Kate & Steph

Graham Murray Photography lesbian same-sex couple Brisbane Queensland wedding Dancing With Her Magazine

Kate always says she knew from the first night we met that she wanted to marry me. It took me a couple of years longer to catch up. The first time we got engaged, Kate took me to a very romantic dinner at the lookout we love. I had been getting hints that she was trying to figure out what kind of ring I would like, plus she wouldn’t stop playing with her pocket all night [checking that the ring was still there!] I was a bit of a smart ass and said something funny like, “how cheesy it would be if someone proposed here? The fancy restaurant, the lookout, and the city lights…” I thought it would help her understand that I had clued on and that I was ready for her to ask – but she took it as a sign that this wasn’t the right moment! So on the drive home, I turned to her and asked: “So, will you marry me?” Which she responded to with, “Well, funny you should ask because I have this ring here…”

Like all juicy love stories, there was a breakup in the middle of our engagement. We call it our ‘relationship sabbatical’. We couldn’t stay away from each other and, after being back together for six months, got the engagement back on. All up, we were engaged for two years, with a year break in between. The year apart forced us to grow and work on ourselves, making for a healthier, stronger relationship afterward.

THE WEDDING

S: I hate being cliché, but it was honestly one of the best days of our lives. How often do you get to get super dressed up and go to a party where you know and love absolutely every single person there? The food was divine, and everyone was in such high spirits. The day ran so smoothly, thanks to Kate’s schedules and the very organized staff at Hillstone.

I genuinely enjoyed the ceremony. Our celebrant Paul put a lot of time and care into getting to know us and getting friends and family involved. He even wrote to the mutual friend who introduced us who now lives in London – she wrote back a letter to us, and he read it out.

Another favorite moment was when the night shifted from chilled out acoustic music to ‘Gold Digger’ by Kanye West, and I found out that absolutely every one of our family and friends knows how to get loose.

K: The actual day feels like a bit of a blur now. We chose to get ready separately, a pretty big deal as two very rarely apart people.

We decided to do a first reveal shoot before the ceremony.

The plan was for me to get there a little earlier, and she would arrive about ten minutes later. True to form, I was ten minutes early, and Steph was about twenty minutes late, which at the time felt like hours.

She was worth the wait. The second I saw her, my heart melted. It took everything I had not to cry. She did. A calm fell over me, and it was like I fell in love with her all over again.

Paul Voge, our celebrant, was 100% the stand out vendor. I can not articulate how perfect the ceremony was, and it was all down to him. He made sure the ceremony was so special and honestly not like any other wedding we’d been to. He also was skilled at making sure Kate didn’t lose her mind while she waited at the altar for me to walk down.

The second he said, “I now pronounce you married,” felt so amazing. I rallied so hard for the “Yes Campaign” when Australia was going through the plebiscite, and to hear that and it be legal was the most phenomenal feeling in the world.

K & S: We had a cocktail style reception as many of our friends and family hadn’t met before (our parents met for the first time the Saturday night before the wedding!). It meant we got to get around to see everyone and that no one was stuck at a table too long that they didn’t want to be at. We worried that finger food wouldn’t be enough, but there was MORE than enough food for everyone!

After everything was said and done, we both wish we could live it all again. These months have been stressful but also amazing. Getting married has been one of the best adventures we’ve been on yet, and we’re so excited to see what’s next.

Being married feels fucking amazing. It’s incredibly validating for it to be legal and have our relationship recognized as much as anyone else’s. It honestly means the world.