A woman yelled ‘go back to Mexico’ as a mariachi band played at a California couple’s proposal, then a bridal shop owner saw the video

A bride-to-be whose marriage proposal was interrupted by a racist outburst has been offered a free wedding dress after video of the incident went viral. Hayley Lugo is getting the wedding dress from Saint Clark Bridal Suite, a boutique in Monrovia, California, after owner Lisa Clark saw the footage, according to People.

Emmanuel Banuelos planned the proposal at Crescent Bay Point Park in Laguna Beach and arranged for a mariachi band to play. As shown on X, Hayley’s sister, Trinity Lugo, was stationed nearby to record the moment. However, a woman walking her dog approached the setup and claimed the park was strictly for local residents and that events were not allowed on the grass.

Trinity tried to handle the situation calmly, acknowledging the woman’s concerns and promising the group would clear the area soon. Despite this, the woman became increasingly agitated. She was recorded saying, “It’s every single f— weekend, I’m sick and tired of it,” before demanding that the setup be taken down immediately.

The woman saved her worst comments for the moment the mariachi band started playing

The tension spiked when the band began its song. The woman turned back toward the group and shouted, “This isn’t Mexico either, you motherf—ers,” followed by, “Go back to Mexico.” She then reportedly walked away just as Banuelos was about to propose, and the couple went ahead with the moment.

Trinity chose not to escalate the confrontation, as she wanted to keep the focus on the proposal. Since the video spread, she said others have claimed the same woman tried to disrupt other proposals there and threatened to call immigration authorities on visitors.

Hayley was stunned when she eventually saw the footage, claiming the comments attacked a whole community rather than just the couple. “It hurts a lot because it’s not just us there. She’s being mean to the whole Mexican culture, the whole Hispanic culture, like everyone’s felt it,” Hayley said.

She also said anyone could end up in the next viral moment and that nobody should want to be “this lady.” After seeing the video, Clark decided to offer the wedding dress, wanting to answer the negativity with a positive gesture. “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,” Clark said.

For Hayley, the wedding dress has been a bright spot after a difficult experience. “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 said. She added that she is ready to begin this journey with her fiancé.

Banuelos chose the location and the mariachi band specifically because of Hayley’s love for the music. However, the confrontation did not stop the moment, as the couple said the proposal went off mostly as planned and Trinity still captured it on video. Hayley is now expected to pick out her wedding dress at the Monrovia boutique.