From Instagram to “I Do”: Donald Simon and Julius LaCour Tie the Knot

The chemistry wasn’t exactly instantaneous in 2022 when Donald Simon III first met Julius LaCour Jr. at the Bourbon Pub during Southern Decadence after they had previously connected on Instagram. “I came to the bar and he ignored me,” Donald recalls with a laugh. “He gave me a drink and walked away. I was like, ‘Do I not look the same from Instagram?’”

Julius, then a New Orleans resident with a background in fashion design, had been chatting via social media about style and creativity with Donald, who owns the Gayest & Greatest Award-winning underwear brand King Underwear. A few months later, Simon made a trip back to New Orleans for Mardi Gras and was determined to reconnect. That trip led to FaceTime calls, deep conversations, getting-to-know-you moments like the revealing “What’s your favorite McDonald’s nugget sauce?” question, and eventually a flight to Houston for their official first date.

“I picked him up from the airport, we hung out at my house, and then we went to Bludorn,” Donald says. “He ordered Yamazaki, the Japanese whiskey. I’d heard of it in a Beyoncé song, but had never tried it.” Julius ordered a pair of shots, which created sticker shock for Donald when he saw the bill. “The bill came—it was $300,” Donald remembers. “I was like, ‘What the F?’” Despite the surprise, the date clearly worked its magic.

“From the beginning, everything was easy,” Julius reflects. “It was the first time that’s ever happened in all the dating I’ve done. We liked the same things, had the same interests. Even the decision-making was easy.”

Their connection grew quickly, and Donald made the next big move in equally dramatic fashion. At a King Underwear fashion show at South Beach, which Julius helped run, Donald pulled off a public proposal worthy of their love story. “At the end of the show, I had the manager put ‘Will you marry me?’ on the screen,” Donald recalls. “When we turned around, he saw it, and I was on one knee.” Julius, who had suspected a proposal was coming eventually, was still floored.

“I was crying for three days,” Julius admits.

Exactly one year later, on April 26, 2025, the couple said “I do” at the exquisite luxury events venue Le Tesserae near downtown. “It turned out better than I imagined,” Julius says. “It was so beautiful.”

Donald, ever the detail-oriented planner, made sure the wedding was pitch-perfect. “I’m a micromanager,” he confesses. “Up until I got married, I was yelling at people. But once we started going through it, it was all done. It was pretty. It was fun. And the cake was amazing.”

And what a cake it was! “We had a 5-foot-tall wedding cake,” Julius says.

“I didn’t want a fondant-covered generic cake,” adds Donald. “I wanted a traditional 1980s, ’90s-style cake with real icing and piping. I googled and found the cake Princess Diana had, which led me to Mariah Carey’s and Kate Middleton’s. Our cake idea became a joining of all of those.”

The couple celebrated their roots and relationship throughout the weekend. For Julius, that meant a surprise groom’s cake shaped like the iconic armadillo from Steel Magnolias, honoring his hometown of Natchitoches, Louisiana. “It looked better than the one in the movie,” he says proudly.

Their style shined in custom Dolce & Gabbana tuxedos, which were made to measure and shipped from Milan. Likewise, the silk pajamas they wore at their reception were custom embroidered just for them. Jewelry designer Chrishabana created their statement brooches—one in gold for Donald, the other in silver for Julius. “He’s done pieces for Beyoncé, Lizzo, Shaboozey,” Donald notes. “He really delivered.”

The soundtrack for the cocktail hour and ceremony blended elegance and edge, thanks to the River Oaks Quartet. À la Netflix’s Bridgerton series, the group performed string versions of songs including Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” which the musicians learned just for the couple’s exit. For the reception party, DJ Stupid Bitch kept the energy going, and Jackson & Company delivered an unforgettable and well choreographed dinner service that guests compared to a scene from Titanic.

The couple planned nearly everything themselves, but entrusted Jessie Cruz with day-of coordination. “She’s also trans and part of the community,” Donald says. “She was my left hand, and remembered everything I said. Before I could get mad about anything, she was on it.” The celebration also included a welcome reception at Montrose Country Club and an after-party at If You Know You Know, which is the venue formerly known as Hamburger Mary’s. Both events received rave reviews from guests.

Vendors included George Valencia of Modern Valencia for photography and The Drakes for videography. Luckily, Simon and Julius booked The Drakes just before they shot Dave Navarro’s wedding for People magazine.

Royal Luxury handled florals and decor. Already familiar with Donald, owner Anna Jongejan made it a goal of hers to give Julius the wedding of his dreams. She coached Julius to not worry about the price, ensuring that the three of them would figure everything out. “She worked really great for us,” Donald and Julius both agree.

Now back from their honeymoon, the couple are looking forward to their next chapter: fatherhood. “We’re going to start the adoption process toward the end of the year,” Donald reveals. “We realized we wanted to have a little more fun before a baby pops up, but we’re ready.”

Their advice for other Houston couples planning weddings? “Elopement,” Julius jokes before getting serious. “If you’re planning a big wedding, get a wedding planner. It’s a full-time job.”

“Breathe and take it all in. It goes by so fast,” Donald adds. “Those five hours felt like one hour.”

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