“I wanted to make our engagement special. Nathan had always been going on and on about taking me on a cruise. Since I had never been, I thought it would be a great idea to propose on our first trip.”
Tommy Whitehead says about his proposal to hubby Nathan Whitehead on Carnival Valor. “I brought a bottle of key lime sparkling wine onboard, which was one of Nathan’s favorites. As the sun was going down, I suggested we open the bottle and have a glass while we are sitting on our balcony. Little did he know that I had a ring hidden in my pocket.”
“He immediately asked me if I was joking!” Tommy laughs. “It took him a moment to realize that I had a ring in my hand, and when he did, I asked him again and he said yes!”
Tommy is a Lakeland native and the proud owner/president of TomCo Solutions, a construction firm in Tampa which is currently in the final steps of being certified by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Nathan is a property insurance adjuster for a local Tampa Bay carrier and grew up in St. Petersburg. The couple now lives in Brandon.
“It’s sort of a running joke that we are both native Floridians,” Tommy says. “When we tell people where we are from they always joke that we are a few of the natives left in the state.”
The two met on Aug. 5, 2014, after chatting online and deciding to meet up for a drink at The Canopy rooftop bar in downtown St. Pete. “We set up a date for 10 p.m. Little did I know that when Nathan agreed to 10 p.m. he had to work until 10 p.m. so he didn’t show up until 11,” Tommy says. “I was texting my friend for an hour saying how this was a waste of time and I should have never waited that long.”
“Then at 11 he comes walking off the elevator,” Tommy continues. “There he was in red shorts and a shirt, and my first thought was, finally! And then my second thought was, why is he wearing shorts to such a nice place? I still hear about those shorts every few months when he brings it up and I deserve it! The rest of the night we bar hopped downtown and had an amazing time.”
Nathan was sold that Tommy was the one not long after. “I think it was the first time Tommy introduced me to his son, Matthew. He seemed like a great father and I knew I wanted to be with him.”
The two married on Yacht Starship II in fall 2018 with their family and friends. They danced to Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud.”
“We think one of the most memorable moments was Nathan’s best man’s speech,” Tommy says. “His longtime friend Patrick gave a well-thought-out, detailed, funny and loving speech that we will never forget.”
Engagement date: Nov. 6, 2016
Wedding date: Sept. 22, 2018
Wedding venue: Yacht Starship II
First dance song: “Marry Me” by Train
Wedding theme/coLors: Navy blue and yellow; nautical
Florist : Bloomingdale Flowers
Officiant: Captain Eric Watson
Cake Bakery: Petite Madelyn’s Bakery
Cake Flavors: Vanilla with cookies & cream frosting and a chocolate ganache/fudge icing center
Photographer: Dorothy Smith, LightHeart Photography
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