An sweet meet cute allowed our two worlds to finally merge, but instead of them colliding head on, this simple interaction was more like a soft nudge in the right direction. We were both attending a church conference in Calgary when both of our pastors introduced us to each other. Nothing particularly special happened on that day but their encounter left an impression that allowed the two to remember each other in future serendipitous encounters.

After years of running in close circles but never truly connecting, George walked through the doors of The City Church. A simple meet cute turned into a newly sparked friendship. Slowly, post-church conversations in the lobby turned into daily text messages which eventually progressed into late night phone calls and FaceTime chats. Through every deep heart-to-heart and belly-laugh conversation, we quickly realized how compatible and aligned we were.

After months of getting to know each other, it was undeniable that there was something special between us. In early summer, we had "the conversation" in Riverdale Park, overlooking a beautiful sunset. We remember sitting far away from each other because we were so nervous but decided to courageously have a conversation about our feelings for each other. At the end of this conversation, we agreed to have our first date on June 10 2023 in Toronto, after Elle came back from a work trip.

A last minute change in her work trip, meant that Elle had to reschedule their first date back home. Needless to say, Elle was really sad that the date wasn't going to happen. Well, if there's anything we know about George, it's that he loves to show up and he loves to show up in BIG ways! Motivated by the love in his heart (teehee), George flew across the country and surprised Elle in Vancouver where they had their first date and became an official couple. Elle was scheduled to guest worship lead at The Way Church in North Vancouver. During this service, a local pastor at the church asked to pray over us. He prayed that our relationship would be blessed and prayed that we would continue to accomplish big God dreams in our lives. Little did he know that we weren't even a couple for a full 24 hours! His prayers meant so much to us and served as confirmation that we were stepping into something special.

On our 6th month anniversary, George planned a date that would forever mark their relationship. We had talked about getting engaged but Elle was convinced that it was going to happen in early January. The morning of the proposal was secretly ordinary - a morning in church followed by a casual lunch and walk around the mall. Elle knew nothing different! Elle took a nap in the car as George drove to their next destination and when she woke up they were at Sheridan Nurseries. George said they were just going to pick up new Christmas planters for her mom. We walked around until eventually we were surrounded by Christmas trees decorated with photos of us. We will never forget the smell of balsam fir or the glow of twinkly lights as George got down on one knee to propose. ⁣ "Will you do me the honour of allowing me to love you for the rest of my life?" *Cue big tears*

On our one year anniversary, in the same church where we were prayed over, during an intimate ceremony with our families, we said "we do". Vancouver will forever hold a special place in our hearts and we are so grateful that we were able to get married in a place that is so meaningful to us. We were particularly grateful to share one of our favourite cities with our families. We even planned a short tour to Whistler the day after we got married to take in more of those stunning mountain views!

This is where you come in! We are so excited to host a reception for our family and friends back home in Toronto. We strategically planned our party on Thanksgiving weekend because we want to be able to express our deepest gratitude for all of the love and support you have shown us over the years. Put your dancing shoes on...it's going to be a party!