“We learned right away that we were both very romantic because we both brought each other flowers,” Patrick says.
Patrick Braden, who is an optician, and José Quiles, who works for a home care agency, met online through an app called SCRUFF.
“We talked for a while on the website, and then we talked for a little bit on the phone, and we met and went out for dinner at the Breezeway,” José says.“It was very interesting, because I was really looking forward to knowing more about him in person since we were just talking on the phone for a while.”
José says it has been a journey to get to know each other, but that he’s enjoyed the process and how much fun it has been. Every weekend since they’ve met, the couple has done something together.
“Since that first weekend, we’ve spent every weekend together except for one,” Patrick says.
As time passed, José knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Patrick and that he wanted to make their bond one that would last forever, so he decided to start planning to ask Patrick for his hand in marriage.
“I wasn’t sure when I was going to do it,” José says. “I bought the ring and then I thought about Christmas Eve or Valentine’s Day, and then I remembered he was having his chorus concert and I know he was nervous about that. So I figured ‘let me give him the ring today and that will keep his mind off of that.’”
José went with a friend of his to the mall to pick out a ring. While he was planning this and getting flowers and such, Patrick called him and told him that he had to be at the Orlando Gay Chorus concert early, so he had to rush.
“I took him to the living room, and I sat on his couch and I had the ring in my hand,” José says. “At first, I was nervous. I started tearing up and I told him to close his eyes, because I had a surprise for him—and that’s how it happened.”
Patrick said they were in the foyer where there was a candy dish near where they were sitting. When José told him to close his eyes, he thought he was going to be goofy and just put a piece of chocolate in his mouth.
“The look on his face was like he was smiling but sheer terror in the back of that smile, and then he goes ‘will you marry me?’ We both just hugged and cried, and I said ‘yes’,” Patrick says.
They say a challenge in planning their wedding will be trying to come up with something that will work for people out of town,since they have family in Wisconsin and New Jersey.
“I’m looking forward to telling each other how we really feel, more love and having my friends there to celebrate with us,” José says.
Patrick anticipates all the work the wedding planning will be, and he jokes that he will probably be happy when it’s done.
They plan on moving in together before they get married, but it has been a challenge not living near each other.
Right now, they’re throwing around ideas for details about their wedding and plan to start finalizing more once the holidays are over.
“José is probably the sweetest man I’ve ever met,” Patrick says. “It seems like he is constantly thinking of me, because he’ll have little gifts or he’ll just see something, and think of me and get it, and I’ve never had anyone like that before.”
YEARS TOGETHER: 9 months
ENGAGEMENT DATE: December 12, 2015
WEDDING DATE: March 11, 2017
INTERESTING FACT: Patrick and José met on SCRUFF.
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