WEDDING GUIDE MAGICAL MOMENTS David Armendariz and Jesse Gudino honored their fairy-tale romance with an adventure in Spain. By JENNY BLOCK Photos by JOY ZAMORA and MANUEL BORRERO
Jesse Gudino (l) and David Armendariz It was a “meet cute” made for the big screen when David Armendariz and Jesse Gudino met in September of 2015. Jesse was working at Hollywood Video, and David was there shopping. David knew Jesse was the man he wanted to marry as soon as they met. And Jesse recalls that he knew David was “the one” from the moment they eventually had their first kiss. David’s feelings were confirmed as he learned more about Jesse. “He has strong family values, is interested in the beauty industry, and wants to have children. He also likes to make everyone around him happy,” 70
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David explains. David and Jesse are both Houston natives who now live in the First Ward. “We both are first-generation Americans and have had a business together for eight years now,” says Jesse, who co-owns Houston’s Studio A Salon with David. Hard to argue about a love that works at home and in the office. Although the couple was ready to wed in 2020, they were forced to postpone their wedding three times because of the pandemic. Then they decided to forgo a traditional wedding altogether. “We decided to take advantage of the small window of travel last summer and elope in Spain—one of our favorite countries,” Jesse explains. Jesse, 28, went to San Jacinto College for
his cosmetology training, and also studied art at the Glassell School of Art. David, 41, who went to the University of Houston Moores School of Music to study music and dance, is the founder and co-owner of Studio A Salon. Of course, such a fairy-tale meeting needed to be followed by an equally romantic proposal. That happened on July 28, 2020, when David proposed to Jesse on a hike in Zion National Park. David got down on one knee on a tall rock, pretending it was a photo-op, and told Jesse he was ready to spend the rest of his life with him. Jesse was completely taken aback, and tears filled his eyes immediately. Interestingly, that magical moment was just the first of three national-park visits for the couple. “Our engagement, engagement
