Photography: France, e-martinez.pro/en
Surrounded by lush lilies and under clear blue skies, Dancing With The Stars NZ dancer Shae Mountain said “I do” to his Belgian partner Maxim Defay just before the opening strains of Ain’t No Mountain High Enough rang out.
But it wasn’t until the iconic song marked the moment the loved-up couple officially became Mr and Mr Mountain that Shae and Maxim, both 32, realised what a fitting tribute it was.
“The wedding planners sent us possible songs to walk out to and we both went, ‘We love that song,’ but I didn’t realise how perfect it was until the day itself!” tells Shae, who partnered with Laura Daniel and Gilda Kirkpatrick on Dancing With The Stars NZ, plus Schapelle Corby and singer Dami Im in Australia.
Choosing to take his husband’s last name, Maxim jokes he now has a very memorable signature.
“My initials are M&M,” he laughs.
The song was just one of many happy memories from their fairytale wedding celebrations, held over three days at a rustic 16th-century farmhouse in the South of France. With guests gathering from Aotearoa, Australia, England and Belgium, Shae says even though his partner’s older relatives didn’t speak English, the two sides communicated through Google Translate to create beautiful “family vibes”.
A walk to remember
The ceremony kicked off with live band Soul & Pepper playing Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling In Love as Shae’s groomsmaid and groomsmen, including his brother Nick, entered. As tears welled in his eyes, Shae was walked down the aisle by his mum Julie, while Maxim followed, escorted by his aunt Isabel and grandma Jaqueline.
“All the right people were there, which is why I cried so much,” shares Shae.
“The whole space was full of love.”
From vows to whiskey shots
The ceremony was officiated by their close friend Odile and the couple’s vows were humorous, with Shae teasing Maxim for being a “clean freak” and Maxim sharing how he arrived at their first date glammed up, while Shae wore a tracksuit. In contrast, their wedding style was perfectly in sync, with the couple wearing matching off-white jackets and black pants by Zegna. At their garden reception, the grooms’ party entered dancing to Cardi B and pouring cinnamon whiskey shots down their guests’ throats.
“I never expected to pour one into my mum’s mouth,” laughs Shae.
“Then she wanted another. I was like, ‘Who are you?!’”
Love, laughter and happy tears
Mediterranean fare was followed by a delicious three- tier white chocolate and vanilla wedding cake. While a local artist drew portraits of guests, Maxim’s mates surprised him with an “embarrassing but funny” montage of silly videos. But it was his sister Lili who restarted the waterworks.
“She did a lovely speech in English, so I could understand, which was really touching,” says Shae.
Maxim adds, “She’s 19 and doesn’t like speaking in front of people, let alone in a different language, so it was amazing.”
A first dance full of fun
Of course, all eyes were on the couple’s first dance. Having chosen Stand By Me – a special song for the couple because a mariachi band had played it when they got engaged in Sydney in 2023 – Shae asked a pal to teach Maxim the choreography.
“It might have been too frustrating teaching him myself,” he says candidly.
“But it went really well. I lifted Max three times and he was waving like the Queen!”
Dancing into the night
Festivities continued as a DJ played English and French tunes, while Shae spun his DWTS co-star Laura around the dancefloor.
“Laura surprises me with how much she knows,” he smiles.
“I led her into a Viennese waltz and she remembered all the steps.”
A family-filled finale
The following afternoon, the clan enjoyed brunch and pool time, then spent their final day wine tasting and exploring the medieval town of Uzès. Bringing their families together was everything for the couple, who surprised Maxim’s grandma by legally marrying in Sydney in November last year, when she was visiting.
After their honeymoon in Marseille, Ibiza, Marrakech, Madrid and Abu Dhabi, the newlyweds plan to return to Australia, save for a house and perhaps get a cat. They’re still deciding whether they want kids. Shae, meanwhile, has had a big few months professionally, winning two same-sex world dance titles with his Kiwi partner Matt Nicholson.
A new chapter for Shae
“I didn’t know much about same-sex dancing,” says Shae, who has spent recent years teaching dance and doing Ballroom Blitz tours.
“It was a really cool chance to do something different that’s not traditional male and female dance.”
Being able to compete in same-sex partnerships and embark on a same-sex marriage is something he doesn’t take for granted.
“We’re lucky that where we live and where we got married, we’re able to do that,” he says.
“I think back to my younger self, when I was still getting comfortable with my identity, and now everything’s so comfortable that I don’t even think of us as a gay couple. “It’s just Max and Shae, and we’re so normal to everyone around us. We’re lucky to feel like that because not everybody around the world has that same experience.”
