We have been together for four years. We worked together at a preschool in Ocoee and knew we were meant to be just from the beginning. Trisha used to tell everyone at the preschool that she would marry Madison eventually, no matter how hard she had to try. We got engaged in March 2020 and then had our “first” wedding on December 4th, 2020. A year later, on December 4th, 2021, we were able to have our perfect wedding with all our loved ones.
Aside from your wedding, what is your favorite memory together?
Our favorite memory is definitely our first date. We met at Target in Winter Garden and then went to CityWalk to have dinner and watch a movie. We were there early, so we walked around, got to know each other more, and Trisha asked Madison to be her girlfriend. We were so nervous we ended up skipping dinner and just went to see the movie. It was the new Beauty and the Beast, which we still love to watch and reference.
Tell us about the proposal.
Trisha– I preplanned the proposal for months and had everything planned out. I could visualize the way it would go with our family and friends being there. The original plan was to do a photoshoot in Downtown Winter Garden during the sunset and then propose with all of our friends and family waiting at the brewery. Then the world let us down, and Covid hit, so everyone backed out, including the photographer. On the day of the proposal, I went to work, where I had hidden the ring from Madison, and spoke to my cousin about being the photographer. I told Madison that we were just taking some pictures together, but she did not want to go because I was not feeling so well. After hours of going back and forth, we went to Downtown Winter Garden, where I gave Madison a note of my true feelings and got down on one knee.
Talk us through the decision to elope.
The first wedding was decided because we were ready to continue to move forward with our lives together. Madison and I had lived together for so long and already acted like a married couple, so it was the next step for us. We were engaged for nine months, then had our little ceremony wedding at Madison’s parents’ house. It was very intimate with just the parents and siblings due to the pandemic. We were ready to start a family, so we took the step of having a wedding.
Tell us about telling your loved ones that you’re now married.
As a lesbian couple, not all loved ones were on board at the beginning. Now that we are married, they are more accepting of the idea and concept of two women being together. The immediate family was at the wedding, so they were all aware, but the extended only found out via social media or if we saw them after. We are not ashamed of who we are or who we are with. The way that we look at it is if they are not on board with it, then they don’t need to be a part of our lives.
Talk us through the actual small wedding.
The small wedding was short and sweet but stressful at the same time. It started by getting ugly Christmas sweaters, which we asked everyone to wear. Then, we went to Madison’s parent’s house and decorated it with Christmas lights and ornaments. Finally, we grabbed wings and pizza along with beer and wine. While decorating the area, Trisha’s family called, stating they could not make it because they were on the way to get Covid testing and did not want to take the chance. Thankfully, we had Madison’s parents, brother, sister, and family while my family watched via FaceTime. It was very intimate and as perfect as we could make it.
What does the future hold for you both?
The future is something that we constantly talk about. We are currently in the process of building our first home together and figuring out when we would like to bring children into this world. Trisha will be the first to try to have a baby, then Madison. From there, we will see about either adopting or carrying more kids. Although it will take time, we have a fantastic outlook on creating our own family business. Traveling is definitely a part of the future, especially taking our children on cruises with us, which is what we are most excited about!
Photography by Angela Gallo
