I’m a neurotic recycler. It hurts me in my green-zone when people throw out recyclable items. Bottles, cans, boxes - you name it, I recycle it. I’m even dorky enough to bring a bottle home with me from the park if there isn’t recycling there. I’m pretty sure our neighbours think I’m neurotic.
Megan may have missed her engagement all together, if she wasn’t a recylcer too. On a family vacation to Hawaii, Sean had the entire engagement planned. The family was in on the ‘plan’ from the beginning. As they spent the day driving around looking for the ‘perfect beach’, they were bubbling over with excitement. After finally spreading out their blankets, Megan headed for the water. Little did she know that Sean had secretly stashed a beautiful old bottle in his bag and strategically placed it beside her beach mat. Tucked inside the bottle was a note waiting with a very important question.
After coming up from the water multiple times, Megan did everything but go back to her towel. No matter what Sean tried, she seemed to go everywhere but there. “You should go sit on your own mat” her mom pushed. “Look, there’s something over by your towel” her brother in law insisted. But she was too busy enjoying the sun to worry about if a crab was loitering near her seat. She even dragged her beach mat over the bottle at one point to move, not even noticing that it was there. Finally, after not understanding why everyone was so obsessed with what was happening near her towel, she looked and said, “It’s just a bottle!” But her brother in law insisted that maybe she should pick it up and take it home with her. Enter Megan’s green-loving heart. Being earth friendly, she finally picked up the bottle and noticed a note inside. She was super excited, thinking it was a child’s school project and pulled out the note to read it out loud to her family. But as she started to read the note, she realized it was from Sean and they were suddenly the only two left on the beach. Sean was already down on one knee and had champagne ready to celebrate.
Megan and Sean were our winners of the $10,000 dream wedding giveaway. Being that they loved the tropics, they couldn’t think of anywhere better to get married than the Dominican Republic. We couldn’t wait to do a Day After Session with them as soon as they returned and headed out to their farm for some fun. The goats were anxious to join in the fun too and insisted that the flower in Megan’s hair was actually intended as their lunch. Megan and Sean, congratulations on winning the contest and we had so much fun doing this session with you! :)
- Brianna
They walked up and down the display cases. She ran her hands along the glass and admired the rings tucked safely inside. They were each beautiful in their own way. She would have loved any one of those rings, but one in particular caught her eye. This was the ring. The one that called her name and asked to be taken home. This was the ring that she had always hoped for and the 2nd finger on her left hand would make the perfect spot for it. She dreamed. Secretly he did too.
While imagining the ring nestled safely on her finger, Jamie pointed the ring out to Dave. “That’s the one!” She knew that there possibly couldn’t be any other ring in the world that was better suited to her. But amongst her excitement, all she got in response from Dave was, “Maybe someday”. As they walked out of the store, she hoped that maybe someday would be sooner rather than later because both the ring and Dave were everything she had dreamed about.
As the weeks went by, they turned into months. And still no ring. She often thought about it and wondered if it was still tucked safely inside the display case. Little did she know that Dave had returned the very next day after she pointed it out to buy it just for her. Six months later, it was time and Dave could wait no more. He planned a day trip to Niagara Falls and they spent the afternoon sightseeing, horseback riding and enjoying dinner. The entire day the ring was waiting patiently to make it’s appearance and Jamie kept asking to ride the ferris wheel. Dave kept putting off the ride to wait for night fall. Finally after dark it was time. At the top of the ferris wheel, over looking the city, the falls and the night lights, Dave pulled the ring from his pocket. The ring that she had hoped for. The ring that had caught her eye and called her name. It was finally where it belonged. Nestled safely on Jamie’s finger, it was home…
Jaime and Dave, your love for each other is so fresh and sweet and beautiful to watch. You wear your hearts on your sleeves and are just so much fun to be around. We can’t wait to see you in a few weeks and we hope you’re having a great holiday today. Happy Canada Day!
