WEDDING
Love Thy Neighbor
Brian & Maria (Odvitovic) Tunnicliff September 26, 2015 by Brooke Karli | photo by John Mattera Photography
challenging, that it was more of a walk,” said Maria. “Little did I know what was about to happen.” Brian had went to Bluff Cove the week prior to their hike to scope out the location, and on the day of their hike, when they reached the spot Brian had chose, there were a group of surfers changing. So as Brian was trying to stall and wait for the surfers to leave for some privacy, Maria began to wonder what was happening. Next thing she knew, Brian was down on one knee proposing. Maria, of course, had tons of photos from that day’s hike and was happy to have had her phone with her. Well played, Brian! On September 26, 2015, Brian and Maria became husband and wife in front of 260 guests at Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church. The ceremony was a traditional Catholic ceremony, with special readings shared by friends Natalia Svircic and Leonard Viducic. Mass was performed by Father Mate Bizaca, who also baptized Maria as a child. A Croatian choir also performed throughout the ceremony. Standing next to Brian and Maria were Best Man Andy Reeves; groomsmen Robbie Carroll, Patrick Mobers, Brandon Walker, Trevor Youngren, and Mike Englert; Ring Bearer Luke Koeppen; Maid of Honor Ana Odvitovic; bridesmaids Nicole Lucin, Lauren Koeppen, Ana Jelenic, Nicole Pitesa, Marie Gojanovic, Amanda Brownell, Kristen Viducic, April Walker, Wendy Englert, and Andreana
Coppa; and flower girls Ruby Tuckey, Amelia Walker, and Zoe Carlson. The reception followed at the San Pedro DoubleTree Hotel and featured a cocktail hour complete with a live Croatian folk band. Brian and Maria shared their first dance to Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” while Maria and her father Ante danced to Ivana Kovac’s “Dalmacijo, Srce Oca Moga” (Dalmatia, the Heart of My Father) and Brian and his mother Anita danced to The Beatles’ “In My Life.” Being from a Croatian-Filipino family, it was no surprise that there were hundreds of Croatian cookies at the reception for guests to enjoy. The cake topper also took the spotlight, as it was made of bobble-head versions of Brian and Maria, with Brian’s wearing a Dodgers jersey over his tuxedo, and Maria’s wearing a Los Angeles Kings jersey over her wedding dress. Because the couple got married during the Caribbean’s hurricane season, they decided to go on their honeymoon last month, where they traveled to the Bahamas for a week. Currently, Brian is a manufacturing engineer for a company that makes plastics in Huntington Beach, and Maria is a front office coordinator for a pediatric dental office in Palos Verdes. They are hoping to start a family within the next year. spt
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Brian Tunnicliff married the girl next door – literally. He and Maria “CroFlip” (Odvitovic) met in 2009, when Maria moved into the same apartment complex as Brian across from Cal State Long Beach, where they were both students at the time. Brian lived in Apartment #6, and Maria in #10, and they rarely crossed paths. However, one of Maria’s friends – who was also a friend of Brian’s – had mentioned to her that the two had lived in the same complex. But it wasn’t until a year later that Brian and Maria exchanged phone numbers. “Brian and his roommates showed up – uninvited – to a party I was throwing,” Maria recalled. “And it was at that party that we exchanged numbers. A few months later, Brian texted me inviting me to a Super Bowl party. After the Super Bowl party, we began to date and made our relationship official in May 2010.” In October 2012, Brian moved out of his apartment and into a home he purchased in Long Beach. In February 2014, Maria moved out of her apartment and moved in with Brian, where they still currently reside. Later that year, in November 2014, Brian and Maria went on a hike in Bluff Cove. The couple hiked regularly at the time and, as usual, Maria wanted to leave her cell phone in the car. Brian, however, had asked her to bring it along because he didn’t have his watch with him. “I remember telling Brian that the hike wasn’t very