The Grooms Wore Classic Tuxedos With a Surprise Outfit Change During Their Destination Wedding at The Surin Resort in Phuket, Thailand

November 2, 2019

Anthony Garrison-Engbrecht first met photographer Richard Tamayo on the dating app Tinder. According to Richard, Anthony didn’t write back for six months. It was only after being re-introduced through a mutual friend that Anthony, a higher education administrator, decided to reach out. They shared their first date at The Factory Kitchen in Downtown Los Angeles, and the rest is history. 

The couple were inseparable for the first few weeks… that is, until Richard up and disappeared.  To be fair, it was all kosher: Richard had a friend visiting from abroad, and he had asked Anthony for some time to play tour guide.  Such requests could be an ominous sign at the outset of a relationship, but Anthony trusted Richard, and sure enough, Richard was true to his word, showing up at Anthony’s apartment the moment he dropped his friend off at LAX. 

“Anthony is right, I did ghost him for a little bit, but I came around and made it up to him.” Richard said. “The first year was a whirlwind. We traveled to Thailand for a friend’s wedding, Anthony moved into a new place, and within a year we were living together.” 

After dating for three years, the couple decided they would get married; although, they didn’t formally get engaged until they were in Bogota, Colombia celebrating Richard sister’s wedding. The couple rode horses to a lookout point in central Colombia where they found themselves surrounded by wax palms, the tallest palm tree in the world. Amidst those giants of nature, the two mutually popped the question, exchanging five-dollar braided metal rings they found in a cute jewelry shop in Salento. “Being with Richard has always been an amazing adventure. He keeps life fun and exciting. From flying around the world meeting friends to exploring local attractions, he is always coming up with amazing things to do,” Anthony shared. 

Richard knew that he wanted his wedding to be a spectacle and had the vision to make it an event to remember. Additionally, the couple knew that they wanted a destination wedding in Southeast Asia. Looking at the calendar, they decided that they would host their nuptials five years to the date of their first international trip together to Thailand. The Surin Phuket, located on a private beach, served as the perfect backdrop to the multi day celebration. 

After selecting the location, the couple worked with The Surin event planning team, the hotel food and beverage manager, and a production team including a lighting specialist, no less than five photographers and videographers, and an award-winning flower company based in Thailand.  After countless Skype calls, hundreds of emails, and an endless number of excel spreadsheets, the couple flew to Phuket to finalize details and ensure that Richard’s vision would be a reality. 

Meeting in person with the event coordinators and the General Manger on the Monday before the wedding, Richard and Anthony set the final menu, picked the wine that would be served at dinner, selected the final flower colors, and tasted nine different specialty cocktails to narrow it down to four — no easy feat, given that Richard doesn’t drink. 

Richard flew to Bangkok two weeks early to plan a ‘Welcome to Bangkok’ dinner for their family and friends who would be traveling to the bustling city before the wedding. “We wanted to make sure that everyone felt included and welcomed,” said Richard. “We know it’s hard to travel halfway around the world and felt truly honored to have so many people be willing to celebrate our wedding with us.”

On the Thursday before the wedding, guests were treated to a family-style dinner at the House of Eden in Bangkok’s Central World shopping center.  Surrounded by pink walls and with specialty cocktails in hand, the couple raised a glass to thank all those who came and drummed up excitement for the weekend to come. Following dinner, guests headed to Bangkok’s infamous Silom neighborhood to explore the local fare and see a special Halloween drag show at The Stranger. 

A few hours later, while trick-or-treaters were just starting to ring doorbells stateside, Richard and Anthony woke up in Bangkok to take the first flight down to Phuket. The couple arrived at the Surin resort where the event coordination team greeted them — as well as an “early arrival” crew including Anthony’s friends AJ and Andrew Darcey, Lisha Maddox, and special guests Maggie Bove-LaMonica, Jessica Ruso, and ring-bearer Karl August Friberg. By mid-afternoon, other guests began to arrive — first one-by-one, then in droves. By that evening an intimate group of 65 guests had arrived. “It was important for us to have our closest friends and family there to celebrate with us. Knowing that there would be those who are special to us that would not be able to travel we decided that we would have a reception in Houston and Los Angeles in the Spring to ensure that we can include the most important people in our lives in the celebrations,” Anthony shared. 

Friday night, the Welcome to Phuket BBQ and Rehearsal dinner featured local fresh fare and cold beer, followed by a duo of emotional speeches by Juliana Jeffrey, best friend of Richard Tamayo, and Jake Harter, Anthony’s best friend and most lovable monster. “One day, a few months into my Freshman spring semester I found what little courage I had and walked into Anthony’s office shaking and on the verge of tears. I came out to Anthony, the first person I had ever came out to. For the first time in my life I was able to be my authentic self,” Jake shared while wearing a 90’s chic outfit of a tucked-in blouse and white-washed denim. He continued, “He made me feel so safe and secure. He made me feel like I belonged. He made me feel for the first time that I was perfect and whole and worthy of love and happiness.” 

Juliana offered a heartfelt reflection of her relationship with Richard sharing about how they met, the crazy shenanigans they would get in to, and how proud she is of him. There was not a dry eye in the audience as Juliana shared her hopes and wishes for the grooms. With tears in her eyes, she shared, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Following the speeches, the grooms surprised guests with a special performance from the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Thailand Season 2, Angele. The champion drag queen regaled the crowd with a twenty-minute Beyoncé mashup ending with a special performance of one of the couple’s favorite songs, “Love on Top”. The crowd was invited to sing-along while Richard’s lighting design and video backdrop wowed all who were present — including the staff and various rubbernecking hotel guests. Afterwards, the group migrated over to a nearby beach bar where they whiled away the rest of the evening, catching up and taking the occasional tequila shot (or three). 

