Daniel & Gaetano

I love the vibe behind these natural wetlands engagement photos. Daniel and Gaetano had their engagement photos taken in September, but they’re so snuggly and warm I think they’re perfect inspiration for Autumn or Winter! The couple joined with Bonavita Photography at a local wetlands area to take their engagement photos, choosing a place that they’d spent a lot of time and reflected the casual and natural feeling they wanted to their photographs.

Daniel tells the “lucky” tale of how he and Gaetano met. “We met at Borders on Chapel St, the bookstore is closed now. I was looking for a book and Gaetano was looking for a magazine. He asked me where a certain section a book was, apparently I looked like I worked there in my blue checked shirt and denim jeans.

After we joked around a bit we went out for a coffee and that’s how it all started. I was never really much of a believer in fate or serendipity until I had met my partner Gaetano, we had been dating for a few months already and we were sitting at a café chatting away when I opened my wallet and showed him a King of Spades card that I picked up a few years ago on some random street. I had kept it in my wallet as I read somewhere that it meant “good luck” so it just kind of stayed there.

Much to Gaetano’s surprise he opened up his wallet and pulled out a Queen of Spades which he had also found randomly in the streets a few years ago and had also kept it… and we have never looked back! ”

On what they love about each other, Daniel tells, “Gaetano loves my bad jokes! Over the years we’ve come up with so many bad jokes between each other that nobody else gets. Sometimes we’d continue on with the same joke for months until we invent a new one.”

Daniel tells the story of how he proposed. “I proposed to Gaetano on our 3 year anniversary, we were packing for our first overseas trip to China and right before we left for the airport I popped the question.

I had the ring custom made, half ruby half sapphire as I believed it represented us both. I believe that opposites do attract, for without the dreamers the logical ones would always be so boring and predictive. Yet without the thinkers, those that are too freely willed may have no limits to their actions. Gaetano was the ruby- the fiery tempered one that acted on impulses and lives for the moment. Whilst I was the sapphire-calm mannered and always thought things through logically first before making any decisions and had my feet firmly planted on the ground.

Gaetano’s dad was waiting for us both downstairs to drive us to the airport. Just as we were about to head down I handed him an envelope and told him to open and read it before we left. Inside was the letter that I had written to him for my proposal. Despite how nervous Gaetano was about his first trip overseas and that his dad was waiting downstairs for our luggage as well as any last minute checklists, he took the time to read the letter and he said “Yes”.”

Daniel and Gaetano had their engagement shoot at Edithvale Wetlands, noting, “We wanted a location that was local and a bit different. We always drive down this area and have always had many fond memories here. It’s near the beach (where Daniel lives) so why not have our engagement session here also! We wanted to go for something that was casual and laid back that really reflected who we were. Deanne from Bonavita captured us perfectly as we were able to be ourselves and we loved the natural look of her images.”