Edgar Giovanny Angel and Dianna Guadalupe Mateos can’t quite remember if they danced to a merengue or a cumbia song when, as 15-year-olds, they were paired as dance partners for a quinceañera in 2012. They do, however, remember hitting it off during rehearsals.
“Edgar’s cousin was my best friend during high school,” said Ms. Mateos, now 27. “She was matchmaking us, and when it came to her quince, she was like, ‘Who should I pair up Dianna with?’ And she was like, ‘It has to be Edgar.’”
Mr. Angel, 27, had barely met his cousin some months before being asked to take part in her quinceañera. Nonetheless, he agreed.
“At first, I didn’t want to be there because I wanted to play soccer with my friends,” Mr. Angel said. But after meeting Ms. Mateos, “I was telling my mom that I wanted to go to all the dance practices.”
The two continued to see each other after the celebration; both were freshmen at Bell High School in Southeast Los Angeles. Six months after the quinceañera, Mr. Angel asked Ms. Mateos to be his girlfriend. Early dates revolved around dinner trips to Taco Bell, a stroll through the mall and car drives throughout the city.
After high school, they continued their relationship as they both attended California State University, Los Angeles (which they had planned). In 2020, Ms. Mateos graduated with a bachelor’s degree in social work and child development; Mr. Angel with a bachelor’s degree in business marketing.
