A Bend and Snap Led Brandon Duran and Anthony Reyes to Forever

It all started with a bend and snap.

When Brandon Duran first spotted Anthony Reyes working in the fragrance department at Dillard’s in 2019, Anthony found a creative way to make sure the handsome shopper noticed him. “I thought he was incredibly handsome, but there was no way I was going to approach him,” recalls Anthony. “So, I did the next best thing: the Bend and Snap! Yes, from Legally Blonde!”

The maneuver worked. A mutual friend who worked at the store told Brandon that Anthony’s suspiciously well-timed attempt to stock a bottom shelf was meant for him. Brandon left his number behind, Anthony texted, and a relationship neither man was particularly looking for began to take shape. “We agreed it wouldn’t be anything serious from the start, but here we are,” Brandon says.

Both grew up around Lake Jackson and Freeport in Brazoria County, and today the couple lives in Jones Creek, about 45 minutes south of Houston. Their earliest dates were appropriately low-key. One particularly memorable night involved crawfish at Brandon’s house. “We were completely focused on enjoying the moment,” Anthony remembers. “After that, we watched a movie, talked for hours, and just enjoyed being together. Honestly, not much has changed. Some of our favorite nights still look exactly like that.”

What began casually gradually became something neither could imagine living without. For Anthony, one revelation came shortly after his 21st birthday, when he introduced Brandon to his family. Anthony was nervous, especially because Brandon was the first man he had ever brought home. Instead of criticism, his family couldn’t stop talking about how much they liked him.

“Seven years later, I can confirm that feeling was probably accurate,” Anthony jokes. “But seeing the people I loved fall in love with the same person I was already head over heels for told me everything I needed to know.” For Brandon, there was no single epiphany. “I think it happened gradually rather than in one single moment,” he explains. “As our relationship grew, I realized that Anthony wasn’t just someone I loved. He was someone I genuinely wanted to talk to, be around, and give my attention to. He became my safe place, my partner, and the person I wanted beside me through all of life’s highs and lows.”

A Proposal 1,000 Roses Strong

When it came time for a proposal, however, Brandon abandoned their relationship’s understated beginnings and went big. He rented out The Dirty South restaurant and bar area, secretly invited approximately 50 family members and friends and decorated the space with more than 1,000 roses and candles.

Anthony was told he was attending a friend’s 30th birthday party. “Brandon somehow managed to pull off the impossible and surprise me,” Anthony states. “He transformed The Dirty South restaurant with flowers, rose petals, beautiful draping, and one of the most stunning proposal setups I’ve ever seen.”

After Anthony said yes, their hidden loved ones emerged to celebrate with the newly engaged couple.

I Do at San Francisco City Hall

For the wedding itself, Brandon and Anthony went in nearly the opposite direction. On September 22, 2026, the couple married at San Francisco City Hall, surrounded by loved ones who traveled from Texas for the occasion. Their original vision had been closer to an elopement, with Brandon expecting perhaps six people to make the trip. Instead, more than 20 friends and family members joined them.

The intimate ceremony was officiated by Brandon’s aunt, Elizabeth Conley, who became ordained specifically for the occasion. The gesture had another layer of significance as Brandon had officiated her wedding a few years earlier. “We didn’t want a minister, someone who we don’t know, telling us about our love,” Brandon explains. “So it coming from her meant the world to both of us.”

After the ceremony, the newlyweds returned to Hotel Zeppelin to cut their simple wedding cake before heading to Lori’s Diner for dinner. Then came the party bus, which carried the group through San Francisco for a night of bar hopping, music, drinks, karaoke, and plenty of celebration.

Underwear Night and a Midnight Pizza

The festivities also delivered one of Brandon’s favorite memories when he, Anthony, and three of his straight best friends unexpectedly landed at a gay bar on underwear night. “My best friend said, ‘Hey, let’s strip down in our underwear and take a photo,’” Brandon recalls. “That photo will go down in history! It’s me and my best friends just in our underwear, with our backs turned toward the camera, and in a gay club. It was very memorable.”

The night eventually led everyone to the Golden Gate Bridge, complete with a midnight pizza stop. For Brandon, though, one of the most meaningful moments came when the excitement briefly quieted enough for him to take stock of what had just happened. “I just kind of looked back and I thought, ‘This is perfect. This is my husband. This is my moment. This is my friends and family,’” he reminisces. “That was a really big moment for me to step back and really look at what we had accomplished and every little thing that got us here.”

The Team Behind the Day

The couple credits best friend Julissa with helping keep their unconventional celebration on track. Photographer Eduardo Alba captured their San Francisco memories, while Cali Party Bus carried the celebration through the city. Hotel Zeppelin hosted the couple, and Sephora makeup artists Nova and Audrey helped get the grooms camera-ready.

Most importantly, Brandon and Anthony got exactly the wedding they wanted, which was something intimate, personal, a little unpredictable, and unmistakably theirs. “I wanted a wedding that felt personal, meaningful, and fun, and that’s exactly what it was,” states Anthony. “The day felt less like a traditional wedding and more like a celebration of our love story with all of our favorite people.”

Seven years after one perfectly timed bend and snap, that love story has officially entered its next chapter.

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