Meet The Mazelins: Online Connection Leads Gay Couple Down The Aisle, Into the Hearts of Millions
Brian and Alec Tomlin-Mazelin (Image by Sydney Morman Photography)
Until recently, Alec Tomlin, 30, never allowed himself to dream of living the life he now leads with his husband, Brian Mazelin, 34. The Orlando-based couple wed in an intimate ceremony at Paradise Cove on July 8, 2022, in front of family and friends, and days later, to an audience of over 34,000 people who watched their wedding video on their increasingly popular YouTube channel “Meet The Mazelins.”
Tomlin, a native of Montego Bay, Jamaica, and Mazelin, a Miami, FL native, walked down the aisle, hand-in-hand in what can only be described as an out-of-body experience.
“I literally burst into tears the minute we turned the corner,” Tomlin said. “Knowing this wasn't just me as a viewer, but me as a participant in a wedding, to this day, it’s something that I don't think has hit me, like, how big it is.”
The newlywed's journey to the altar was not without its share of obstacles; from navigating a long-distance relationship in 2020 at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, to Tomlin’s exhaustive immigration process, to the rescheduling of their wedding day—their persistence and unwavering commitment proved that a delay is not a denial.
“I can remember several times in life praying that God would change the way that I am because I wasn’t worthy of happiness for loving who I love,” Tomlin said in his vows to Mazelin. “But they say God doesn’t give you what you want but gives you what you need.”
The husbands met in person for the first time in August 2020, nearly two years after Tomlin initially slid into Mazelin’s Instagram direct messages to compliment him on a “characteristically Jamaican” shirt he was wearing in a photo, only for Mazelin to acknowledge receipt of his message with a “double tap” and no opening for an exchange.
“I was in a relationship at the time. So, I wanted to respect what I was in because I did think he was attractive,” Mazelin said. “If we had started conversations, it probably would've gone the inappropriate route. So, I just left it where it was until I wasn't in a relationship.”
“I can remember several times in life praying that God would change the way that I am because I wasn’t worthy of happiness for loving who I love. But they say God doesn’t give you what you want but gives you what you need.”
- Alec Tomlin-Mazelin
With a fresh haircut and a newly posted photo, Tomlin tells The Reckoning that Mazelin circled back to his Instagram page post-break-up to react in a way that he couldn’t before.
“[He said] nice smile or something like that. And I was like, oh, hey, Mr. Double Tap,” Tomlin said through laughter.
Mazelin, a flight attendant, soon made plans to travel to Montego Bay to meet Tomlin in person. The two were not strangers to long-distance relationships, but this marked the first time each established a strong connection with someone online before ever sharing physical space. And the COVID travel restrictions at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay ensured that their first meeting would be delayed by another three hours.
“I was not in the best mood, but when I saw him, all of that went away,” Mazelin said. “His smile was so bright. I just thought he was the most handsome thing that I had ever seen.”
“When he finally got in the car, I was kind of speechless,” Tomlin said. “I was just hoping that everything went well, and he enjoyed his time in Jamaica. And he enjoyed me.”
“We didn’t skip a beat,” Mazelin recalls.
They were engaged four months later.
Brian and Alec Tomlin-Mazelin (Image courtesy of subject)
Mazelin tells The Reckoning that he flew to Montego Bay to spend time with his new fiancé five more times before the end of 2020. And although the engagement happened quickly, Mazelin says he didn’t have any reservations about asking Tomlin for his hand in marriage.
“I had a lot of what I didn't want in the past, and finding something that you do want, you just know that's it,” he said. “With Alec being in a different country, he made me feel like he was right beside me every day. I've been in relationships where we lived in the same city, and I couldn't feel further apart from the person.”
There was only one immediate hurdle both men had to overcome before tying the knot. Tomlin was not out to his family. And Mazelin, the father of 11-year-old BJ, had yet to share the truth about his sexuality or relationship with his son. For Tomlin, remaining closeted was a matter of safety in Jamaica where homosexuality is illegal and punishable by up to ten years in prison with hard labor, or in many cases, death by mob execution.
Brian and Alec Tomlin-Mazelin (Image by Sydney Morman Photography)
“Coming from Montego Bay, even though it is the tourist capital of Jamaica when it comes to the local experience, it's very different,” Tomlin said.