Saturday morning began with yoga at 8 am in the library followed by an international breakfast buffet. The couple made their rounds carrying obligatory iced coffees and big smiles as they made their way greeting family and friends. However, after a soundcheck and rehearsal, it was time to pivot into ceremony mode. The grooms donned tuxedos by Barney’s, matching Gucci bow ties, and antique cufflinks purchased at a local swap meet. The team of photographers was on hand to catch the process – including an emotional exchange between the grooms and the officiant, Pablo Rios, Richard’s brother-in-law. 

The couple relied on the gorgeous location to be the perfect backdrop for their ceremony. “Richard was insistent on having just the right flowers, matching chairs, and an arrangement that allowed for optimal views of the beach and the ceremony,” Anthony shared while reflecting on the planning process. The flowers, local to Thailand, featured rustic pink orchis, roses, pampas grass, and greenery. The couple was inspired by the soft colors of the beach that complimented the location and allowed the grooms to stand out. 

Additionally, Richard and Anthony chose to have the guests sit in a half-circle angled towards the beach having the reception and dance floor in close proximity. Richard explained, “we wanted to make sure there was a good flow and that our friends and family would have a great time.” 

Guests enjoyed custom signature drinks, passed hors d'oeuvres, and music played live by Grammy-nominated friend of the grooms Ron McBain. Jennifer Rios, Richard’s sister, walked Anthony down the aisle while Richard was escorted by his month, Myrna Sawyer, while best friend of Richard, Juliana sang Ellie Goulding’s “As Long As I love You”. The ceremony was emotional, capturing the couple’s unique style and prose. “After practicing my vows a few times, I finally felt that I could get through them without crying the entire time,” Anthony said. “I looked out and saw all of my friends and family and my nerves melted away.” 

Richard’s brother-in-law and resident officiant offered a warm welcome to the family and friends gathered to celebrate the nuptials. “One of the wonderful things about weddings is that it brings people together. Those family members we love so much but rarely get to see and those amazing friends we care for deeply but don’t get to play with as much as we wish. They say people in your life are seasons: They come and go, and like the clouds, they float away, but they will love you all the same. Today we are blessed to come together and bear witness to these special, wonderful, and loving men accomplish a huge milestone in their life’s journey.” 

Anthony’s vows were signature “Anthony,” sharing a beautiful narrative of their love story, and Richard’s vows were classic “Richard” – a short and sweet reflection on Anthony’s value of empathy. The highlight of the ceremony was the flower girl, Adriana, and ring-bearer, Karl, whose walk down the aisle captured the hearts of all present. Karl [age] gently encouraged Adriana [age] to walk down the aisle, culminating in a tour de force moment as Adriana dumped the flower petals out of her basket and high-fived the officiant (all while Julianna sang Mariah Carey’s mega-hit “Always Be My Baby”). Following the ceremony, guests were served some much-welcomed champagne while the couple retreated back to their bungalow. 

For the reception that followed, the couple decided to honor their cultural heritage and changed into traditional Filipino and Vietnamese outfits to cut the cake and dance. Upon returning, the grooms were introduced by their friend and host of the hit podcast “Watch What Crappens” Ben Mandelker and enjoyed their first dance to Ray LaMontagne’s “You Are the Best Thing,” followed by a surprise fireworks show. “I’m not a huge fan of having all of the attention on me, and as Anthony says, I kind of dance like a cucumber with legs,” Richard said. Anthony added, “It was important to only force him to dance for 30’ish seconds, hence the fireworks going off as soon as possible.” 

While the fireworks lit up the night sky, one of the couple’s favorite song Beyoncé’s “XO” played. Following the show, guests enjoyed a traditional Thai buffet and an extravagant dessert bar featuring house-made coconut ice cream. Before the dance party. the couple, with the flower girl in hand, cut the three-layered cake featuring tiers of classic white, chocolate, and house favorite passion fruit. 

After the cake-cutting, guests were invited to change into their topical beach couture regalia in order to dance the night away. Soon, the suits and formal dresses gave way to a symphony of color as the dance floor came alive. From a tropical suit featuring shorts and a spinner hat to a short and sexy black dress, guests were ready to party. The DJ played the hits, including a few line-dances against Richard’s request. “Everyone loves them, and it gets people on their feet,” Anthony responded. Mid-reception, the rain came and served as a wonderful transition moment from the dance floor to the covered beach restaurant where the party continued. The evening ended with an epic dance battle between Richard’s nephew and dancer Warren Tamayo and Angele, followed by sparklers and a special beer toast with the couples “late-night crew”. 

As the festivities wrapped up, the couple hosted the final event on Sunday. Surrounded by their family and friends, the grooms offered a sincere thank you to the guests who traveled from all over California, New York, Texas, Paris, Germany, and the Philippines. Serving rosé, champagne, and savory treats, guests shared stories from the night before and exchanged numbers planning on finding time to connect in their respective cities. Richard, to everyone’s surprise and encouragement, provided the event’s closing remarks sharing his heartfelt thanks and gratitude for everyone in attendance in his special way. “Thank you all for being here. It means a lot. We love you so much.”