“I’m really thankful because I wouldn’t have met the person that I’m going to spend the rest of my life with if I didn’t work at McDonald’s,” the groom said.
A California couple is paying tribute to the place they first met — McDonald’s — at their wedding.
Abigail Armienta, 26, and Joseph Gomez, 26, were working at the fast food chain at the Westfield Galleria at Roseville, Calif. in 2016 when their coworkers decided to secretly set them up under the guise of a team bonding exercise outside of work, they told local news station KXTV.
“I knew before I showed up to the movie theater,” Gomez told the outlet. “I texted one of our coworkers, and I was like, ‘Hey, when are you going over there?’ He was like, ‘No, it’s just you two… we set you guys up.’”
Once Gomez found out, he said he decided to pay for her movie ticket, and just as their coworkers predicted, the pair hit it off. Six years later, on Nov. 25, 2023, Gomez asked Armienta to be his bride.
Since meeting at McDonald’s, they’ve taken different career paths with Armienta now working in education and Gomez in construction management, per KXTV. The McDonald’s location where they both worked also closed down, a McDonald’s representative told the outlet.
However the memories, and more importantly the people that the couple met there, are still with them. Crystal Almeida, the pair’s former McDonald’s general manager and a current area supervisor for the fast food company was a guest at their wedding
“They shared the same values and had similar upbringings, and I felt they were truly made for each other,” Almeida told KXTV. “When they started dating, I joked that I better be invited to the wedding, and now I’m delighted to say I am. I couldn’t be happier for them. It’s a true McLove story.”
Gomez and Armienta said many of their former McDonald’s coworkers were also invited to the bridal shower and ceremony — which included fun nods to McDonald’s. During the wedding reception they’ll have welcome sign with McDonald’s iconic golden arches was filled with photos of the couple.
They also plan to serve their guests some McDonald’s classic menu items including cheeseburgers and apple pies during the celebration.
Jordan Ruiz, who had owned and operated the McDonald’s where the couple first met and other locations noted that the workers at their location had formed a special bond.
“That’s why Abby and Joseph’s wedding feels like one of our own family members is getting married,” Ruiz told KXTV. “It’s a big deal for our community and this occasion is so meaningful. We could not be more happy for them and we are so excited to celebrate their special day.”
Gomez and Armienta — who worked at McDonald’s to pay off their school textbooks, which eventually helped them obtain scholarships — told the outlet that they were indebted to the company for not only helping them gain new opportunities, but also find love.
“I’m really thankful because I wouldn’t have met the person that [I’m] going to spend the rest of my life with if I didn’t work at McDonald’s,” Gomez said.