Enchanting Forest Wedding in the Royal National Park

Right as Miguel was about to delete Hinge and take a break from dating apps altogether, Taylor liked one of his jokes – and everything changed. What followed was a romance filled with long conversations, delayed first dates thanks to quarantines, a Pokémon-style proposal in New Zealand, and eventually, an enchanting forest wedding that felt entirely and unapologetically theirs. Captured by Sean Drury Photography, their day was heartfelt, playful, and we’re so excited to dive in further!

Right when Miguel was on the verge of deleting Hinge and swearing off dating apps for a while, Taylor liked one of his jokes – and immediately caught his attention. “I thought he was SO handsome,” he shared. But it wasn’t just his looks that won him over. Their conversations flowed effortlessly, but there was something standing in their way. COVID. First, Taylor had to quarantine, then Miguel caught it just as they rescheduled, so the pair had to wait an extra two weeks before finally meeting face to face.

On New Year’s Day 2024, Miguel and Taylor started their year with an important conversation – deciding that, at some point that year, they would get engaged. It was just a matter of WHO would ask first. “The very next day, I was already deep in research mode. Rings, locations, you name it. We’d always dreamed of going to New Zealand to see the nature, so I planned our South Island trip with the most romantic and breathtaking hikes I could find. I roped in Sophie, his lifelong bestie, to help pick the ring and secretly get his size… which, despite all the plotting, turned out too big anyway (LOL). Fast forward to New Zealand, where we were hiking through Fiordland, weaving our way along the Routeburn Track into this magical, enchanted-looking forest. At the summit, with the most jaw-dropping view you could imagine, I… completely chickened out. Nerves took over. But on the way down, while we were playing one of our silly little games, it hit me: I didn’t need to be nervous. I was just so excited to spend forever doing life with him,” Miguel explained.

“So back in that enchanted forest, while Taylor was rushing us along because the daylight was fading, I asked, “Are you having a good time?” He said, “Yes, my love! But we really need to get down quick.” He turned around, and there I was, on one knee, holding a Pokémon Master Ball (guaranteed 100% catch rate, for the Pokémon fans). He screamed (very on brand for him), and I asked, “Well, will you please do this with me for the rest of our lives?” He said yes!”

Both Miguel and Taylor have their favourite colours, and they let them shine at their wedding. Taylor wore this stunning plaid green suit paired with green leather Doc Martens and a beautiful brown leather brooch, which they found in a vintage shop in Surry Hills.

Miguel had his suit made by P Johnson in an enchanting shade of dark-blue pinstriped seersucker fabric. He finished his look with a pair of burgundy Solovair tassel loafers and a vintage gem fish brooch from his mum.

Sean Drury Photography captured everything for Miguel and Taylor’s enchanting wedding. “Sean did so amazingly with the photos! Everyone loved his energy. He took a stunning portrait of Taylor and me in the woods, and we just looked so ethereal and magical. Perfectly captured how we wanted to remember the day we committed to forever,” Miguel shared.

“Not enough words could be said. We were so lucky to have found him. Someone gay like us! Who also immigrated to Australia. It was just a perfect match. He knows our taste very well and helped us so much in making sure we were having fun, and he knew how to handle our awkwardness (Taylor and I are not photo people lol).”

The five things that truly stood out to Miguel from their enchanting forest wedding included:

“1. Definitely our real love for each other that we hope our friends and family felt

2. Our dear friends and family, who had nothing but the loveliest things to say

3. How helpful everyone was to us and how they really wanted us to succeed

4. How there was really good chemistry with all our vendors, who really wanted nothing but the best for us

5. How symbolic this was as a gay interracial couple.”

They each had three people in their wedding parties – Taylor had his three best friends, and Miguel had his two siblings and his best friend. Taylor’s party were encouraged to wear whatever they wanted, so naturally they made their own outfits. “Sophie (Taylor’s maid of honour) sewed in the most beautiful appliqués on her stunning sage green gown and made her look like a flower goddess. Suzan sewed her own divine dress. Eamon wore a stunning navy corduroy jacket with a green shirt on the inside,” Miguel shared.

“Both Adri (Miguel’s Best Woman) and Enzo had their suits made in Manila from a local atelier. Adri wore a pink power suit, and Enzo wore a semi-cropped suit and flared pants. Aly wore a beautiful classic beige/peachy one-shoulder dress.”

The rest of their guests were given an easy dress code: upstage the (non-existent) bride!

Audley area in the Royal National Park in New South Wales was the venue of choice for Miguel and Taylor, with the perfect, enchanting vibes for their forest wedding. “It’s a stunningly underrated venue and a bit hidden, but not too detached. Our ceremony was at the Wattle Forest in Audley, and our reception was at the Audley Dance Hall.”

They each walked down the aisle separately, with Miguel and his mum walking first to a slowed-down version of “Halo” by Beyoncé. “Both my mum and I were already in tears. Taylor and his mum did Beyoncé too, but A complete 180 from our solemn, teary-filled one. He walked down to “Run the World”, supported by cheers and laughter from the crowd.”

Peace and calm, simple yet meaningful. This would be the perfect way to describe Miguel and Taylor’s ceremony. “No frills, just true love. We did the usual things like intro, ring exchange and our personal vows, but we also incorporated a Filipino custom of veil and cord ceremony that we asked two couples that inspire us most,” Miguel shared.

When their celebrant, Ruby, announced it was time for the veil and cord, Miguel realised no one had brought them to the ceremony site! “I started mouthing ‘veil and cord’ to the wedding party. Everyone started thinking in their heads where it was and realised it was in a Myer paper bag. So everyone started mouthing ‘Myer’ paper bag. Good thing Taylor’s sister-in-law saw Sophie mouthing Myer paper bag and remembered she put it in her car (which was thankfully parked nearby). While that was happening, Ruby said to the crowd to just wait, just a few moments. Taylor quickly quipped a joke, “Shall I sing us another song?” The crowd erupted in laughter. He just beautifully sang “My Man (Glee version)” as part of his vows to me,” he explained.

The best piece of advice Miguel wants to leave for couples planning their own ways is this: “Enjoy the ride!!!! It goes by so fast. Lean on each other, and remember this is for you, not for anyone else. This is your wedding, and you can do whatever you want, and however you want to do it!”

DIY was a big part of their details, from the digital wedding invitations to the wedding website and the food menu – Taylor and Miguel dug deep into their creative stores. “Miguel’s brother painted a beautiful landscape that served as the background for the seating plan. He also, together with Miguel’s step-sister, painted the welcome sign on a vintage wood mirror.”

These incredible flowers done by Jen and Ash from Fresh Creative Styling are one of Miguel’s favourite details of their enchanting wedding – and we would have to agree! “We wanted mostly Australian natives. Our main inspo was Ariana Grande’s Positions Vevo Live Performance; they IMMEDIATELY got the brief,” Miguel shared.

“All our vendors were crazy amazing! Jess from The Wedding Gables, who was our wedding coordinator, made sure everything ran smoothly. Our flower divas, Jen and Ash, did a wonderful job in styling our beautiful wedding. The team at Audley Dance Hall, who made everything super super easy for us and fed us the most delicious food!”

For their reception entrance song, Miguel and Taylor picked another Beyoncé song – this time “End Of Time”. “We also opened the dance floor with “Break My Soul” by Beyoncé. Can you tell we’re part of the Beyhive?!”

To finish out the night, Miguel and Taylor had their friend Sophie perform “The Only Exception” by Paramore. “A song that means so much to both of us,” they shared.