25 Years of Love in Melbourne

Some love stories feel like they were written in the stars, and this one began when two teenagers locked eyes over a bowls competition. They were just 17. Fast forward a quarter of a century and here they are still laughing, still holding hands, still so obviously smitten with one another.

To mark their 25th anniversary, these two sunny Brisbanites planned a special trip back to where it all began: Melbourne. The city where their love story first took root. And what better way to celebrate than wandering the laneways, riverbanks and arcades together, reliving the feeling of young love but with twenty-five years of memories stitched between them.

We started at Federation Square, buzzing with its usual life and colour, before heading into the chaos and creativity of Hosier Lane. Paint-splashed walls, big energy, and the kind of laughter that only comes when you’re with your best friend. From there we strolled along Southbank with the river glittering beside us, then ducked into Degraves Lane for that quintessential Melbourne charm—espresso machines humming, people spilling out of cafés, and the scent of roasted coffee beans in the air.

And then—my highlight. After years of being closed, I discovered Campbell Arcade had finally reopened. Those iconic pink tiles called out to me and I knew I had to take them inside. The portraits we made there? Honestly some of my favourite couple photographs ever. The backdrop was perfect, but more than that, their joy and energy just radiated.

It was the kind of mornings that reminds me why I love what I do—photographing not just faces, but the stories, the history, the spark that lives between people. After 25 years, these two still carry that spark like it’s brand new.

Here’s to their next chapter, and the many more anniversaries they’ll celebrate—wherever love takes them.