When Mikael met Megan
A Happy Love Story
Words by Cara Emmeline T. Garcia
Interview from Cara Emmeline T. Garcia and Iya Villania (24 ORAS)
Photography by Jamesson Vista, Mikael Daez (IG), Megan Young (IG)
The first time Mikael Daez met Megan Young, he gave her a jacket.
Mikael tells GMANetwork.com the story on a sunny afternoon in Quezon City, in an expansive suite at the Luxent Hotel. They both just drove in after getting hitched four days ago. The couple who look just as majestic as they are on screen have recently said their "I do’s" not once, but twice in a private ceremony in Calaruega and Subic, respectively.
By some miracle of genetics, Mikael, 32, has that same energy and fresh face that graced a few billboards in EDSA, but his once-clean cut hair and shaven face are now traded with a longer ‘do and mustache in preparation for his role in the GMA family drama "Love of My Life."
Though their personality difference has been pointed out in the past (Megan, 29, being the more introverted one), Mikael is obviously the more curious of the two. He moves around the rented suite and asks questions like a kid in a candy store.
On the other hand, seated primly on the makeup chair in her white button-down top and beige trousers, Megan is quiet, exuberant—and psychotically pretty, as in you-cant-believe-you're-looking-at-a-beauty-queen pretty, or Ask-her-to-be-your-girlfriend-and-then-introduce-her-to-your-parents pretty. (That happened in real life, by the way.)
Mikael sits down in one of the queen-size beds and gets ready. The "jacket" encounter took place at an event in 2010 where Megan hosted, he explains. He was a model, and he saw the actress backstage looking like she was uncomfortable in the cold breeze of the air conditioning system.
“She was cold, literally. As in cold,” Mikael tells GMANetwork.com, “I saw na giniginaw siya kaya ko siya binigyan ng jacket.”
From then on, Mikael and Megan turned from perfect strangers to friends.
In previous interviews, Megan admitted that they talked and talked some more throughout the evening and two weeks after that. Unfortunately for Mikael, she was taken at the time.
A month passed, and a little breakup later, Mikael and Megan met again and spent the entire evening enjoying each other’s company. And the rest, as they say, was history.
than my ex-girlfriend and I was glad to tell her that.”
A little over January the next year, he finally asked Megan to be his girlfriend which also happened to be his 23rd birthday.
Meet-cute
For the whole week, Mikael and Megan unearthed and reviewed every electronic record of their courtship in preparation for their wedding—from their first impressions to the first thought they had as “Mr. and Mrs. Daez.”
“My first impression of Mikael was that he was very talkative, he likes to engage in situations a lot, so… he’s very madaldal,” Megan says.
Mikael confirms this, deadpan. In the few hours we’re together, Mikael doesn’t shy away from the fact that he’s the more extroverted of the two.
For some inexplicable reason, they always knew they were gonna end up together—for better and for worse. And this means making things work no matter what it takes.
“For me, I think it was, we have very different personalities,” Megan says. “He likes to tackle things head-on and I’m the complete opposite.
na-feel na, ‘Ah, na-miss kita.’ Which is nice because we got to miss each other a lot so I think it was good for our relationship.”
Mikael and Megan reunited a year after her Miss World reign. This, apparently, was the pivotal point when timing began to work in their favor. Travels were booked, games were played, and coffees were brewed together in each other’s arms.
And finally, that same year, Mikael popped the question.
One bride and one groom, two weddings
It was on a fine Saturday afternoon, January 25, 2020, when Mikael and Megan announced that they can officially call themselves Mr. and Mrs.
Through a post on Instagram, the two revealed that they’ve already tied the knot.
Contrary to most of their peers, Mikael and Megan’s minuscule wedding was everything they could ever ask for on January 10 -- the same date they took a trip together as a couple for the first time nine years ago.
A coincidence? Perhaps. Perhaps not.
Like their profiles and YouTube vlogs, Megan and Mikael are the definition of a chill, no-qualms-whatsoever couple. In fact, their preferred dates were so random that they bore no significance for the lovers.
“The reason behind the whole date is, we met up with our wedding coordinator and we said, ‘Give us your free dates in January.’ And the 25th was one of them so we chose that date,” Megan explains. “Ganun lang ka-simple, walang meaning.”
Similarly, the reason for their first wedding was simply out of convenience for the bride-to-be’s chosen priest who they wanted to officiate the ceremony.
