WEDDINGS: Healthcare Husbands

Thirteen years ago, Algin Aieveen Adap-Garcia, 34, and Miguel Adap-Garcia, 37, met in an emergency room where they were both working as registered nurses. The meeting may have been by chance, but the result was most certainly true love. “We started out as best friends and would hang out and go on trips together. We realized later that we were soulmates and meant for each other,” Algin says. 

It was love at first sight that day in the emergency room for Miguel. “I remember seeing Algin at work across the hall, and was completely enamored with his smile and energy,” Miguel recalls.  

Algin was born in the Philippines and emigrated to Houston with his family in 2006. He received his associate degree in nursing from San Jacinto College and his bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Texas Health Science Center Houston. Miguel, a native Houstonian, received his associate degree in nursing from North Harris College and his bachelor’s degree in nursing from Texas Tech University. 

They both earned their doctorates in nurse anesthesia at Louisiana State University in New Orleans, and are now certified registered nurse anesthetists. Miguel works for MD Anderson Cancer Center and Algin works for Northwest Anesthesiology and Pain Services, a private anesthesia group.

The couple currently lives in EaDo with their two rescue dogs—Lucky, a 15-year-old Boston Terrier, and Pierce, a Labrador/Jack Russell mix who is just over a year old.  

Algin says he knew from the start that Miguel loved him unconditionally. But then they decided to move to New Orleans for their advanced nursing degrees. “That’s when I realized we are partners for life. I’ve always felt his love and support throughout any life changes.” 

Miguel realized they were meant for each other when talk of family came up. “I think I knew he was the man I wanted to marry when I saw how much family meant to him, and when we would casually talk about starting a family one day.”

It was Algin who ultimately proposed in 2017. The couple had been together for nine years at that point, and during a trip to Hawaii Algin planned a surprise for Miguel at the Four Seasons Resort in Maui as the sun set and a ukulele was playing. 

“I remember being blindfolded, and then seeing Algin standing under a plumeria tree overlooking the ocean,” Miguel explains with a smile. “I was speechless and brought to tears when he asked me to spend our lives together as one. I ugly-cried as I exclaimed, ‘Yes!’ It was the most romantic and beautiful thing anyone has ever done for me.” 

“Miguel is one of the most loving, caring, and personable people you’ll ever meet,” Algin adds. “He has inspired me to become a better person, and has given me courage when I need it the most. Miguel makes me very happy, loved, and supported every day.”

And the feeling is mutual for Miguel. “Algin is someone who I know I can be my most authentic self with, and not feel ashamed or embarrassed. He is also such an incredible fur-dad to our two boys, Lucky and Pierce.”

The two were married in La Jolla, California, on October 18, 2019. “One of our best friends, Roxy, officiated our ceremony. It was very important to us that the person who would officiate knew and loved us as family,” Algin says. Guests laughed and cried, and the couple could feel the love all around them. 

“I was filled with such warmth and joy seeing my future husband walk past our closest friends and family members,” Miguel remembers. Their ceremony included cultural hallmarks that were important to them, including the traditional Filipino Barong outfits they wore and the mariachi band that serenaded them. “We learned very quickly there wasn’t a template for a same-sex marriage. We made it our own, [but included traditional elements] like having our mothers walk us down the aisle,” he adds.

And much to everyone’s delight, the newlyweds surprised their guests at the reception with a choreographed ballroom dance that included lifts and splits.  

Planning a destination wedding was challenging, in that it required a number of mini-trips in order to meet with vendors. “We also didn’t have many references to pull from, as far as planning the wedding,” Miguel says, noting that they had never actually attended a same-sex wedding. “We wanted the day to represent us, and who we were. We looked at details like table numbers being in both Spanish and Filipino, and our signature cocktail—a pineapple jalapeño margarita—was sweet and spicy, just like us!”  

For their honeymoon, the couple embarked on a European cruise through Italy, Greece, and Spain. “We were able to visit and experience different places like Rome, the Amalfi Coast, Mykonos, Santorini, and Barcelona. We had always wanted to go to Europe, and neither of us had ever been,” Miguel says. “We both enjoy traveling to new places and experiencing different cultures. And, of course, trying all the food!” 

This article appears in the April 2022 edition of OutSmart magazine.