COUNTING THEIR BLESSINGS ANGELA TOCQUIGNY & SETH DAVIS FEBRUARY 21, 2004 CORONADO, CA Photographed by Lauren Hillary rollover images to enlarge

A wedding is always a celebration, but for observant religious couples it is also a profound and important event in their lives. Angela Tocquigny and Seth Davis viewed their wedding as an opportunity to share with friends and family their devout belief that their love is a blessing from God.

The couple met while attending Texas A&M University. They were friendly neighbors until Easter weekend of 1998. The campus had emptied for the holiday, and a bored Seth complained to a friend about the dearth of folks to hang out with. His friend reminded him that Angela had not gone home for the holiday, and Seth asked her out that Friday night. Angela recalls it was a "very Good Friday." Five years later, Seth proposed during a sunset sailboat ride in the San Diego Bay.

With Angela in Texas and Seth in California, much of the wedding planning was done "remotely," and Angela relied heavily on her wedding coordinator's guidance. The most crucial decision was where to hold the ceremony, the foremost component of their day. Once they saw the Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church, an historic landmark built in the 1880s on the island of Coronado off of San Diego bay, they knew they'd found the right place. Angela responded immediately to the intimacy and warmth of the house of worship. Her instincts proved uncanny; the same architects that designed Graham Memorial also designed the famed Hotel Del Coronado, where Angela and Seth had decided to hold their reception, tying their two locations together perfectly.

The Hotel Del Coronado is a designated National Historic Landmark and is rated the number one wedding destination by the Travel Channel. It has been frequented by royalty, celebrities, and heads of state, and deserves its reputation as a most unique resort. The staff proved to be exceedingly accommodating. Angela and Seth had booked one of the smaller ballrooms for their reception, but six weeks before the wedding they were informed that the Grand Ballroom had become unexpectedly available, and the Del would be happy to upgrade the party to the ultimate Coronado event locale. The couple gladly accepted.

Angela and Seth held a morning ceremony, officiated by her youth pastor from Texas, who brought back memories of Angela's childhood and reaffirmed her belief that God had meant for her and Seth to be together. A traditional Christian communion was included in the ceremony because Angela and Seth wanted to share their first act of worship as a married couple in this way. Surrounded by so much evidence of love and faith, it's no surprise Angela cried during the ceremony, but when Seth took out his handkerchief to wipe away her tears, a few guests wept as well.

After the ceremony it was on to the spectacular Del. Enamored of warm, autumn colors, Angela defied convention by choosing "fall in February" for the design scheme, reflecting the rich tones of the Del's interior. Mangocolored calla lilies, ambiance and red roses, and red coffee berries worked perfectly with the chocolate brown bridesmaids' dresses. Angela carried a bouquet of solid mango calla lilies, to which she affixed her "something old": a gold lapel pin that, as family legend goes, her greatgreat- grandmother had worn on her own wedding day. High and low centerpieces were integrated to offset the tall ceilings of the Grand Ballroom. A seated luncheon of roasted chicken, petit filet mignon, and baby lamb chops was served, followed by a Swiss Black Forest chocolate wedding cake and a carrot groom's cake. A highlight of the reception was the traditional Father-Daughter dance, performed by Angela's father on crutches due to a knee injury he'd suffered while skiing. Then the newlyweds were off to honeymoon in Fiji, which they describe as "truly paradise."

Angela's advice to other engaged couples is to enjoy their engagement, to revel in the feelings of hopefulness and excitement, for this period goes by quickly and then the wedding day is there! It's advice she and Seth wisely followed while planning their own blessed event.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY LAUREN HILLARY
STORY BY AIMEE MANIS