ABOVE: The happy couple with their wedding party. (Photo by J.D. Casto)
When Felipe and Luis Sousa-Lazaballet first got engaged, they could never have predicted that they would have a socially-distanced wedding.
After deciding to propose, Luis knew he wanted to pop the question on the beach in Miami — the place they had met. The couple had already planned a trip for Luis’ birthday.
Unfortunately, it had started to pour, so the birthday party was moved to a hotel. While they were singing “Happy Birthday” and cutting the cake, Luis’ friends were secretly helping him set up a rooftop proposal.
When it was ready, Luis invited everyone up to the roof for “a toast.”
“I held Felipe’s hand and in the presence of so many of our loved ones I got down on one knee and asked him to marry me,” Luis says. “The funny thing was he said yes before I finished asking the question, which only made my heart grow warmer.”
After that moment, Felipe wanted to make Luis feel just as loved as he felt, so he decided he was also going to propose while on a trip to Rio de Janeiro to meet Felipe’s family.
“One of my favorite parts of being part of the LGBTQ+ community is that we get to create our own tradition and forge our own path forward,” Felipe says. “I loved when Luis proposed to me and that made me feel chosen. I wanted him to have a similar experience.”
Luis and Felipe had promised each other to see all the seven wonders of the world, so Felipe decided he would propose at the Christ the Redeemer statue, which would be their first world wonder.
“On our way to the Christ the Redeemer, I kept replaying in my head what I wanted to tell him,” Felipe says. “In Felipe style, I started crying then I had to say that the song on the radio made me emotional and that I loved him so much. This entire time he was clueless of what was about to happen.”
Though it had been raining hard, the sky had started to clear. After taking a few pictures with Felipe’s godson, Felipe’s cousin said “it’s now or never.”
“I took him right in front of the Christ the Redeemer statue, got on one knee and asked him to marry me,” Felipe says. “I was so focused on Luis that I didn’t notice that all of the tourists on top of the mountain had created a circle around us and they started to clap when he said yes.”
Felipe and Luis had originally planned to have a large wedding at Come Out With Pride. This plan especially meant a lot to Felipe, who wanted to combat negative stereotypes about immigrants, as he is from Brazil and Luis is from Venezuela.
“It feels to me that one day doesn’t go by without a new attack on immigrants by the president,” Felipe says. “I thought that a celebration of love shared by two gay immigrants could make a difference. In my humble opinion, love is a light that cannot be dimmed down by hate.”
Unfortunately, COVID-19 forced the couple to make other plans. They wed at a sculpture garden with only six people total. The ceremony was livestreamed for all their other loved ones.
However, some of their friends decided to surprise them by driving to the parking lot to be there in person while still practicing social distancing.
“As we walked out, we were caught off guard when we realized that they were all there, waiting for us in their cars, honking, cheering, holding signs and celebrating with us while keeping a safe distance,” Luis says. “I will never forget this.”
Though the wedding wasn’t what they had originally planned, it was still a joyous day. To continue social distancing, they didn’t have a reception, but they have big plans for one.
“For now let’s just say: Carnaval in Rio 2022,” Luis says.
“It can sound cliche but our wedding day was the happiest day in my life,” Felipe says. “I got to say ‘I do’ to the man of my dreams and I could not have chosen a better person to be my lover, life companion, the man who I share all of my aspiration, the person I can always count to be with me during happiness and sadness, and the person I want to have a family with.”
Engagement Date: June 7, 2019 and Sept. 2, 2019
Wedding Date: June 6, 2020
Officiant: State Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith
Venue: Mennello Sculpture Garden
Colors: White and Lavender
Wedding Song/Artist: “Never Enough”
Florist: Amazon, a bouquet and rainbow umbrellas
Caterer: Friend Marco Antonio Quiroga hosted a brunch for the six people involved in the wedding
Cake Flavors: Lemon lavender
Bakery: Se7en Bites
Photographer/Videographer: J.D. Casto
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