Micah and David met at 5801, a lounge in Pittsburgh, PA. Each was there alone and, having caught each other's eye, Micah made the first move. And, what a move it was!

From first meeting on a Saturday to a first date the following Tuesday, it was immediately apparent to the couple that the first hello was going to lead to a life together. In fact, it wasn't much beyond their first year-and-a-half together that they were talking marriage. Yet, there was a catch. Micah was not yet out to his family and, as he said: "I couldn't be engaged and not be out to them”

As both men live Christian lives, as do their families, Micah's news was difficult to come to terms with. David said: "If God didn't want us to be together, our paths would not have crossed. To have someone to enjoy life with is a blessing." Knowing that they had love and faith by their side, David asked Micah to propose only when he was ready. 

That time came this spring when the couple decided to take a vacation to the Pacific Northwest and visit their friends, Jeff and Kiz, in Washington State. Jeff advised Micah to have the ring with him at all times, and when the timing was right, Jeff would be there waiting to capture the moment with his camera. 

One day, as Micah and David were on the beach admiring the Pacific and the Oregon coast, Micah signaled Jeff only to discover that the batteries in Jeff's camera had died. Micah couldn't miss having the moment he proposed documented. So, from the seaside to mountain high the couple and photog went. 

After a beer at Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood, David made motions for heading back home. Micah insisted on a few more photos, this time on the snow which, given they were in flip-flops, made David raise an eyebrow. But, Micah persisted by hugging David, telling him how much he loved him and meant to him, and then... took to his knee, pulling out the ring, and proposing. Both were overcome with joy. 

And, Micah took to kicking off the planning! "The first decision we need to make was the venue as that sets the date," said Micah. A colleague of his had suggested Pittsburgh's Grand Hall at The Priory and when the couple saw the venue, they knew it was it. "But, venues book up fast so... act fast," they advise. 

What the couple's venue also offered was a one-stop-shot. David shared, "The Grand Hall hosts open houses twice a year so we were able to experience all of their vendors and see the space in action." And, while some folks might recommend it is good to shop services around, as Micah, a procurement professional, notes: "everything is negotiable."

With the venue settled, next up was deciding on a theme and David's Etsy account proved the inspiration. Simply typing in "Pittsburgh" to the search bar yielded Pittsburgh Pixels and the idea for their colors and a theme centered around the city they call home. 

Pale yellow and shades of gray, plus a combination of Pittsburgh's many architectural icons yielded their Save the Date magnets and direction for the menswear, the ladies' dresses, flowers, table arrangements and more.

As the couple said: "We want people to realize that you define the day, tradition doesn't. It is OK to be different. We want to set a standard for others to follow by being ourselves and reflecting our life together.”

Micah and David have done all but walk down the aisle for their Spring '17 wedding, but we aren't going to give too much more away. Men's Vows will be featuring the couple in our Wedding Wisdom column early next year, so stay tuned. But, for now know from these gents that: 

• You define your wedding, not tradition. 

• Book your venue early and consider ones that are a "one-stop-shop."

• Negotiate!

• Rely on your theme to guide many of your other decisions. 

• Divide and conquer with each of you taking on aspects of the wedding, and be decisive.   

• Have fun doing it with each other and for each other.