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38  A l a s k a B r i d e & G r o o m  2024Bride’s name: Jennifer Leoncio Groom’s name: Benjamin Cilot How they met: “Both of our families have been really close friends since 1989 − we were friends for decades. We married other people in 1992. Ben got divorced in 2006 and Jenn in 2009. In 2012, we unexpectedly reunited. Our friendship grew and we fell in love.”Number of guests: 170 Wedding colors: Dusty rose and quartzUnique and special aspects of their day: “We added a touch of Filipino tradition, called the money dance. The bride and groom light up the dance floor with family and friends through the money dance. Male guests line up in front of the bride to pin money on her dress while the women pin money on the groom. The pinning can get creative with bills pinned together as garlands, made into crowns, or streaming down their clothing. This money dance, also known as the prosperity dance, serves to usher in financial abundance in a couple’s marriage. For wedding guests, it’s a fun moment full of candid merriment and wellwishing.”Most memorable moment...For her: “I was feeling so much joy when all our family and close friends were present to witness our wedding ceremony.”For him: “Most memorable moment was executing our first dance perfectly.” Funniest moment: “The funniest thing to us was when we finished our first dance without any error. We laughed because in every rehearsal practice we were messing up and we said to ourselves we will just wing it on our wedding day.”Three words that best describe their day: “Blissful, intimate, romantic.”If they had the chance to do it again, what they would do differently: “We loved everything about it. Our wedding day went so fast – we wish we could do it all over again.”Best advice for a couple planning their wedding: “Budget properly, make your wedding your own and pick your priorities. In the midst of very busy planning, don’t forget to have time for each other. Delegate all tasks on the day of the wedding. On your special day, stay calm, relax and enjoy every moment.”