Minette Wilson, a public health advisor, and Jorge Galindo, a human resource manager, met while in college. Jorge was the president of the Latin American Association, while Minette was president of the Black Students Union. When the school began plans for the annual Diversity Ball, they had a formal planning meeting which both Jorge and Minette attended.
But it wasn’t until a few weeks later that Minette passed the computer lab and heard hip-hop music emanating from the room. She peeked in and saw Jorge, then thought, “What does he know about this music?” but decided to chat with him anyway. They tentatively agreed to make plans sometime in the future.
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However, when Jorge stopped by Minette’s dorm room a few weeks later to ask if she wanted to go to Taco Bell, she politely declined. Shortly thereafter an earthquake struck in Haiti. Knowing that Minette was “a huge softie” Jorge asked Minette if she would be interested in watching the benefit concert on CNN with him. Somehow the couple ended up on the floor, ‘play fighting’ and that’s when they both knew they were interested in one another.
Jorge courted Minette for six months before he worked up an elaborate plot to ask her to be his girlfriend. Minette was headed to Jamaica for a family trip, and Jorge asked if he could take her out before she left. The date started like any typical date: they went to the movies and then out to dinner. But after dinner, Jorge pointedly asked Minette if she trusted him. When she said yes, they got in the car and he blindfolded her, telling her he had a surprise. During the car ride he kept repeatedly asking her if she trusted him. Each time he asked, she got more and more nervous.
They stopped by Jorge’s house to pick up a mysterious box—Minette couldn’t help but peek. At one point, Minette heard him roll down the window and chat with someone in Spanish. Then the window rolled back up and the man tapped on the car door three times. When they began to drive again they were on a gravel road.
By the time Minette finally got out of the car, she had no idea what was going on. She felt a strong gust of wind and the blindfold came off. Jorge had brought Minette to a gazebo at a country club overlooking the Delaware Water Gap. He got down on one knee, placed a wooden bracelet which he had gotten in Nicaragua on her wrist, and asked her to be his girlfriend. When she said yes, he brought the mystery box out of the car: it held Jamaican rum and wine glasses for them to celebrate in the gazebo. The mysterious voice she’d heard that had tapped on the car three times had been one of Jorge’s friends sneaking them into the country club.
Fast-forward five years, and Jorge and Minette were planning their first trip to Mexico so that Minette could meet Jorge’s father and they could celebrate his 50th birthday. They travelled to Guanajuato, Mexico and made plans to visit a popular tourist sight, a giant statue overlooking the city.
After Minette, Jorge, and his father took a trolley up to the top of the mountain, they climbed a set of steep steps to get to the actual monument. As soon as they got to the top, Jorge planned to propose.
Unfortunately, Jorge’s father began the lengthy task of telling Minette the history of the city. Jorge went to interrupt and Minette turned around and said “one Galindo at a time.” She kept her focus on the story. In an effort to catch her attention, Jorge pointed out that her shoe was untied. Without breaking eye contact, she gave her foot to Jorge and mumbled “well tie it please.” Getting desperate Jorge, already on one knee, began tugging her arm. Finally Minette turned around and realized what was happening. She was getting engaged!
For their playful engagement shoot, Jorge and Minette wanted something vibrant and fun that would reflect their personality as a couple. They decided to start at Oyamel and visit a few of their favorite spots around the city, including Union Station and the Capitol building. In some of their photos they also sported flags from their home countries, Jamaica and Mexico, a prelude to their wedding theme, for which they are planning to have a “A Jamexican Fiesta”-theme.
Photographer: Terri Baskin of Terri Baskin Photography
Hayley is an Associate Editor at Washingtonian Weddings. Previously she was the the Style Editor at The Local Palate, a Southern food culture magazine based out of Charleston, South Carolina. You can follow her on instagram @wandertaste.
