Sappy Love Stories: Justine Lee & Raphael Holzer's sweet romance

For our latest edition of Sappy Love Stories, where we shamelessly get all the sweet and syrupy details of our favourite couples, we talk to fashion stylist, #legend contributor and #legend100 influencer Justine Lee. Find out how she met her long-time boyfriend Raphael Holzer, her verdict on matchy-matchy dressing and why love (for them) is literally suh-weet.

How long have you and Raph known each other?

We met in early 2016, so it’s been five years now.

How did you first meet?

I was over at a friend’s house for a birthday dinner and he was there to visit his friend, who was my friend’s brother-in-law. We chatted amongst friends for a bit, and he added me on Facebook shortly after. It wasn’t until I slid into his DMs wishing him a happy birthday months later that we really connected.

Where was your first date?

We met for after-work drinks at Mahalo and stayed there until it closed, before moving onto a wine bar in the same building. Our first date was seven hours long! We’d never really spoken to each other before that night, so we had a great time getting to know one another.

What do you love most about each other?

Raph: I love how she’s always down to go on adventures with me – and always makes sure we have the best snacks at home.

Justine: Raph is someone that I can always count on. He takes care of me, he’s fun and still a big kid at heart. I love trying new things together and how he gets me out of my comfort zone. Plus, he shares my love for sweets.

What’s the sweetest thing you’ve done for each other?

Raph: Justine is always sweet. She’s always taking care of me and making sure I’m doing okay.

Justine: Raph bakes me my favourite Momofuku birthday cake every year. I pretty much eat only that for my entire birth week (as breakfast, snacks and dessert)!

Your respective pet names?

Justine: Raph is ‘raffles’ or ‘waffles’. He calls me ‘sunflower’.

Who’s the sappier one?

Justine: I’d like to say Raph, but he might think otherwise (haha!).

Who said ‘I love you’ first?

Justine: Raph did! It was during a long trip I’d taken when we first started dating, and he’d written on ‘I love you’ on the very last page of a book he’d hidden in my suitcase.

Do you believe in matching couple’s outfits?

I don’t really believe in matching outfits, but if it’s for dressier occasions, I think it’s nice to dress in complementary colours.

Are you guys into Valentine’s Day?

Not really. I think the best things about V-day are the chocolates and candies, but we’re both trying to limit the amount of sweets we consume right now (we both have a very sweet tooth)!

How will you be celebrating this year?

Nothing planned so far. We’ll probably have a nice lunch out and then make dinner at home together.

See also: Sappy Love Stories: Veronica Li on meeting ‘The One’