Consider this an “all-in-one” piece. Not only are we sharing both Jose & Dyron’s engagement and wedding story, given they have been married for 6-years, it is also an anniversary piece. 

“Our life together really started after we got married,” Jose said of being married to Dyron. “All of our dreams and everything we wanted to accomplish started happening right after.” 

These two met on Myspace, so telling you how long they have been together is implied. (But, the answer is 15 years!) The more compelling numbers are that Jose was 16 and Dyron 19. Jose actually lied saying he was 17 which Dyron felt was close to 18, so they kept messaging each other. “I thought he was my dad trying to figure out if I was gay,” Jose said! Both were in the early stages of coming out. 

A month later they went on their first date on which Dyron felt Jose was the one. But for Jose, “[Dyron] was too intense!” The two were young and caught up but over time, Jose came into a different mindset, was open about his experience of Dyron and it was then that they fell in love. A year later they moved in with each other. They moved into an efficiency apartment and learned “to make it work” as they were together daily. 

One year later Dyron gave Jose a promise ring. “It was a promise to love one another, but it wasn’t a proposal. We were young and broke and couldn’t think about a wedding.”

Not long after, Jose gave Dyron a promise ring, too. The rings, along with the shared goals they were setting for themselves, made their promise closer to an engagement.

Years later, in 2013, the couple started planning their wedding, which was scheduled for November, 2014. “But, we actually had two weddings. One in November 2013 when gay marriage became legal in New York. When gay marriage became legal across the country, we felt so accomplished,” Dyron pointed out. 

“I loved planning our wedding,” Jose shared. But, not when, three-months before, their original venue backed out of aspects of their wedding plan. Jose and Dyron moved their wedding to The Coral Gables Museum which proved the perfect backdrop. Built in 1939 and renovated in 2010, the space spoke to both the history of the couple’s relationship and to their future. Fifty guests joined them at the museum making for an intimate affair. 

On the day, Jose could not stop crying. “I hadn't even walked down and I was already crying and I continued to cry throughout the entire ceremony. We were eating and I was crying. I was listening to speeches and I was crying. I remember having all of our close friends and family there cheering our love. We were so happy. And, I was crying!” Dyron clarified: “And he never cries!”

For Dyron, the ceremony was the highlight of the day. “t was so simple. We included a little bit of religion and we wrote our own vows.  Hearing them for the first time in front of our friends and family was the best part.” As for the rings they exchanged, they used their promise rings and wedding bands. Ultimately, after the many years they’d been together, to finally declare their love, officially, before their friends and family, was the best memory of the day.

And, maybe the dancing! “We had a samba hour where two samba dancers had everyone on their feet and then we had an Ibiza hour where we had an LED robot getting everyone dancing to techo and house music,” Jose shared. 

Their honeymoon found them in Europe for the first time, and then back to making their dreams come true. 

When asked if it takes a lot of effort to maintain their near 15-year relationship, Dyron answered: “Not at all. It’s hard work sometimes, but it’s just about communicating. We've always strived for what we see in other couples like my parents. They’ve been together for thirty-five years. We focus on both our personal goals and the shared ones as a couple.” It is with pride that Jose and Dyron share that they feel like their relationship has set an example for others to emulate. 

And, while there is no way they could have imagined that their time together in their efficiency apartment would have prepared them for the pandemic, they were prepared for the past year. “It brought us even closer together,” Jose said. “We were stuck at home so we got an inflatable pool and that allowed for some of the most memorable moments in our relationship. We made a hard time fun.”

These two continue to learn about each other and from each other. For Jose, it is simply being more himself and inspired to work as hard as Dyron has. For Dyron, it is about putting himself first and not saying yes to everyone. 

Fifteen-years into their relationship, the two are focused on their next dream: becoming fathers.“Once the pandemic is behind us, we will start planning our family.” This family’s ties will be strong. 

Ceremony Venue The Coral Gables Museum

Reception Venue The Coral Gables Museum

Photographer Evan Rich

Videographer Lexoria Wedding Films

Planner/Designer. Best Miami Weddings

Officiant Ever After Wedding Officiant

Invitation Designer Etsy.com

Caterer Best Miami Weddings

Cake Divine Sweets

Apparel/Accessories Men’s Warehouse

Floral Designer. Glamour Floral Creations

DJ DJ Xio

Live Music GS Entertainment

Rentals Hitched

Hair & Makeup Visionery