Over the past 14 years, Richmond Bride has captured the “I do’s” of local couples in our Scrapbook section. We revisited some past couples to see where they are now, how life has changed or not, and to find out what advice they have to offer to newlyweds.
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Photo by Jay Paul
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Photo by Sam Perry
Amanda Tolson and Victor Valenzuela are adept at staying calm under pressure. The high school sweethearts weren’t fazed when a storm caused a 30-minute delay at their 2010 wedding at Hope Hill Farm in Madison County — they were grateful that the unexpected weather cooled down the hot June evening. Amanda donned a gold dress from the former Bella Rosa boutique, while Victor wore a tan suit and orange tie. Afterwards, the couple enjoyed two weeks of backpacking in Italy for their honeymoon.
Top Advice for Newlyweds: “Get out of your comfort zone and experience something new together. You will learn a lot about each other and how to problem-solve.”
How have your lives changed since getting married?
Amanda: A lot has changed [laughs]. After the wedding, we bought a house in the Fan and lived there for two years before deciding to quit our jobs, rent out our house and move to Argentina. … After a year and a half, we came home to Richmond briefly before leaving to travel around Southeast Asia for seven months. We came home permanently after that, moved back into our house, and were fortunate to get our old jobs back. Two years ago, we had a daughter, Lumen, and moved into a larger house in the North Side.
What has kept you close for the past nine years?
A: I think all of our traveling has definitely solidified our relationship. We love the thrill of going on adventures and not doing a lot of pre-planning. It involves constant problem-solving and takes a lot of teamwork. I think that really prepared us for a long-haul marriage and for eventually becoming parents.
How do you deal with challenges in your relationship?
Victor: We know each other well and we know how the other person works, so we never really get heated. If there’s a disagreement, we typically take a step away to collect our thoughts and choose our words carefully, and then we come back and talk it out. Amanda is a teacher, so she’s better than I am at thinking before she speaks [laughs].
What are you looking forward to in your future years of marriage?
V: We are always dreaming of more adventures and how we can show the world to Lumen. During our travels, we saw lots of couples traveling with children. Though it seems difficult, there is a method to the madness and a reason behind their choice. We want our daughter to learn through experiences and become a well-rounded person that sees diversity and beauty in the world. We’re excited to offer that opportunity to her.
