(Photos by Alex Sturgill)
When KC Borjal Perry and Alex Perry went on their first date, Alex knew he couldn’t miss out on it, even if he was sick.
After chatting for a few months on Tinder, it seemed like life kept getting in the way of them scheduling their first date. So when Alex got sick ahead of the dinner date, he decided he didn’t want to cancel and risk their conversations on the dating app dying out.
“Every once in a while, Alex would excuse himself and go to the bathroom to have a coughing fit and then come back as if it never happened,” KC says. “We were probably there for at least three hours chatting and getting to know each other.”
Because Alex was originally the one who asked KC to be his boyfriend, KC decided he wanted to be the one to propose. Every year, the couple would take an international trip, so KC decided their 2019 trip to Ecuador to see the Amazon Rainforest and Galapagos Islands would be the perfect time to pop the question.
They stayed in a village in the Amazon while exploring the rainforest. Near the end of their stay, KC told the tour staff he wanted to propose at the top of a bird watching tower. While he and Alex were on an excursion, people in the village helped to decorate the tower with flowers and other plants. They even managed to carry a table up to the tower and set up a food arrangement.
Later that day, they began to walk up what KC described as “this beast of a tower.”
“I was so nervous. I was walking up right next to Alex and he had to tell me to walk in front of him,” KC says.
They reached the top right at sunset, surrounded by a beautiful view of the rainforest.
“I was ahead of Alex by a few seconds,” KC continued. “[It was] enough time for me to get on one knee and ask him the question, and of course he said yes!”
Though they originally planned their wedding for April 11, 2021, they postponed it by about a year due to everything going on in the world.
“Turned out to be a blessing because that day the weather was atrocious and it would have been a disaster for the ceremony having to move it indoors,” KC says.
He called the leadup to the wedding “surreal,” as both he and Alex come from conservative families. However, he knew Alex’s family would be accepting of the wedding because they had asked them if he would propose prior to their 2018 trip to Japan and the Philippines.
“This made me so happy knowing that they were already so accepting to the idea,” KC added. “I did not propose then, but it was nice to know that someone was ready for it.”
One of the events leading up to the wedding was a drag show at a gay bar, where they danced with their family and friends.
“Never in my wildest dreams would I ever [expect to] see my dad come to a gay bar and tip a drag queen,” KC says. “In fact, Alex’s dad did too.”
On their wedding day, Alex and KC paid tribute to the LGBTQ+ community by pouring rainbow sand for their sand ceremony. Their families also poured the colorful sand into the container.
“It was really sweet and a little funny with the chaos on where each person would stand after they poured their portion in,” KC says.
The two also wrote their own vows, with KC adding that the vows were “both very different but showed our individuality.”
One of the many highlights of the reception was the mother-son dances, with Alex dancing to “Let’s Have a Kiki” by Scissor Sisters with his mom and KC dancing to Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” with his mom.
Also, instead of a traditional bouquet toss, they did a “lip sync for your life” contest where attendees would lip sync to songs by the Spice Girls and the couple would pick the winner.
“I want to give a special shout out to our day-of wedding planners Brooke and Kayla from Bella Sposa, who just made the day so smooth,” KC says. “There was not one moment that I had to worry about on the day of the wedding.”
In all, it was a night to remember and a great moment to celebrate love with friends and family.
“My overall favorite moment was our private dance at the end of the night,” KC says. “It was a moment that I will never, ever, ever forget.”
Engagement Date: Oct. 7, 2019
Wedding Date: April 3, 2022
Officiant: Chelsy Ruecker (friend)
Venue: Club Lake Plantation in Apopka
Colors: Rustic; browns and reds
Wedding Song/Artist: Our first dance was to Pink’s “Beautiful Trauma”, we walked down the aisle to “Rainbow Connection.”
Caterer: Pieces Rising in Mt. Dora
Bakery: Le Petite Sweet in Mt. Dora
Photographer/Videographer: Alex Sturgill
DJ/Entertainment: Weddings Only DJ Entertainment, Michael Hill
Do you have an interesting wedding or engagement story you’d like to share with Watermark readers? If so, email the details to Editor@WatermarkOnline.com for consideration as a future feature on this page.
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