The art of romance
THE AMANDA DELIS & ULYSSES MIRELES WEDDING
STORY BY MARILYN GILBAUGH • PHOTOS BY JULIE ADAMS
his being a contemporary
love tale, Amanda DeLis was
a model of many of today’s modern
women: She was 39, divorced and a single
mom with three kids; a girl and two boys.
Isabella was 11, Wilson, 9, and Roman, 7.
A first-grade school teacher, Amanda and her
kids reside in an idyllic Spokane, Wash., neighbor-
hood made up of close-knit neighbors. Involved with both
her kids’ activities (her own three and her first-graders),
she sometimes and somehow managed to carve out a lit-
tle time for herself.
Ulysses Mireles, 28, grew up in San Antonio. Never
T
20 | COASTAL WEDDINGS 2015
married, he is a physical therapist with a passion for art
and for wine. Settling in Spokane four years ago, he cre-
ated a small special event business, Van Gogh and Mer-
They wanted a small,
intimate wedding. Cannon
Beach was their choice.
lot, where people learn to paint while enjoying a glass of
wine. Guess who attended his class?
“Amanda had a glass of wine in one hand, her phone
in the other and a paint brush in her mouth when she
caught my eye,” remembers Ulysses. The rest is history.
They dated for a year and a half. In summer 2014, the
two vacationed in Aruba.
“Arranging a romantic beach dinner, I began to pro-
pose. She cried (she is easily moved to tears). I got so
nervous I made myself sick and had to leave the table.
When I returned the waiters were clearing it. The follow-
ing day I was determined. We went for a walk on the
beach. I told myself ‘by the time we get to the first buoy,
I will propose!’ About five buoys later, I got down on one
knee and asked her to marry me. She cried and said ‘Yes.’
“We returned to Spokane. Amanda’s kids were to be
the first to share our news. Off we all went to Spokane’s