Nick & Andrew: Key West 'I Do!'

Wedding Photography: Jannette De Llanos Photography

“We were going to meet just for drinks. But drinks turned into food and the date lasted way longer than I thought, but what I thought was this is really special.” This is how Andrew described his first date with Nick in March of 2017. A few days later they met for a second date over brunch, but when the spot ended up being too crowded, the two headed for a nearby diner. “While I was drawn to his photos (posted to OK Cupid), and his job—Andrew is a video producer—the ease in him pivoting to a simpler plan stood out to me,” Nick said.

Nick had been in a very serious relationship for a couple of years and was ready after 6-months “of having a lot of fun” was ready to date again. Andrew dated around a lot but had a dream of getting married and have a family. So, both were primed to meet ‘the one’ when the two met ‘their one’.

After four months of growing closer, Nick headed off to Indonesia on a trip he’d planned with friends prior to meeting Andrew. Immediately upon landing back home in New York, Nick joined Andrew at a pool party and despite the jet lag and a few drinks, Nick experienced a moment of clarity and declared he was in love with Andrew. “Those two weeks apart made us both realize that we loved each other,” Andrew shared. 

Like many New York love stories, apartment leases played a pivotal role. A year after meeting, Andrew’s lease was coming up and Nick had just moved back into an apartment that he owned. The idea of either or both of them taking on a roommate seemed out of step, so Andrew gingerly asked: “Do you think we are ready to move in together? Or should I get a new roommate?!” The answer was obvious. So too was the arrival of their dog 9-months later!

“We had been talking about spending our lives together. We were living together and had our dog together, and were envisioning a family together, so getting engaged was definitely not a surprise,” Andrew explained. He set out to pop the question by consulting Nick’s parents and sisters, especially the one who had recently gotten engaged. “I did not want to step on her toes. But I went out and got a ring, and we got engaged on Christmas 2019.”

Nick explained, “I am a big, book nerd and Andrew had gotten me the book, Trust Exercise. It was a buzzy book for that year and in it he’d written a note and at the end of it was ‘the’ question!” “I think I also asked,” Andrew added! “Though we had talked a lot about getting married, I was still completely shocked given my sister’s engagement plans,” Nick went on to explain. The delights continued when, after a photo shoot at Rockefeller Center, Andrew took Nick to a downtown spot where their friends and family had gathered for an engagement party.

When it came to the wedding Nick was erring on the side of a smaller wedding, or even eloping, “why not save the money and put it towards a house,” he shared. And given Andrew’s huge family, he was more on the side of a bigger wedding, though he wasn’t all that game for a huge wedding. They settled on a destination wedding that felt far-away, but still in the US. “And we landed on Key West!”

Nick, having lived in Miami, was familiar with South Florida and especially Key West. “I had many a fun weekend getaway there,” Nick shared. “Not only is it a beautiful island, with really, really kind people, a ton of character, but it also has a lot going but with a small-town feel. And the gay life on Key West is great, different from that of a bigger urban setting!” For Andrew, “Key West is just a beautiful little community that is so accommodating and full of unexpected character. You walk down the street with roosters running alongside, people lounging in a hammock with a Cuban coffee or mojito, making it a really special place in the US.”

Thanks to Covid, there were some scheduling challenges. Though they were scheduled to get married on March 2021, they postponed a year. They legally wed on their original wedding date, and then had the actual wedding one year later.

When the date came, the two welcomed their guests to join them for the week leading up to the big day. They spend the days tanning, having poolside drinks, exploring Key West. On the Thursday before the wedding, grooms and guests met at The Green Parrot for an impromptu fun night. Then, for their welcome dinner they hosted friends and family at Bagatelle, a restaurant in a traditional Key West house, with drinks to follow. Suffice to say when the day came, guests had had a full Key West weekend.

Nick and Andrew exchanged vows on the beach at the Southernmost Hotel in front of 50 friends and family. “My best friend, Matt, married us. He’s now one of Andrew’s best friends, too. He’s a gay man, who I have known since college.” Nick explained that their ceremony had some traditional elements but did not include any religious references. “Matt cracked jokes throughout and had our guests laughing throughout.”

“We wrote our own vows, which made for the most meaningful experience of the wedding,” Nick said of the ceremony. “It was just Andrew and me talking to each other from the heart standing at the ocean and everything else disappeared.” Andrew explained how great it was to let friends and family bask in their love and the surprise of the words they shared about each other. “There wasn’t a dry eye in the audience,” Andrew explained.

And just as they set out for their reception, the skies unexpectedly opened up. With the help of the hotel and the enthusiasm of their guests, the wedding was in full swing in a cover location. “Drinks were flowing, and everyone rallied to have a great time. Which we all did.”

When it came time for the after party, the wedding party made their way to Bourbon Street on Duvall Street. The two had decided on Bourbon Street sort of by accident. They’d booked another venue, but as they were strolling Duvall, they stumbled into Bourbon Street. “We met the owner and we said to her that we were looking for an after party venue, and she instantly said she could give us the back room, arrange for a go-go dancer, and just made it happen! It felt very Key West to end the night this way,” Andrew said with a big smile.

“Though we knew the day would go by fast, it was surprising how much it did. With the spotlight on us, and everyone who matters to us being there, made it the best day of our lives,” Andrew shared. “The next day my face hurt from smiling so much,” Nick added.

After their ceremony, Nick and Andrew honeymooned in Portugal. They gave themselves the gift of enjoying their first year of marriage without the pressures of planning a wedding or running headlong into planning their family. “We just wanted to exist as a couple,” Nick highlighted. With that year behind them, their dreams of a family are underway.