“He has an outstanding positive outlook on life, on everything in life. He looks at the world with eyes wide open and I just love that about him,” James says.
Chaz, who is a senior management consultant, and James Butler-Young, a lieutenant for the Orlando Police Department, met one night when they were out with their own friends at the Parliament House. Chaz recognized him as the police officer who sometimes worked near the front of the venue, yet he didn’t realize that James caught him and his friend staring while he was trying to figure this out. They later ran into each other and said “hi.” From that point, they were together talking the entire evening.
Their jobs both had them working odd hours and shifts so their first couple dates were slightly apart, but they knew this was something special and eventually started dating.
“It got to the point where I was like ‘This is want I want forever, for the rest of my life.’” Chaz says. “What he had built in just that short amount of time is something that I just really wanted to invest in.”
The first trip they took together was to Fort Lauderdale, and they decided to travel back there for a longer vacation. It was on this trip that the couple mutually decided to start discussing taking the next step in their relationship – marriage. As soon as they got back from that trip, they called John Michael and let them know they decided to get married and were thinking about using them as vendor. They then were invited to a tasting.
After checking many locations, the couple chose to wed on the Leu House Lawn and hold their reception immediately following in the Camellia Room at Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando. James says a lot of the day was a blur but a lot of it was very memorable and dear to him.
“We were getting dressed in the morning in the opposite rooms, and we wrote little notes to each other prior to the day,” James recalls. “As soon as we got dressed, they pulled us out and we didn’t look at each other, they kept us back-to-back, and we read the little note to each other. That was when I first started crying.”
Chaz says something that was memorable to him was his dad being there and so comfortable about everything.
“I was just really proud of him too. I’m from a small town in Georgia, so being gay is kind of foreign there,” Chaz says. “People still probably don’t understand it or just don’t get it. My dad was definitely there for a long time, but he’s come so far and just to see him smiling and so happy—that did a lot to me emotionally that day too, in a positive way of course.”
“He’s crazy, and when I say ‘crazy’ he just does stuff that makes me laugh and it cracks me up. I love to be able to be in a relationship where I have such a handsome husband that everything is fresh.” Chaz says.
ENGAGEMENT DATE: May 1, 2015
WEDDING DATE: October 1, 2016
WEDDING VENUE: Leu Gardens in Orlando
WEDDING PLANNER: John Michael Events
WEDDING CATERER: John Michael Events
WEDDING COLORS: Tiffany-inspired theme with their colors being Tiffany Blue with gray and silver accents
FIRST SONG: “We Found Love” originally by Rihanna, performed by Sam Tsui
INTERESTING FACT: TV personalities Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen congratulated the couple and gave them well wishes via a virtual video, which was viewed at the reception.
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