Neil and James: Fourteen Years in the Making

Neil and James’ story began with a dating app match in 2012 and a casual Anzac Day beer that neither could have known would lead to fourteen years together. From building a life filled with travel, family, their beloved cavoodle Sushi and plenty of adventures, to finally bringing everyone they love together in Melbourne, their April wedding was a celebration of a life already beautifully shared.

Photography Rolan John Photo

THEODORE Mag: How and when did you meet?

Neil: As with many modern couples, we matched online via an app all the way back in 2012. I'd been housesitting in a new neighbourhood and happened across a handsome man with a striking beard. After a bit of flirting, I asked him out for a drink at the pub.

James: Coincidentally, I had been eyeing off a very handsome man nearby but was way too shy to say hello. But I’m so glad Neil made the first move. That was all of 14 years ago now.

THEODORE Mag: Tell us a little about that first time you met…

Neil: I'd had a run of not-so-brilliant dates prior to James, so I attempted to set my expectations lower than normal before meeting up on that fateful Anzac Day. I'd suggested watching the footy together to break the ice - if he was a dud, at least the game would be a distraction! Once I saw how much more handsome he was in person though, all of that pre-game expectation setting went completely out the window.

James: Our first date was at the pub in Richmond on Anzac Day. Just around the corner from where we recently got married. Despite a hectic venue, and a losing footy team, it was an instantly engaging date. It was electric sharing so many shared interests and values straight up. I felt so lucky to have put myself out there on the day. I never thought that a casual beer would turn into so much more.

THEODORE Mag: What was the first thing you noticed about each other?

Neil: Those piercing blue eyes and his kind smile. I may have also nervously commented that he wasn't as tall as I'd imagined.....talk about shooting myself in the foot!

James: I was instantly drawn to Neil’s smile. Big, beaming and engaging. But he also has a sharp wit matched with a brain full of intelligence. It was a dangerous combo.

THEODORE Mag: Tell us about the standout moment or milestone in your relationship…

Neil: I feel incredibly lucky to say there have been more milestones in our lives than I ever could have dreamt for the two of us - purchasing a house, bringing our son (our cavoodle named Sushi) home with us, numerous holidays and adventures. Our journey has sometimes been complicated by the loss of my parents in my 20's, but there's never been a moment James has ever made me doubt our commitment to each other. Our wedding day truly was a culmination of all those moments combined though.

James: Our relationship has been full of incredibly happy times and adventures. The things we’ve achieved as a couple of kids from working class families is something I am so proud of. House. Car. Dog. Friends. Travels. But not all milestones are happy. And some bring a lot of grief. I’m constantly in awe of the way my husband has handled and processed the sadder moments of our lives. His strength always gives me belief that things will be ok, even when they feel so hard.

THEODORE Mag: What does marriage mean to you?

Neil: Marriage means never walking alone in this life, knowing that your best friend is always by your side to guide you through those highs and lows.

James: Marriage is two things to me. Firstly, it’s the ultimate commitment to each other. Unquestioning love, commitment and support, whatever the world throws at us. We will do it together. The second thing is that it says to the world Neil and I are a same sex couple - our love is no different to anyone else’s, and we want to celebrate that for everyone to see. In the end, all that matters is love.

THEODORE Mag: Who proposed and how?

Neil: On our last European adventure, I'd spent many weeks questioning if it was far too cliche to propose to your boyfriend on the Amalfi Coast. Each time I'd work myself up to proposing, I'd get nervous and tell myself tomorrow was another day.

Late into our trip, we had an exceptionally straight-boy adventure to Oktoberfest in Munich on one very wet and windy September afternoon. After far too many steins of heavy German beer (do not believe them when they say it's hangover-proof!), I finally plucked the courage to ask James to be my husband.

James: And I said yes! I couldn't think of anything more symbolic of our relationship than getting engaged while drinking beers and dancing on tables in Germany.

THEODORE Mag: When did you get married?

Neil and James: We got married in April 2026.

THEODORE Mag: What was the main influence behind your wedding day?

