The love story

Michael and Chantelle first met in 1996 at the age of 11 when they were neighbours in Tweedside Street, Essendon. Michael, Chantelle and David would spend endless hours having waterfights, constructing and playing on a tyre swing, playing tennis and riding bikes up and down the driveway.

In 2002 Michael and Chantelle started dating and when both their families left Tweedside Street in 2004 Michael moved in with Chantelle’s family. Both were at university at this stage and they continued to live there until 2007. During this time Michael and Chantelle went on their first international holiday together…to Phuket of course. They fell in love with Thailand. Who could have known that years later this is where they’d be married.

In 2006 Michael graduated from uni and it was time to move out. The weekends were soon taken up with searching real estate websites and inspecting apartments. One weekend, they inspected an apartment at “Flinders’ Wharf” and fell in love with the building and location. This was where they wanted to live. After lodging the application and a week of anxious waiting, it was confirmed, they were offered the apartment. This would be their home for the next 12 months….then just a short move 15 floors up to a new apartment in the same building.

In May 2009, Michael and Chantelle planned a holiday to Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpar, Kota Kinabalu and Singapore. Little did Chantelle know this would be the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.

After an enjoyable two weeks of the holiday, spent with family in Singapore and shopping in KL, they arrived at the Shangri La Rasa Ria Resort just outside of Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. On their first night there, 16 May 2009, Michael proposed to Chantelle. He had arranged a private gazebo on the beach with a private butler. The path leading up to the gazebo was scattered with rose petals and lined with frangipanis. Inside the gazebo was an intimate table for two, scattered with rose petals. They sipped cocktails and ate their meal while enjoying the beautiful setting. Just before dessert, the butler emerged with a silver platter, covered with a silver dome. This was presented to Michael. Under the silver dome was a white ring box holding an engagement ring, a rose, and scattered rose petals. Michael got down on bended knee and proposed. After recovering from the shock, Chantelle said yes.

Photos of the proposal and ring can be found here.

We look forward to the next chapter. Thank you all for being involved.