“The priest we wanted wasn’t available on the 25th even though we asked him early last year pa. E, gusto ko talaga siya ’yung mag-officiate sa amin because he knows our relationship the best,” she says. “I felt like it wouldn’t be the same kung hindi siya magkakasal so last minute, around December, we decided to book Calaruega and have a ceremony there.
“And again, no significance,” Mikael claims. “It just so happens na ’yun ’yung free date niya.”
Collectively, Mikael and Megan’s wedding was one for the books. As the two recall, they had no expectations for both weddings other than the fact that they were officially tying the knot with the one they were meant to be with.
But to their disbelief, what was supposed to be a relaxed ceremony turned out to be their most memorable moment preserved in a series of photos and videos taken by family and friends.
For one, their January 10 celebration turned out to be a cry fest for both actors.
Mikael remembers, “When I got there [in Calaruega] I was tired and dirty because I just came from a plane ride [from Dubai]. I wanted the wedding to happen, I just didn’t expect na magiging cry fest siya.”
Megan continues, “We were crying the whole time! As in pag start pa lang ng homily, ’yun ’yung start ng iyak namin at hanggang dulo umiiyak kami.
“It was nice and I think the reason why we were crying nung moment na ’yun kasi parang feeling ko kaming dalawa lang and ’yung priest,” she adds.
Ten days later, Wedding No. 2 was in full steam. In their words, the second ceremony was nothing “but a blur.” You can tell that they really enjoyed it by the way they laugh while recalling memories of that night.
“Sobrang nag-enjoy ako,” tells Megan. “It was so much fun kasi wala kaming program at kami ’yung nag-host ng sarili naming wedding. We wanted it to be a celebration, ayaw namin ng parang event na may sinusundan na program.”
She happily continues, “We really just went with the flow with everything. I even wore sneakers kasi I wanted to be more comfortable and para ultimate enjoyment kami that day. Pero, parang sumobra.”
But despite Megan insisting that their wedding day be as relaxed as possible, Mikael confesses that his wife had non-negotiables for the big day.
“Actually, tinanong ko si Megan kung ano ba gusto niya sa program,” he recounts. “And she said she wanted a first dance kasi may favorite song kami. Dapat may mother-daughter dance, may mother-son dance. And then ’yun lang, tapos na, and then nag-dinner na kami.
“Oh! And wine toasting pero instead of wine we had coffee,” he adds.
And the rest, like their photos during the night, was a mere blur. A sort of magic that will be embedded in their minds for the rest of their lives.
Happily ever after
Both Mikael and Megan have been drawing up long-term plans. They will still do what they’ve been doing, but their careers as actors and vloggers will become an even bigger focus.
We can also assume they will have kids, possibly later in their relationship.
“Kung magkakaroon, biglang malalaman niyo na lang,” Mikael says, breaking into a laugh.
“It’s not something we’re planning yet but if it happens, it happens,” Megan clarifies.
As the interview goes on, it’s so evident that the two have definitely learned to adjust to each other’s quirks in the more than nine years of being together. For one, Megan proudly shares that she can cook a mean breakfast. Mikael can attest to that, “Specialty niya, scrambled eggs and french toast. Masarap naman siya,” he says.
But the proudest moment for the newly-minted husband has to be the fact that he taught Megan how to handle finances like a pro.
“Thank you so much, Fofo. Sobrang dami kong natutunan sa kanya kasi medyo gastadora ako dati,” she admits while staring into his eyes.
“Mikael has taught me a lot when it comes to finances and that’s a big step in our relationship. To be open about things like that. He taught me all about understanding money, the value of money, how to save, and how to manage everything.”
As she tells this, Mikael’s face lights up as if he achieved something grand.
He then blurts out, “Or spend it on things that simply made you happy.”
Happiness — that’s the whole theme of this conversation.
In the couple of hours we’re together both Mikael and Megan have always mentioned how happiness, bliss, and contentment are the most important factors for their lasting relationship, the only ingredient they would ever need.
Whether or not they plan to divulge something to their thousands of fans, Mikael and Megan couldn’t care less.
What’s important, Mikael suggests, is that his wife Megan is happy.
“I think it’s knowing what you want and kami alam namin [ang isa’t isa],” Mikael says.
Megan chimes in, “If the kind of person you want is someone who likes to share every important moment, every important detail in social media, then go! If it makes you happy then go do it, 'cause people are happy doing different things and I say, follow your heart.”
So what makes them happy?
Mikael keeps his answer short and straightforward, “Simple, it was making coffee in the morning and taking her out on trips and adventures.”
Megan couldn’t agree more.