But despite the risks of being openly gay in Jamaica, Tomlin moved forward with coming out to his mother.
“I didn't think that she would reject me for admitting to being gay. But there still was that anxiety," he said. “Once you're preparing to come out, you have to prepare for the outcome to be good or bad because, at that point, the control is no longer yours,” Tomlin said, before opening up about what happened next.
“I came out, told her I was engaged and told her that I was planning to move from Jamaica, all in one conversation,” he said in awe of his audacity.
Brian Tomlin-Mazelin with his son BJ (Image by Sydney Morman Photography)
But mother Tomlin would one-up her newly out son.
“She was like, ‘Yeah, I just formed a family WhatsApp group, and I just told everybody [about the engagement] at the same time.’”
Tomlin’s courage inspired Mazelin to come out to his family.
“This is a major part of my life. He was able to come out to his parents and his family, so I should give him the same respect,” Mazelin said, who tells The Reckoning that he initially introduced Tomlin to his son as a friend.
“He [BJ] was very supportive. He loved me, no less. I told my mom first, and she was on board, but then she asked me not to say anything to the family,” he said.
Mazelin was able to respect his mother’s wish to keep his sexuality and engagement a secret (temporarily) until the summer of 2021 when their engagement photos went viral and changed everything. They went from being private citizens to public figures almost overnight.
The Tomlin-Mazelins and their wedding party (Image by Sydney Morman Photography)
“If you didn’t know, now you do”
“I took our engagement photo and put it in my [Instagram] story because I know I have family members that follow me. And I said, if you didn’t know, now you do,” Mazelin said, before recalling how the photo circulated amongst his family without anyone directly acknowledging his engagement with Tomlin until after the wedding.
“I think one of my cousins and one of my aunts said congratulations. They won’t talk about it,” he said.
On the couple’s wedding day, only Mazelin’s mother and son were present to witness his marriage to Tomlin. While he received less support from his mother’s side of the family, ironically, Mazelin says it was his Jamaican father’s side that showered him with the most support.
Brian and Alec Tomlin-Mazelin (Image by Sydney Morman Photography)
“It's crazy to me how I grew up in America and the American side of my family still has a problem accepting it, but the people from a country where homosexuality is illegal and highly frowned upon were the ones who supported me the most and still do,” he said.
These days, the Tomlin-Mazelins are receiving support from all over the world, especially from the “Maz Gang,” a title the husbands have given their loyal following of over 8,000 YouTube subscribers. Tomlin tells The Reckoning that their YouTube channel was launched out of boredom after a joint Instagram page led to countless requests from followers for them to transition to the video platform. While the couple says they are an open book, they also say there are boundaries to what they are willing to share.
“When people see [our] vlogs, that’s three days that's being captured in 30 minutes,” Tomlin said. “People have not seen intimate things that we treasure about our relationship because we also feel like those things are for us.”
“I had a lot of what I didn't want in the past, and finding something that you do want, you just know that's it. With Alec being in a different country, he made me feel like he was right beside me every day.”
- Brian Tomlin-Mazelin
But with their increased visibility on YouTube, safety is a concern for the couple who are often on the receiving end of homophobic rhetoric online, and recently, in person for Mazelin after working an international flight back to Orlando where he was recognized by a homophobic Jamaican traveler.
“They were on a whole other airline and they saw me in baggage claim and chose to try to embarrass and belittle me, which I think in turn they did to themselves,” Mazelin said. “I did try to walk away, but everybody has that light switch—he flicked mine—and he got what he got.”
The Tomlin-Mazelin Wedding Reception (Image by Sydney Morman Photography)
But for every ignorant comment or potentially hostile situation, the Tomlin-Mazelins may find themselves in for daring to share their love publicly. They say the moments of vulnerability and gratitude from their supporters, both LGBTQ and straight, make their journey worth it.
“It is so much bigger than what we know it is. That’s why it’s so important for us to continue,” Tomlin said. “Even looking at our journey, there wasn’t anyone in our lives to teach us or for us to model ourselves after or aspire to. So being able to even remotely be considered that for somebody else, honestly, is one of the most heartwarming things.”
Darian Aaron is Communications Director of CNP and Editor-At-Large of The Reckoning. He is also the creator of Living Out Loud 2.0 and a contributing writer for Edge Media Network. Darian is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists.
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