Long Beach Love Stories: CHARLES + VALERIE

Photo by Ja Tecson

“DANCING THROUGH CSULB”

If you love proposals and dancing, do yourself a favor and look up “flash mob proposal at CSULB” on YouTube to watch the video of Charles Collyer proposing to Valerie (his now wife of 10 years). As the 205K viewers on YouTube can clearly see, this was a proposal and a love for the ages! 

Charles met Valerie when she was attending CSULB. She was very involved with the Pilipino-American Coalition at the school and when he proposed to her, he staged an elaborate dance with her CSULB dance club known as PAC-MODERN.

When the two were ready to choose a venue, Valerie and her friends suggested the Japanese Garden. Charles was sold on his first visit. Both loved that it was located on the CSULB campus – a spot that meant so much to their love story and was the meeting ground for all their friends. Working with The Grand’s catering department at the Japanese Garden, they set up a unique array of tapas instead of a traditional dinner so that the guests could flow around the beautiful space and enjoy the garden as they ate dinner.

Charles and Valerie were married on July 7th, 2014. They recently celebrated their 10-year anniversary by taking their twin 4-year-old daughters to the “garden where mom and dad got married,” for a fun and meaningful excursion.

LONG BEACH VENDORS

VENUE: Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden

FOOD, DRINKS + DESSERT: The Grand