Pink and gray Mexican beach gay wedding

We married on October 8, 2017 on the island of Isla Mujeres, right as hurricane Nate decided that he didn’t want to interrupt our special day (how kind of him). I was so relieved that the storm missed us and our host of friends and family were able to see many of their first same-sex unions.

Our love story is traditional and modern, young gaylebrity (me) Dwight Allen O’Neal meets a Mexican editorial makeup artist outside a nightclub and immediately Cuauhtemoc (nicknamed Temo) knew that I was different. Under the influence of vodka and soda I told him that one day he would be my husband, and he now is. Raised to bring home a good girl and make her honest has always been instilled in my husband, so after a long (gay) courtship Temo asked for my hand in marriage and with the blessings of both sets of parents present I accepted. Me being a popular NYC socialite and him being a traditional Mexican man has had its challenges, however our love continues to be the thing that causes so much bliss and happiness.

Every since I was a little boy I have always wanted to marry on a private island, and my dream came true when we discovered Isla Mujeres, right off the coast of Cancun. We decided to host our magical wedding at the Palace Resorts only boutique location, which has only 65 rooms, and we rented the majority of the resort. We hosted 3 days of events, Meet the Grooms on Friday night, where we met all of our family and friends, a reiki meditation circle that allowed everyone’s love to bless us on our new romantic journey, and of course the wedding, cocktail hour and reception.

The wedding was both of our dream come true from the pale rose, silver, white, and hint of green (which our mothers wore) representing how family is our stem. We noticed every detail to ensure our guest received a welcome gift (hangover kit) that they could make use of while visiting Mexico, selfie lights for their special IG photo booth (to ensure each picture was perfect), and a cake designed by my husband and fit for the kings we are.

Equally Wed: The Ultimate Guide to Planning Your LGBTQ+ Wedding

Our wedding was NYC meets Mexico. We wanted to create a weekend where guests would run away on vacation with us, and while there meet the grooms. Both having very diverse personalities (Dwight being the gaylebrity and Temo being grounded and down to earth leader) we wanted a wedding that was romantic and elegant.

Each detail was paid close attention and the wedding was very traditional. We both were raised on the belief of finding a partner and making them a wholesome person. We bought unique gifts for our wedding parties and celebrated with bottles of Moet as we got dressed with our parties. Temo sent his sister Ana (Maid of honor) to deliver my gift as we got ready and I sent his watch and a book called “To My Soul Mate” that I bought in December 2008 intended for the person that I would marry. I wrote a letter to this person telling him what state of mind I was in and how special he will be for me, as I was going through a heartbreak at the time. I added an additional written insert a month prior to our wedding explaining how much I love Temo and how excited that he came to me nine years later (nine is my favorite number). My best friend/best man delivered this to him and his watch before the wedding.

We decided not to see each other after our morning Reiki meditation circle and didn’t lock eyes until we said, “I do.” We did a special sand ceremony, a guitar player played The Isley Brothers and Aaliyah’s “At Your Best” on the guitar, and as we said, “I do” rose petals were showered upon us.

During our first dance we danced to Beyonce’s “Halo” (the same song Temo proposed to me with in Mexico City the prior year). We shared our dances with our mothers. Dwight danced to “A Song for Mama” by Boyz 2 Men and Temo danced to “Amor de Madre” by Victor Manuelle. We tossed a bow tie instead of a bouquet to Beyonce’s Single Ladies.

From the marrier, Dwight

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Vendor Credits

Photography: DreamArt Photography
Wedding venue: Isla Mujeres Palace Resort
Florist: Zuniga Deco Cancun Weddings
Planner: Abril Reyes Munoz for Isla Mujeres Palace Resort
Guitarist: Christopher Prestia
Attire: Darrell Cortez Menswear, Calvin Klein, Ted Baker, Isaac Mizrahi
Jewelry: Tiffany and Co., Movado Bold Watch (Temo’s Wedding gift), Pandora Bracelet (Dwight’s Wedding gift), Mothers’ Necklaces: Kay Jewelers (Christell: Sapphire, Lili: Rose Quartz)