When professional drag queen Edwin and event planner Omar proposed to each other, there was only one possible answer.
Like many modern couples, Omar and Edwin met online. Unlike most couples who meet that way, however, they weren’t looking for love – just a hang-out. “I was done dating. Edwin initiated the conversation on the app and we agreed to go out for a few drinks and to share a ride,” says Omar, an event planner with Dandy Details Events. “We had a great night, a lot of things in common. It was so much fun to be around [Edwin].”
After the evening, the pair went back to Edwin’s place where Edwin cooked dinner. “It didn’t take long for us to realize that we made a great time and shared so many goals and values,” says Edwin. “The next thing we knew, we were living together and sharing our dreams.”
Omar admires how organized and methodical Edwin is, and how talented a performer he is as a professional drag queen. “It was amazing to me that someone could be so talented,” says Omar. Edwin loves Omar’s sense of style, his dedication to his work and his dining etiquette. “Everything Omar does is very particular. Everything is a specific way,” says Edwin.
The decision to get married was simple. “We both support each other in pursuing our goals,” they say. “We talked about it and agreed that we wanted to be together forever.” Edwin and Omar both agree that, being gay, there are fewer “rules” for the engagement and wedding protocol, which made it more fun. They each ended up proposing on two separate occasions. Edwin made the same meal he made on the first night the two spent together, and Omar rented a private capsule at the Orlando Eye for a champagne-toast proposal.
They both said yes, both times. (Phew!)
Even though Omar is a professional planner, wedding planning was stressful initially. “We fought about the smallest details, so we ended up hiring a planner,” they say. “She directed us in the right ways and helped us find the right vendors that fit our budget.”
Their wedding day at the Maitland Art Center was extra special for both. Omar remembers, “I woke up super early and spent all morning with my side of the wedding party just chatting, drinking mimosas and practicing my vows.” Omar’s favorite moment of the day was when he saw Edwin waiting for him at the end of the aisle. “I couldn’t stop crying. The way he stared at me; I felt so special and lucky to be marrying the man of my dreams.”
Edwin was nervous, but says the day went by like a flash. “Love was all around us. I loved having both of our families gathered with us to celebrate,” he says.
One of the most special touches was their joining ceremony. Instead of pouring sand, which is traditional, to signify the coming together of two people, they combined glass chips in colors that represented their personalities. They then had the chips blown into a glass sculpture which now occupies a prominent place in their home.
After the wedding, the newly married couple stayed up until 6 a.m. the next morning, recounting their favorite parts of the day. Since tying the knot, they feel they are better able to convey the way they feel about each other to their friends and family. Their families have also grown closer. “Being married has changed everything for us,” they say. “We are one now.”
Photos by Steven Miller Photography Orlando.
ENGAGEMENT DATE: August 23, 2016
WEDDING DATE: May 13, 2017
VENUE: Maitland Art Center
FLOWERS: Flowers by Lesley
COLORS: White, gray, yellow
WEDDING SONG and ARTIST: “All of Me” by John Legend
DJ or BAND NAME: Ceremony Harpist – Catherine Way, Reception DJ – Lindsey Leigh
CATERER: San Jose’s Original Mexican Restaurant
OFFICIANT: Rosa Colindres
WEDDING PLANNER: Dandy Details Events
PHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHER: Steven Miller Photography
EVENT RENTAL: Orlando Wedding and Party Rentals
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