Neil: Ensuring we kept the vibes fun and chilled for everyone on the day - including ourselves! I wanted the day to feel like a massive party for everyone, celebrating the love James and I have for one another, and all the love we share with our friends and family. We have a lot of smaller groups of friends from across our life, so I wanted to ensure we had a series of spaces that felt like a natural way of bringing them all together for a party.

James: My driving influence was celebrating our commitment to one another with all the people we love the most. We wanted the day and evening to feel and look very "us.”

THEODORE Mag: What was the most important thing to you surrounding your wedding?

James: The most important thing to me was ensuring the day felt like a natural extension of our lives and personalities, with an emphasis on great food and drinks alongside a venue that remained memorable years down the track.

Neil: Aside from ensuring my husband-to-be felt comfortable and at ease on the day, I wanted to ensure our beautiful little boy, Sushi the Cavoodle, was front and centre as we said our vows. So long as the three of us were together, the day was a success in my books!

THEODORE Mag: Did you incorporate any family sentiments or traditions?

Neil: Leading up to the big day, I wanted to ensure my parents (both of whom passed away through my early adulthood) were remembered and memorialised as part of the ceremony and speeches.

James: The magic of a wedding is bringing loved ones from across our lives together. So it was nothing less than a wonderful experience to see both sets of families - aunties, uncles, cousins and siblings - in the same room at the same time. It's rarely happened, but it was touching to see on the day.

THEODORE Mag: Where did you find the bulk of your inspiration?

Neil and James: We obviously gained a lot of inspiration from Theodore! Aside from the usual social media scrolls and in-depth conversations with suppliers, we took advantage of being the last of our friendship group to tie the knot by stealing ideas from those weddings we attended and loved. All of this was combined with the amazing ideas of the team from Glasshaus who beautifully captured the essence of our day.

THEODORE Mag: How did you choose your suppliers?

Neil: In a previous job, I'd walked past Glasshaus Inside many a time on my commute home. Every time I had a glance inside on a Friday afternoon during the summer, when wedding season well and truly gets underway, I felt like there would be no better location to have my own future event. While we did visit a few other venues on our initial search, I couldn't escape that 'gut feeling' of Glasshaus.

As for our other suppliers, I've been seeing my barber Joey at Buddy's Barbershop for over ten years - almost a marriage into itself! He's just the most amazing mate and always knows what to do with my curly locks.

James: As a wannabe photographer, it was incredibly important that we had a great artist capture our day. I came across Rolan in the Theodore directory and after stalking his instagram, and later meeting him, I instantly knew this is who we wanted.

Neil: We also met Bridie (our celebrant) early on in the process - she'd come highly recommended from a mate and within minutes we instantly knew she was perfect for our big day.

THEODORE Mag: What was the most difficult thing about planning your wedding?

Neil: If there is one thing we're known for, it's for being incredible wine snobs, so it was with great difficulty that we combed through many bottles of wine to lock down our final selections! After a quick chat with the team at Dan Murphy's though, the ordering process went down without a hitch.

James: No single thing was particularly difficult as we had amazing suppliers help us through. But I did worry a lot about making the event as enjoyable as possible for everyone. Something that people remembered. I think we nailed it in the end.

THEODORE Mag: Where did you spend your honeymoon?

Neil and James: We're currently answering this questionnaire from the beautiful Basque Country in Northern Spain! Our European Summer adventure has taken across Southern France, Catalonia, Madrid, Basque Country and will see us continue through to Bordeaux, Paris and a departure from Brussels.

THEODORE Mag: Any advice for other couples planning their day and finding it difficult to navigate the journey?

James: Firstly, remember you can only tackle one task effectively at a time. Complete, then move on. Secondly, surround yourself with suppliers you know or come recommended for you - anything you're tackling has been done by millions of couples before you. Lastly, write a checklist!

Neil: And remember that nobody else needs to be validated by your choices than the two people walking down that aisle! If in doubt, reaffirm your shared values and focus on the importance of you as a couple above all else.

Neil and James’s Team

Couple @jamesayel and @neilway

Photographer @rolanjohn_photo

Venue @glasshausdesign

Celebrant @marriedbybridie

Hair Stylist Joey at @buddysbarbershop_

Suit Designer Josh at @institchu

Wedding Rings @uniformblackstore

Cake and Desserts @tarts_anon

DJ @heyjack_co

More For You