WEDDING
A Drop of Good Luck
Danny & Brittney (Castleberry) Marquez September 6, 2014 by Brooke Karli | photo by Kathryn Colby Photography
Brittney walked down the aisle with her mom, Kimberley Miller, and during the ceremony, Danny’s cousin, Michael Marquez, read “Love” by Roy Croft. Standing next to the bride were Maid of Honor Danielle Urrutia; bridesmaids Sabrina Johnson, April Quintana, Kellen Chamberlin, Christine Warren, Gail Cigliano, and Malisa Marquez; and Junior Bridesmaid Skylar Marquez. Next to the groom were Best Man Mark Karmelich; and groomsmen Danny Luera, Chris Nader, Marc Vuoso, Anthony Cigliano, Eddie Sullivan, Jeff Fiamengo, and Nick Guglielmo. A funny thing happened prior to the ceremony. While Danny was waiting for Brittney to come out and take the “first look” photos, a bird flew overhead and pooped on him just as Brittney was turning the corner for the photos! While the occurrence could have ruined the day, both Danny and Brittney were able to laugh it off and Danny was able to get cleaned up in time for the ceremony. In fact, one of the photographers said that getting pooped on by a bird on your wedding day is a sign of good luck! The reception followed at The Double Tree Hotel in San Pedro, and was very traditional in all aspects. Danny and Brittney shared their first dance to Brad Paisley’s “First Dance,” while Brittney and her mom danced to Carrie Underwood’s “Mama’s Song” and Danny and his mom Cindy danced to The Shirelles’ “Mama Said.” “We just wanted to have fun,” says Brittney. “We wanted our guests to remember how fun and happy the day was.” The Tuesday after their wedding, the newlyweds traveled to Cancun, Mexico for a 10-day honeymoon. Currently, Danny is a mechanic for PCMC at the docks, and Brittney is an assistant cheer coach at Mary Star of the Sea High School and will be a substitute teacher for Palos Verdes Unified School District this upcoming school year. They just purchased their first home in San Pedro and are hoping to start a family sometime within the next year. spt
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From the moment Danny and Brittney (Castleberry) Marquez met, they knew they had found something special. It was 2007, Brittney was working as a scorekeeper at the Bogdanovich Recreation Center, and Danny was in one of the adult leagues she kept score for. When their two groups of friends began to hang out together, Danny and Brittney found that the timing wasn’t right as they were both in relationships with other people. “It was just a matter of being at the wrong place at the wrong time,” recalls Danny. “But I just knew from the get go that Brittney was someone special.” It wasn’t until about a year later when the two became single again and began dating one another. And for the two years following, they dated on and off until the couple became “official” in June 2010. Brittney sums up their relationship as “non-stop enjoyment for five years” because Danny has the “best personality in the world” and the relationship “felt right in so many ways.” The two went from boyfriend and girlfriend to engaged on May 19, 2013, at Danny’s birthday barbecue. Prior to the event, Danny had asked Brittney to invite a detailed list of friends and family to come celebrate with him. And because they had plans to go to Disneyland the week after the barbecue – which is where Brittney thought Danny was going to propose – she didn’t think anything of the gathering. The day arrived and while everyone was at the barbecue, Brittney suggested that a group picture be taken. After the photos were taken, Danny began fidgeting with his board shorts and before Brittney knew it, he was down on one knee amongst the three rows of friends and family. Danny was so nervous that all he could say was, “What do you say?” and Brittney was so shocked that all she could say was, “Are you serious?!” After the two got a grip on what was going on, Brittney said yes and the remainder of the birthday barbecue turned into an engagement celebration. More than a year later, on September 6, 2014, Danny and Brittney became husband and wife in front of 300 guests at The Neighborhood Church in Palos Verdes Estates.