Names: James Lee Winnike and Tiffany Renee Mott-Winnike
Ages: Lee, 25; Tiffany, 28
Professions: Lee is a Social Worker (LSW) and Tiffany is a Development Associate (MPA).
City, State: Washington D.C.
Date of Wedding: Spring 2016
The Big Day: While we’re still firming up the details, there’s just about nothing in our lives one could describe in five words or less. Our wedding already seems to be no different! It will no doubt be a completely over the top celebration of our love for one another. Since we’re planning for a spring wedding, we’d like to stay in line with a spring theme. Although, it will likely be a mid-century chic spring as we pride ourselves on our elegantly plucked from the 1960s wardrobe. We’re also really excited to see our families mix, which should be interesting! We’re most looking forward to spending time with the people we love and seeing them all gussied up.
The Firsts:
First meeting: We met at the roller derby. The good old fashioned queer way! It was a mutual friend’s birthday party and we sat next to one another. We hit it off instantly. A few people even assumed we’d come together. It was wonderfully effortless.
First date: We went to The Kennedy Center to see the ballet. We sat in the bar waiting for the show to start having an amazing conversation. The conversation was so good that we completely missed the ballet.
First kiss: We actually have never kissed. Just kidding! We shared our first smooch shortly into our first date. Our chemistry was instant and impossible to ignore. We were happily fireworks from the very beginning.
When They Knew: While Lee would say they knew when they became comfortable hanging out together in old scrappy underwear, Tiffany knew from the moment they met. Tiffany remembers shaking hands with him and thinking, “Ha. Well, I’m not sure why but I would like to be around you all the time forever.” It was a wonderfully weird feeling that she did her best to ignore. As you can see, she was largely unsuccessful!
The Proposal: Lee says: She totally tricked me into thinking we were just hanging out at the museum with a few friends. We were headed up the stairs and she stopped me and took my glasses saying she had a surprise. I can’t see much without them, so she led me to the room where the Star Spangled Banner is displayed. When we got there she returned my glasses and I could tell she was nervous. Then she got down on one knee and asked me if I would marry her. I said “yes” and put the ring on my finger. Then we hugged for what seemed like forever. When we left the room, our friends and my brother were waiting outside with signs cheering for us! There were even a bunch of passerbys and tourists that joined in the celebration. I was so surprised!
The Ring(s): A black “Carrie Diamond Ring” for Tiffany and an ornate 17th century gold cigar band for Lee.
Honeymoon: It will likely be spent in bed recovering from the festivities! It will also likely involve a beach of some kind and many drinks with umbrellas.
Looking into the Future: This is such a big question! Tiffany says she wants at least 50 children and 50 more pairs of shoes. Lee wants at least 70 more years of corner kikis and bowties. More seriously, we have so many plans for growing ourselves and our family. Most importantly we want to spend the rest of our lives enjoying one another, fearlessly working hard at everything we do, loving God, laughing hard, and taking care of the ones we love no matter what.
