Destination I do’s at a Mexican all-inclusive resort were a no-brainer for Tampa couple Jeremy and Lucas.
Jeremy looked across the lobby bar at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando and saw Lucas, who was in town for a conference in October of 2013. They made eye contact and started chatting. “There were instant sparks,” says Jeremy Bourgeois-Knox, a Winter Park native. “We texted on and off for several months, but the distance was a barrier.” At the time, Lucas was living in Jacksonville and Jeremy had settled in Orlando.
In January 2014, Lucas reached out on Facebook Messenger. “I can’t stop thinking about you, and I’d like to get to know you better,” he said. “The distance isn’t ideal, but I’d like to see where this could go.” Where it went was down the aisle at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya in Mexico on November 11, 2017.
Lucas loved Jeremy’s penchant for history and to always be learning. On dates, Jeremy would rattle off historical facts about the buildings they walked past. On vacation, Jeremy is the one to stop and read the historical placards before moving on. Jeremy sleeps with hospital corners on his bed sheets. “Lucas only sleeps with the sheets untucked, or no top sheet at all,” says Jeremy. It says a lot about the way the complement each other.
When Lucas’ job transferred him to Tampa, Jeremy decided to make the move. Within a month, he had a job and moved in with Lucas. After living together for over a year, they decided they’d each found “the One.” The next logical step, according to the pair, was marriage.
Jeremy thought he would beat Lucas to a proposal when, in late June 2016, he hatched a plan with his sister to pop the question the following January while the couple was on ski vacation in Montana. His sister, however, already knew that Lucas was planning to propose during the upcoming Independence Day weekend. The couple flew to Westport, Maine, for the holiday. “While on the plane, I thought about how to propose,” says Jeremy. “I also wondered how our families were going to keep it a secret for the next six months. I had no idea they’d already been keeping Lucas’ secret from me!”
On June 30, Jeremy said yes to Lucas in front of their family and friends by the light of a “Will You Marry Me?” sign in the front yard. “It couldn’t have been more perfect,” says Jeremy.
On the day of the wedding, the two men got ready separately and didn’t see each other until the ceremony. They said their vows under a covered palapa thatch roof, as rain was forecasted for later in the day. “One of the coolest moments was hearing and seeing other guests at the resort who had stopped to watch and listen,” says Jeremy. Another favorite moment included the reaction of their guests at the reception when Jeremy and Lucas performed a choreographed dance to their wedding song, “Something Just Like This,” by The Chainsmokers.
“Being married now feels like it did when we were living together in a studio apartment in downtown Tampa,” says Jeremy. “Only now we have a house with walls, we’re on one insurance plan, and we have legal rights to each other.”
ENGAGEMENT DATE: June 30, 2016
WEDDING DATE: November 11, 2017
VENUE: Hard Rock Resort – Riviera Maya Mexico
FLOWERS: Eucalyptus and succulents by Tulipania
COLORS: Navy and baby blue
WEDDING SONG and ARTIST: “Something Just Like This” by The Chainsmokers
DJ or BAND NAME: PSAV Productions
CATERING and CAKE: Hard Rock Resort – Riviera Maya Mexico
CAKE FLAVORS: Vanilla cake with raspberry, lemon and chocolate fillings
WEDDING PLANNER: Adriana Aranzazu – Hard Rock Hotel, Marcia Wallach – DestinationWeddings.com
PHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHER: Huellas Del Caribe (HDC Photography) Photography & Films
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