De la Cruz became engaged to Aníbal Pinto after he returned from a long trip in Europe, and they married on 24 November 1855 in Concepción. The marriage had political undertones; Pinto's father, Francisco Antonio Pinto, former President of Chile, felt that the marriage would help to heal the relationship between the cities of Concepción and Santiago. Animosity had arisen between the cities as a result of the 1851 Chilean Revolution, during which uprisings had taken place in Concepción against the central government based in Santiago. The marriage would create a familial link between de la Cruz's father, José Maria de la Cruz and Pinto's brother-in-law, Manuel Bulnes, who had fought against each other in the Battle of Loncomilla.