Kim & Tyler | Día de los Muertos Wedding Magic | Vista

Kim and Tyler’s Día de los Muertos wedding at The Vistonian in Vista is the kind of day that makes me remember exactly why I love this job. It had heart. It had heritage. It had a mariachi band, a full-on Dodgers celebration, and a couple who let their story shine through every single detail. Grab a coffee, because this one deserves more than a quick scroll.

A Love Story That Started With a Translation

Kim and Tyler are both elementary school teachers at San Marcos Unified. Tyler teaches fifth grade, and Kim teaches third. Their story started in the most teacher way possible. Tyler needed help translating questions for his students, who wanted to interview their Spanish-speaking relatives. He turned to Kim for help, and the spark was immediate.

They are also proud, unapologetic Disney people. Their first kiss happened at Disneyland, so of course Tyler brought Kim back to that exact spot years later to propose. If you know, you know.

From Client Referral to Fast Friends

I met Kim and Tyler through Tara of Lu & Faye Events, my own wedding planner and now one of my favorite collaborators. Her daughter goes to their school and had Kim as a teacher. After chatting with them about their vision, Tara had a feeling we would click. She was right. We bonded instantly over a shared love of Mexican food, and somehow ended up in a passionate debate about whether The Muppet Christmas Carol is the best Dickens adaptation of all time. Spoiler: we agreed. From that moment on, I knew this wedding was going to be special.

Setting the Scene for a Día de los Muertos Wedding

On November 1st, the couple gathered close family and friends at The Vistonian, a blank canvas venue in the heart of Vista. They wanted their day to feel intimate, personal, and rooted in Kim’s culture. “We chose the venue because of the connection we had to the place,” they told me. “My sister and brother-in-law got married there, we love the Booze Bros brand, and it was in the town that we live in.” The open layout and lush greenery sealed the deal. “Our favorite two features were the greenery and the amount of space we had.”

Marigolds, Mariachi, and Meant-to-Be Details

Every piece of the decor told a story. Kim wanted the day to honor her heritage and celebrate the loved ones she has lost. “We wanted to highlight Kim’s culture, and because it landed on Día de los Muertos, we wanted to honor our friends and family we’ve lost,” the couple shared. Marigolds took center stage throughout the space, a tradition rooted in guiding spirits home. “Kim wanted a lot of color to represent the vibrance of Mexico,” they added, and the result was nothing short of stunning.

Tyler brought his own personality into the mix, too. His tie featured a Lord of the Rings-inspired sword clip, a fun nod to his interests. On his cuffs, he wore a pair of Dodgers sugar skull cufflinks, a gift from me. I knew they were huge Dodgers fans, and when I found these cufflinks that fit their wedding theme too, I couldn’t resist gifting them as a small way to celebrate their love story and their team. It turned out to be more perfect than any of us could have predicted.

The ceremony itself was officiated by a close family friend, someone who truly understood what this couple meant to each other. The vows were raw, heartfelt, and full of inside jokes only these two would fully get. There was not a dry eye in the room.

When the Dodgers Crashed the Reception

Here is where the story gets even better. Midway through their reception, the Dodgers won the World Series. The entire dance floor erupted. Guests were hugging, cheering, and jumping around in their formalwear, all in celebration of a night that already felt magical. It was the kind of unplanned, joyful chaos you cannot script, and it fit this couple perfectly.

A Día de los Muertos Wedding Worth Celebrating

Kim and Tyler, thank you for trusting me and my team with a day this meaningful. Watching your Día de los Muertos wedding come together, from the marigolds to the mariachi to that unforgettable Dodgers win, was an honor. Congratulations to two of the sweetest people I know.

The Wedding Vendors and Creative Partners Behind the Day