was down to Coronado to the Grand Ballroom at the Hotel del Coronado.

As guests made their way to their tables, they were serenaded by Frank Sinatra tribute singer Nick D’Egidio. A feast of crab cappuccino soup with crab cakes on the bottom, herb-stuffed chicken, fillet with shrimp and truffled potatoes followed. After the cutting of the strawberries-and-cream cake, everyone hurried to the windows to enjoy the fabulous fireworks display engineered by Pyro Spectacular. The perfect finish was the special acrobatic performance reminiscent of Cirque du Soleil, a nod to Vanessa and Matt’s love of the circus troupe they watch every time they visit Las Vegas. The next day, the celebration continued with Easter brunch at the Del.

Of her day, Vanessa says it was absolutely everything she had envisioned. “Having people travel out here made me happy,” she says. “Seeing everyone unite and have a great time was just wonderful.”

Coordinator: Jennifer Cavanaugh, Ceremony: Founders Chapel at USD, Officiant: Monsignor D. Dillabough, Reception: Grand Ballroom at Hotel del Coronado, Dress: Brides by Demetrios from Here Comes the Bride, Groom: Hugo Boss from Neiman Marcus, Invitations: India Ink, Florals and Lighting: Kathy Wright & Co., Photography: Aaron Feldman of True Photography, Videographer: Taylor Films, Entertainment: Bollotta Entertainment for Nick D’Egidio, Inversion Entertainment for acrobatic performers, Photo Booth: Party Pals, Fireworks: Pyro Spectacular, Transportation: Elite Limo.