Genesis Castillo-Erik Mendez

Genesis Castillo and Erik Mendez exchanged vows of holy matrimony on January 28, 2023, at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe in downtown Dallas. Father Jesús Belmontes officiated the ceremony.

The bride is the daughter of Margarito and Nancy Castillo of Dallas and the granddaughter of Roberto and Maria-Bernabe Castillo of Dallas and Maria Elena Cervantes of Monterrey, Mexico.

The groom is the son of Joe and Maricruz Mendez of Rowlett and the grandson of Rafael and Socorro Martinez of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and Alicia Guadalupe Gonzalez de Mendez and Andres Victoriano Mendez of Dallas.

Family and friends traveled from Mexico, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Georgia, Colorado, and across Texas, and the cathedral was packed with over 150 guests to witness their nuptials.

After morning festivities and girl time, Genesis and her bridesmaids dressed in the Sheraton Dallas Hotel’s presidential suite. The bride shared a first look with her dad before the ceremony in front of a Cinderella carriage, which then conveyed her and her parents through the streets to the cathedral.

The bride and groom honored their Mexican heritage throughout their wedding. “Padrinos” or patrons were included to present rings: Pedro and Guillermina Trevino; Lazo: Rey and Lourdes Davila; Velacion: Carlos Garcia and Irene Rico; Arras: Yolanda Castillo and Salvador Reyes; and Ramo: Rury and Elizabeth Castillo; Cojines: Jose Luis and Imelda Marquez. Uncles and aunts, Beto and Maythe Ortiz and Pedro and Elvia Valadez, made up the choir, which made it extra special. The bride was escorted down the aisle to an instrumental version of “Un viaje Largo” by Marcela Gandera. The groom’s aunt, Elvia, sang the song as the couple partook in communion.

Genesis chose a beautiful gown from Rosa Clara of Barcelona, Spain, a three-layer wedding skirt designed by Lupana Vilchez, a bridal specialist in San Pedro Monterrey, Mexico, and a cathedral-length veil. Her gown was embroidered from top to bottom, customary for a wedding gown in Mexico. Sparkly shoes by Badgle added a glamorous note to her attire.

Chantal and Cristal Castillo served the bride as maids of honor, and bridesmaids were Alexia Kalldin, Mitzy Flores, Chinmayee Venkatraman, Jonella Herrera, Emily Satinksy, Emily Villarreal, and Jessica Davila. Her attendants wore tawny orange (the groom’s favorite color) dresses in an off-the-shoulder design. In addition, three flower girls, Camila Mendez and sisters Joselyn and Kimberly Gonzalez, were dressed in beautiful princess dresses with terracotta accents.

Erik wore a navy-blue tuxedo with a bowtie (the bride is a sucker for them); her dad also wore a bow tie and so did the page boys. Christian Mendez served the groom as best man. Groomsmen included Nathan Kalldin, Pedro Trevino, Rafael Trevino, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Joel Davila, Ivan Marquez, Trevelan Belknap, and Jose Nino. Roman and Fabian Sanchez traveled from Michigan to serve as page boys. The brothers were eager to wear cowboy hats and boots–Texan style! Their grey suits matched the groomsmen.

The groom’s mother created the wedding bouquets, boutonnières, and pew decor from all-natural flowers using pampas grass and greenery with burnt orange, white, terracotta, and violet accents.

Over 250 guests awaited the newlyweds for the wedding reception at The Chaparral Ballroom on the 38th floor of the Sheraton Dallas Hotel. Walls of glass windows provided the perfect backdrop and a fantastic view of the downtown Dallas skyline for the evening.

Enrique Baez Venegas kept discs spinning all night, and Norteño Band Kontragolpe performed in person. Guests loved the photo printouts from The Photo Bus DFW. Axel Pixels was the videographer for the festivities, and photographer-Enrique Baez Venegas’ team captured every detail of the milestone day. The wedding came together perfectly with the help and guidance of wedding planner Mastered Moments by Maliah.

The bride is a graduate of The Hockaday School. She received a Bachelor of Science in University Studies from the University of Texas at Arlington, a Master’s degree in Bilingual Education from Southern Methodist University in 2020, and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of North Texas in 2022. Graduating Cum Laude from UTA and SMU, she is a first-generation college graduate and is part of the four percent of Latinas with a Master’s degree. Genesis has been featured on NBC, FOX, and Telemundo several times for her work in the classroom.

The groom is a graduate of Rowlett Highschool. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Art and Technology from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2018. The North Texas Municipal Water District employs him as a Wastewater Operator. Erik has volunteered with Dallas ISD, helping his bride bring technology opportunities to students in Title I schools.

The newlyweds honeymooned in Jamaica and have made their home in beautiful Rowlett, Texas, next to Lake Ray Hubbard Lake. They look forward to kayaking all summer long.