ORLANDO, Fla. – Michael Scott and Thomas Lawson know they will not be the first gay couple to be legally married in Florida, but they're expecting their wedding will be the first big one in Central Florida.
"Once we heard gay marriage is coming to Florida, Thomas said 'let's do it, why wait. We're gonna have this commitment, let's just speed it up,'" said Michael Scott.
Scott and Lawson got engaged in October and knew someday, somewhere, they'd marry. They just didn't know it would be at the Orlando Hyatt Regency, that it would be Tuesday, and that television news cameras would be rolling. Cameras recorded their rehearsal Monday afternoon.
"I would hope our community would see our wedding on TV and see that our wedding is a wedding too and a real marriage," said Thomas Lawson.
The Hyatt is donating the use of its ballroom and all catering, including the wedding cake.
"It's a very technically demanding cake," said Larry Eells, Hyatt executive chef. "The rolled fondant is a very thin sweet dough, very difficult to handle."
Hyatt Hotels has a long-standing history of supporting the LGBT community.
"We have donated our services as have our vendors and we feel like it's the right thing to do to make a statement that we support this cause," said Tom Smith, Hyatt Regency Orlando general manager. "We were one of the first companies to provide domestic partner benefits many years ago so we believe in this."
Wedding planner Michael Thomas donated his wedding planning services.
"We're certified LGBT wedding planners, so we went through a certification course called the Gay Wedding Institute," said Michael Thomas, owner of John Michael Weddings.
Thomas said there are nuances in gay weddings to plan for.
"A lot of times you'll have two aisles, both grooms want to be escorted by mothers. Traditionally you have one aisle with the bride and her mother," said Thomas. "You don't refer to them as bride and groom, but the couple. The attendants are honor attendants, not bridesmaids or groomsmen or anything like that."
"The last two years we did more same-sex ceremonies than in the last 18 years combined," said Thomas.
Scott and Lawson said they've received criticism for their decision, but they shrug it off.
"Even the people against marriage equality and those who have been proactive to prevent it, I believe they have good intentions," said Lawson. "They're just trying to do what they think is best for their community and their state. And I have to have faith they're doing what they need to do, and we're doing what we need to do. Here I am about to marry the man of my dreams, so it's perfect in my book."
The ceremony starts at 5 p.m.