Her boyfriend hadn't proposed yet. Her 250 guests already knew about the wedding. The culprit: a routine test of the AI-powered texting system she built herself.
Alexi Cortez, 30, had used an AI coding assistant to build a personalised messaging platform to simplify wedding planning. But a software glitch turned her private experiment into a public announcement, sending an image of the couple's save-the-date to all 250 guests.
The Texas-based bride-to-be panicked as congratulations flooded in, fearing she had ruined the romantic proposal her boyfriend, Luke Little, had planned for their trip to Italy.
'Next thing we know, both our phones started blowing up, and my face goes white,' Cortez told PEOPLE exclusively.
'Turns out, a bug in my software had sent my test text to the entire guest list with nothing but an image of our save-the-date and absolutely no context.'
'I completely panicked, threw my phone across the room, and was shaking so badly I barely remember the next 20 minutes.'
She Built an AI System To Simplify Wedding Planning
Cortez, a client solutions manager, had already discussed the proposal with Luke, a 33-year-old transportation engineer, who planned to pop the question during their August trip to Italy.
The couple had already started preparing for their spring 2027 wedding in Mexico, hiring a planner, DJ and photographer, securing a hotel block and designing their invitations and website.
To make guest communication easier, Cortez used an AI coding assistant to create a system that could send personalised messages from a dedicated number.
It automatically included guests' names, nicknames, accompanying guests and preferred languages, including English and Spanish.
But while testing a new follow-up feature, Cortez thought she was sending a message to herself and Luke. Instead, a software bug sent the save-the-date image to all 250 guests.
'I Spiralled Into the Biggest Panic of My Adult Life'
The first congratulations came from her cousins before notifications flooded in from other guests.
Cortez feared she had spoiled Luke's planned proposal and even considered whether he should simply pop the question in their apartment.
Luke, however, remained calm and suggested they call their parents.
'Luke stayed incredibly calm, even as I spiralled into the biggest panic of my adult life, and kept insisting we needed to "call the adults," so we each called our parents,' she recalled.
Her parents were far less concerned, seeing the announcement as a convenient opportunity for guests to start booking hotels. Friends also found the situation hilarious.
Romantic Proposal Goes Ahead in Italy
Two weeks after the blunder, Luke officially proposed during a romantic dinner at a flower-covered private boat dock at sunset on Lake Como.
He had originally planned to propose during a hike in the Dolomites but quietly changed his plans to preserve the surprise.
'He gave me the sweetest speech, and we were both crying until he opened the ring box upside down, which immediately sent us into a fit of laughter,' Cortez recalled.
Cortez has since added safety measures to prevent another software mishap and moved towards different planning software for wedding updates and invitations.
The incident highlights how a seemingly harmless test of an automated messaging system can have very public consequences when real recipients are accidentally included.
But the funniest reaction came from Luke's aunt.
'My favourite reaction was Luke's aunt, who, after I explained the text had gone out by accident, assured me, "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me,"' Cortez revealed.
'Which was very sweet, considering she had no idea the rest of our 250 guests had gotten the same text.'
