Jason Fields first met Channing Floyd, Jr., his future husband, on July 19, 2002, in Wilmington, North Carolina, where they both lived at the time. Two decades later in March 2022, the couple tied the knot in Tampa Bay, where they’ve lived for years.
They were about 32 years old when they first met and hit it off quickly, Fields says. A physician at the time, he had spent his childhood in Wilmington and moved back for his pediatric residency. Floyd, a native of the area, owned a landscaping business there.
They met through mutual friends and volunteerism. Both were also running enthusiasts and Fields signed up to participate in a fundraising run for the local chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Floyd worked for the organization as a campaign coordinator for the event.
In 2007, Fields came to the Tampa Bay area for addiction treatments and never left Florida. Following his treatment and recovery efforts, he decided to switch gears in his career to addiction medicine and today works for BayCare Life Management.
Eventually, Floyd followed him to Florida, bringing his landscaping company with him.
“Was it rocky in that time for us? Yes,” Fields recalls. “But we got through it, and I live a sober lifestyle in the recovery.”
His husband is currently attending the University of Florida pursuing a degree in environmental management and dreams of changing careers to work with the Environmental Protection Agency or local parks and recreation agencies in the area of water and soil conservation, he adds.
Since moving here in 2007, the couple has been active in the community. They both are members of the Krewe of Cavaliers and Fields previously served as president of Balance Tampa Bay, where still remains on the board. Though they lived for years in South Tampa, they’ve since relocated to St. Petersburg in January.
“We love living here,” Fields says. “We’re involved in a lot of things in the community and love living in St. Pete.”
They were excited when same-sex marriage was legalized in 2015 and talked about one day getting married themselves.
“We decided that we’re in this for the long haul and we wanted to be married. We wanted to enjoy the benefits of being married,” Fields explains.
During a trip to London, Floyd’s favorite city, he surprised him by proposing with a dinner at The Ivy on Oct. 22, 2019. Originally, they planned to get married in 2021, but the COVID-19 pandemic pushed back their plans, especially because they wanted a big wedding.
“We had a lot of experiences and friends along the way we wanted them to be there for us,” Fields notes.
When vaccines became available, they began planning and required friends and family to be vaccinated for everyone’s safety. About 280 people attended.
Sadly, his mother died after a chronic illness Feb. 22 of this year, just weeks before their wedding. The couple found ways to honor her on their big day. They played some of her favorite music, displayed pictures of her and left an empty seat for her up front during the ceremony. As the groomsmen walked in, each left a white rose – her favorite – on the chair, her son says.
Engagement Date: Oct. 22, 2019
Wedding Date: March 12, 2022
Wedding Venue: Tampa Garden Club
Honeymoon: London
Wedding Planner: John Campbell Events
Florist: Florest Fire
Caterer: Dan Denoyer
Officiant: Don Kiceina Jr., one of the couple’s best friends
Cake: Cakes by Michael
Wedding Colors: Shades of blue
DJ: Greg Anderson
Wedding Song: Fields sang “Your Song” by Elton John; the couple danced to Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars”
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