My name is Kristina Avila-Garcia, and I live in Whittier, California. I work as a communication aid for a visually impaired social worker.
My husband Vincent is such a special person. I was diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa in 2006, soon after we became a couple. Sometimes I felt like the disease was so strong that it would never break its hold on me. Vincent was stronger. He promised me we would get married when I was able to eat my own wedding cake. I was determined to recover and we became engaged during Christmas of 2009.
I had never dreamed of my wedding as a little girl, but rather instead I dreamed of graduating from a university. Without a vision, the Wedding planning was so overwhelming. Vincent and I had visited Paris over the summer and almost eloped! Paris is truly the most romantic city in the world, and even though we were only there for two short days, the city captured our hearts forever. Incorporating Paris into our wedding seemed like a perfect fit. Vincent and I had a vision of couture fashion, pastel colors, and indulgent desserts. Unfortunately, our budget did not match our vision of decadence and romance. We were forced to cut our guest list in half, and were even considering having our reception in our back yard!
Watching My Fair Wedding always cheered me up and gave me an escape of the stressful wedding planning to just relax and dream big for an hour. I was drawn to David and the way he treats every bride like a queen. When I applied for the show, I did it without telling anyone except for Vincent, because I never expected to be selected. I knew that I could not get my hopes up, so I focused on planning the best wedding I was capable of. I was working at an elementary school when I got the good news and I remember jumping up and down, smiling, while the kids looked at me like I was crazy. My dream had become a reality!
Filming the show was a surreal experience. The crew was warm and welcoming, and David, well, he has become a friend for life. As soon as I met David, I knew that I was in good hands. I showed him my mess of ideas and he managed to take “Monet” from it! I know that David has special activities planned for all of his brides, but the things he did with me felt so personal. David and I spent such quality time together between decorating flowers and cooking crepes! One of the things I am most grateful for is David incorporating both my parents into the process of selecting my new dress. I firmly believe that since they both raised me then they both deserve to be a part of the process.
On the day of my wedding, I felt a sense of calm come over me. I felt at peace with everything that David decided. Most importantly I knew that Vincent was waiting for me, and we were about to start a new chapter in our lives together. David really outdid himself. He took my dress and made it couture. He took my Eiffel Tower and made it my cake. Additionally, he took my pastel palette and brought it to life in a field of flowers! My family and friends will be talking about this wedding for years to come. I will never be able to repay David for what he did for us. The memories he gave us are priceless. There was a point in my life where I felt that I was unworthy of love; but now I have more love in my life than I know what to do with!
