ABOVE: Jeremy (L) and Bill Kody. (Photo courtesy Bill Kody)
When Bill and Jeremy Kody met in Michigan eight years ago, they knew immediately that they were meant to be together. They were so sure that they decided to move to Florida together on their first date.
“When you know, you know,” Jeremy says.
Both had just ended relationships when they connected on a dating site. “We were looking for something serious and went to a serious dating site as opposed to other ones,” Bill recalls. Even before they met, Jeremy warned Bill that he had plans to head south. He had spent some time in the Kissimmee area as a child and dreamed of getting back to Florida.
“I just loved it,” Jeremy says. “I had a great time there as a kid and I was done with winter. I was done with Michigan. I wanted to wipe the slate clean and go where nobody knew me, where I had no history and could create my own history.”
He adds, “And what turned out to be our history.”
Bill was also ready for a change. In addition to his change in relationship status, he had also just lost his job. “I knew I could face some hardship in coming months, and I was in the right spot in my life,” he says.
He had also, separately, been considering an out-of-state move, but hadn’t decided where. Then, he met Jeremy, who asked him to consider moving to the Tampa Bay area before they had even finished their first meal together.
Before they met in person, the pair clicked over text and knew they had a special connection. This feeling was solidified the second they laid eyes on each other.
“Once we met, we were both kind of feeling it,” Jeremy says. “We both like similar things. Everything just kind of fit.”
Bill adds, “When you can talk about ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Star Trek’ on the first date, it’s a good thing.”
After that first date Aug. 28, Jeremy moved into Bill’s home as they planned their move. They left for Florida April 4, earlier than planned, because Bill hoped to find more work as a DJ there.
In Michigan, the industry was impacted by the seasons and he was having difficulty finding gigs because of the bad weather. “My expectations were that down here it was more year-round,” he says.
They initially found a rental in New Port Richey but felt the pull of St. Petersburg. Not long after moving to the region, Bill was hired to DJ for The Birchwood’s grand opening in downtown St. Petersburg.
This was a fortuitous gig for the couple. At The Birchwood, they befriended Brian Longstreth, owner of Gay St. Pete House, and others. Jeremy also stumbled upon a hiring event and went on to work for the hotel.
They fell in love with St. Petersburg – its diversity, its independently owned shops and restaurants, its charm – and moved there once their temporary three-month rental in New Port Richey was up.
For years, they lived happily in the Sunshine City as Bill built up his DJ business and they involved themselves in the community. They stumbled a bit, though, and last year, they split for a period. Bill knew they would always get back together, though.
“I always knew I still loved him,” he says.
Jeremy adds, “Just like any relationship, we had our ups and downs.”
They reconnected in mid-January and by Feb. 3 they were engaged to be married.
They dreamed of marrying in front of at least 50 of their friends and family. However, weeks after they began planning their wedding the pandemic hit. Many businesses closed and large gatherings were forbidden as the economy came to a standstill.
They scaled their wedding down – Bill’s daughter and a couple of close friends were ultimately the only ones on the final guest list – and they forged ahead.
They were married July 3 in a quickie ceremony at the Gay St. Pete House. Afterwards, they put out an informal invitation for friends in the area to celebrate with them safely – outdoors and socially distanced – at the area’s Old Key West Bar & Grill. They plan to host a larger reception once the pandemic has passed.
“It was very different,” Bill says. “I’m a wedding DJ. I’ve seen a thousand weddings and the neat thing about ours it that it’s very memorable. We were there at the Gay St. Pete House with our masks on, on top of a hot tub signing our paperwork, staying away from other guests. It was definitely memorable.”
Engagement Date: Feb. 3, 2020
Wedding Date: July 3, 2020
Wedding Venue: Gay St. Pete House
Wedding Caterer: Domino’s Pizza
Couple’s Song: Lauren Daigle, “You Say”
Reception Venue: Old Key West Bar & Grill
Reception Caterer: Old Key West Bar & Grill
Officiant: Lisa Waters
Full Reception: Spring 2021
