Michael + Josh by Maegan Brown - Together Journal

Overall, their first meeting laid the foundation for a meaningful connection based on shared values and mutual admiration.

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…

Currently calling Singapore home for nearly four years, we made the move from Melbourne during the pandemic in 2020, adding a unique layer to our story. Our days are currently filled with the lively presence of Atticus, our cherished dog who keeps us entertained and active. Professionally, Josh works in a mining company, while Michael is in the tech industry.

Singapore has become the perfect hub for our shared love of exploration. It’s a great location that allows us to embark on spontaneous journeys, satisfying our mutual passion for discovering new places.

How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?

Like many modern-day couples, we initially met online. For Josh he was initially captivated by Michael’s reserved yet warm nature, noting his ability to naturally draw people in. He admired Michael’s career achievements, finding inspiration in his passion for work. The discovery of Michael’s silly side created an immediate connection. On the other hand, Michael appreciated Josh’s quiet-to-quirky demeanour, admiring his balance of humour and thoughtful advice. Michael was struck by Josh’s widespread respect among friends and colleagues, as well as his commitment to studies, dance, family, and faith. Overall, their first meeting laid the foundation for a meaningful connection based on shared values and mutual admiration.

When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?

For Michael, who tends to be quite serious and reserved, he knew that he wanted to spend his life with Josh when he felt he could be his true, unreserved self with him. Along with shared core values and deep trust and respect that was forged over many years. Josh brings a sense of joy and fun and balances Michael very well, keeping him grounded.

For Josh, it was when he first met Michael’s family and best friend in Toowoomba, Queensland and saw Michael’s love and relationship with his family. This was a time he truly got to know Michael and his roots, developing a deeper understanding of Michael’s values.

Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…

We have been talking about getting married for quite some time. It was our sixth year being together, and we planned a trip to Europe as one of our annual holiday overseas trips. The night before leaving for our trip, we booked a night at Crown and went to an amazing fine dining Japanese restaurant.

After dinner, we got back to our hotel, and we talked about how excited we were about our trip. We also talked more about how much we love each other and there and then, Michael popped the question to Josh.

Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding.

The overarching theme that we wanted to be represented in our wedding was the idea of “home”. Having lived in three different countries (Australia, the Philippines (for Josh), and Singapore), we wanted these represented in some way or another at the wedding.

Flowers – we had flowers native from Australia and South East Asia
Photos – we had 40 printed photos from our past displayed throughout the venue, featuring our family and friends. Similar to what you would see when you visit someone’s home
Candles/Hand Soap – we had the candles and hand soap that we have in Singapore
Music – for walking down the aisle, the song we picked was ‘Home’ (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros)

In addition to the physical representation of “home, it was also important that we created a warm, welcoming, and loving environment for our wedding. We knew many of our guests would have to travel far to make our wedding in Melbourne, so they were treated as if they were coming to our home for dinner or a celebration. We made sure we had a very relaxed environment, plenty of food and drinks for everyone, and not a lot of formalities.

What was one element you were happy to splurge on?

We splurged on the flowers and were very happy we did. Sassafras did an incredible job incorporating Australian natives and florals from South-East Asia. In the main room, we had the reception, they installed a large sculptural piece suspended from the ceiling. For the altar, they had flowers both suspended and coming up from the floor. This then became the backdrop for the photo booth. It really brought a wow factor to the evening without being over the top.

Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?

We were very fortunate on the day when most things ran to plan. Naturally, there can be small hiccups, but as we wanted it to be relaxed and not overly formal, we weren’t worried about when things didn’t go exactly to plan. We were very lucky with all our vendors that helped make it as stress free as possible.

The only thing that perhaps wasn’t as elegant as we had envisioned was our first dance which we had not invested a lot of time practising. We spent 30 minutes putting it together the night before and hadn’t practised the dance with our shoes on, which resulted in some forgotten steps and turns during the dance. As a couple who doesn’t take ourselves too seriously, watching our first dance makes us laugh a lot (and maybe a little bit cringe).

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?

We wanted to go for a summer/spring vibe that we would be able to wear again. We decided to go with a colour palette that complimented each other and would work well in the venue. Both suits are linen which will be suitable for us to wear again in Singapore. The suits are something we left towards the end of the planning, but we both found something easily without having to try on too many options. For the bowties, we initially wanted something with a floral pattern but struggled to find something that matched the aesthetic we wanted. We then found a company that handcrafts unique bowties in Belfast that had a range of great options, that could craft and deliver to Singapore within a few days. We ended up ordering a selection of bowties and, on the week of the wedding, decided to wear a plain option, though some of our guests borrowed the unused bowties for their outfits.