A marriage proposal at a Laguna Beach park drew over ten million views after a woman was recorded telling the couple to “go back to Mexico.” A bridal shop has now stepped in, as Saint Clark Bridal Suite in Monrovia has offered bride-to-be Hayley Lugo a free wedding dress, according to CBS.
The proposal took place at Crescent Bay Point Park, where Lugo’s fiancé, Emmanuel Banuelos, had arranged flowers and a mariachi band. Her sister, Trinity Lugo, was hiding off to the side to film the moment when a woman approached and told her to take the display down. Trinity recorded the exchange on her Meta glasses and later posted it online.
In the footage, the woman says the park is for people who live nearby and that she has called the police. As the mariachi band began a love song, she started cursing and yelled “this isn’t Mexico” and “go back to Mexico.” She walked off just as Banuelos was about to ask the question, and she has not responded to the outlet’s repeated requests for comment.
A bridal shop owner wanted her to know the world is not full of hate
Lisa Clark, who owns the Monrovia shop, said she decided to offer the wedding dress after seeing what happened. “We live in a world where people can be pretty hateful, so I wanted to make sure that she understood that the world is not full of hate, and there is still kindness,” Lisa Clark said. The owner added that she hopes the gesture shows love always wins.
The bride-to-be said the offer left her grateful. “I feel very blessed to be receiving the gown, and there are still a lot of kind people out there willing to help us despite what happened,” Hayley Lugo said. She added that she is ready to begin the journey with her fiancé, as everything is now coming together.
Trinity said the family confronted the woman after the proposal, and that the stranger began to leave once she was told the comments were on video. The group stayed at the park for about 40 minutes and officers never arrived, though the woman had claimed she had already called the police. The videographer described it as her first experience of that kind of racial aggression.
Laguna Beach officials have distanced the city from the outburst. A spokesperson said of the woman’s conduct that “it does not reflect our community’s values” and that the city’s parks and beaches are open to everyone. However, the same statement noted that pre-planned setups and professional photography come with specific rules and permit requirements.
Banuelos reportedly spent two months planning the proposal and chose the oceanfront lookout himself. He has said he booked the mariachi band because his fiancée loves the music. The couple has also said the comments did not overshadow the engagement, as Trinity still managed to capture the proposal and the celebration that followed.
On X, reactions to the proposal video leaned heavily toward the couple. One user wrote that the woman’s reaction “was far more disruptive than the music,” while another joked that it was mariachi, “not a declaration of war.” However, the complaint heard in the clip was about how often the park hosts events, as the woman said it happens every weekend.
Trinity has said she would hope for an apology from the woman in the video. “We need to spread love and not hate,” Trinity Lugo said. The free wedding dress now gives the family a different ending to a proposal that Hayley had reportedly dreamed of for years.
Hayley Lugo is now expected to choose her wedding dress at the Monrovia shop, while the woman in the proposal video has still not responded to requests for comment.
Published: Oct 10, 2026 08:00 am