We may be Queensland Brides, but we absolutely LOVE it when grooms share their special engagement and wedding stories, too! Featuring plenty of colour, sweet moments, an impressive cake and super-cute fur-babies, this engagement shoot had us all in awe. Read on to be won over by this handsome couple!
Related article: 7 tips for the perfect engagement photo session
Timing is everything when it comes to love, and it certainly played a pivotal role in Michael and Philip’s story. “It seems corny to say, but it was literally love at first sight!” says Michael of the chance moment he and Philip crossed paths at a Brisbane nightclub “sometime in the AM”. “I remember just going up to Philip and kissing him,” Michael adds. “I told my best friend at the time I’d met the person I was going to be with forever… at 19 years old!”
Michael’s gut feeling was right: things moved quickly, with the pair going on to travel, buy an apartment and welcome their beloved “fur-baby” Charlie (aka Boo Boo) over the next 12 years. Then, Philip’s romantic proposal in front of the Sydney Opera House opened an exciting new chapter while also posing a dilemma – where to wed?
With a professional background in wedding industry PR and events, Michael was more than ready to create his own big day. But feeling like same-sex marriage would never be legalised in Australia, the couple chose an overseas location for their long-awaited nuptials. Then, with a wedding booked in New Zealand for February 2018, their plans were thrown for six when the plebiscite was announced. “We decided to cancel the international wedding and wait in anticipation for a yes,” says Michael. “We are so glad we did. Not just because Australia is such a beautiful place to be married, but we wanted to contribute to the local wedding economy and be a contributor to the impact same-sex weddings can have on our industry.”
Prepping for their October 2018 nuptials, Michael and Philip also made time for this fun-filled engagement shoot. The couple’s obvious connection, vibrant personalities and dashing Wil Valor suits served as inspiration for a joyous ‘Perfect Picnic’ theme, while a rich palette of lilac, burgundy and deep blue played perfectly with the coastal setting. Congratulations, Michael and Philip. With an engagement shoot as luxe as this, we cannot wait to see the wedding!
Click below to see full gallery
LITTLE BLACK BOOK:
Couple: Michael Taylor & Philip James // Photography: Soda Wedding Photography // Shoot design & styling concept: Foreva Events // Suits: Wil Valor // Grooming: KM Makeup Studios // Furniture hire: The One Day House // Cake: A Little Cake Place // Florist: Stylised