- Brianna (photos by Ewan)
If you’re a regular blog follower, you’ve probably heard me talk about the Sour and the Sweet. Some of our favourite memories are events that started out perfect, but ended in an unexpected way. On our wedding night, Ewan and I were talking about the great day we had and that it was one of our very most favourite days ever. But then as Ewan opened a champagne bottle to celebrate, the cork flew up and hit him right between the eyes and knocked him out. An interesting start to our wedding night, but sometimes you have to take the sour with the sweet to make the perfect memories. Jenny and Darryl also have a favourite memory of one of their road trips together. It may not have ended in the way that most people would consider perfect, but they love it for both the good and the bad of the adventure. Life is just more fun if you can see the sweet through the sour…
It had been a perfect week. They laid on the beach in Cape Cod. They toured the coast of Maine. They camped in the Eastern States. It was everything they had hoped for in a vacation. Until the ride home. They drove throughout the entire night, taking turns and trying to stay awake. McDonald’s called out to them as they made it back into Canada. Who wouldn’t be tempted to stop for french fries and milkshakes at 4am! But as they sat waiting at the take-out window, their great week took a turn for the worse. Their car broke down. Quit. Wouldn’t start. Said ‘no more driving’.
With a little elbow grease, they managed to push the car into a parking spot and call CAA. Now remember, it was 4am on a Sunday morning and getting a tow wasn’t the easiest thing in the world. Not to mention, there were no garages open to even take the car to. When their CAA knight in shining armour arrived, they were exhausted and took a welcome rest on the ride from Niagara Falls to London. But paying the tow truck for such a long journey drained their bank accounts. Emptied them. Made them scream ‘no more money’.
As if the night hadn’t been bad enough, Darryl couldn’t find his phone. It had been lost somewhere along the way. No car. No money. No phone. And a whole bunch of luggage from their trip. Great! Still stranded at the garage, they didn’t have a penny to their names to get to the bus station and couldn’t reach anyone to help. Their perfect vacation wasn’t ending so perfectly.
But their bad luck couldn’t ruin the great memories they created that week together on the beaches of Maine. It didn’t matter that they were stranded. Or that they had no car or no money. They were together and that was all that mattered. It may have taken them hours to finally get home, but it ended up just adding the perfect ending to their vacation and is one of their very favourite memories still to this day.
Jenny and Darryl, I love that you found the sweet through your sour day and that you look back on your trip with smiles. Here’s to hoping that you always find the sweet in life and we can’t wait to see you again this weekend :)
- Brianna (photos by Kelly)
We spent days pouring over our wedding menu. We needed meat options. Vegetarian options. Spicy options. Bland options. It was enough to make me want to pull my hair out. In the end, we settled on 13 perfect things to be served at our afternoon cocktail wedding. They were going to be delicious and I couldn’t wait to taste them. For weeks I dreamed about baked brie with raspberry coulis. And then our wedding day came and my stomach was ready. The perfect raspberry red colour caught my eye and my stomach begged me to indulge. But, alas, I was whisked away to save the world elsewhere. And my stomach cried. Just a little bit.
All of the thoughtfulness we put into our spread and Ewan and I didn’t get eat a single bite of it. The table was beautiful. The food looked delicious. Our guests kept telling us how wonderful it all tasted. And we were too busy to even sample it. Our first meal together as husband and wife was cake. Now, it was pretty darn delicious cake, but not how I had pictured our feast. Later that evening, we walked into our hotel room and the first thing we did was what any sane newly married couple would do - order room service! Those steaks and french fries were perfection on a plate.
Christine and Mike also had an afternoon cocktail reception and spent hours planning a feast for kings. They could not have possibly planned a better tasting spread and couldn’t wait. After they said their ‘I do’s’, they were excited to share a meal together as husband and wife, but much like our day, the world needed them elsewhere. Their first feast together was a mini quiche florentine. Bite sized, but perfect. Later that night, they also called for room service and their stomachs were forever grateful. Nothing beats burgers, fries, champagne and wedding cake!
Christine and Mike, it poured on our wedding day. And it poured on yours too. Poured like the skies hadn’t rained in years. But you two were so awesome about it. I’m pretty sure I cried when I saw the forecast of storms for our day. It rained, you got sticks stuck in your hair, you didn’t get to eat and you had to walk in the mud with three inch heels - and you smiled through it all. You two were incredibly happy and laid back and just perfect. We loved working with the two of you and hope to be able to cross paths with you again. :)
- Brianna (photos by Ewan)
For brides : Bridal gown from Nicholas and Elizabeth and Flowers by Russell Rossini.
by Brianna
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