Though we grew up in neighbouring towns, somehow our paths never crossed. We were both hoping to find the person we could build a life and family with, and thankfully our friends were determined to make that happen. While Lauren was working with our mutual friend Carly, she decided we had to meet. So, Carly and her husband Matt set us up on a blind date during karaoke night at their favourite pub. What started as a fun night out turned into our forever!

Calvin planned to propose on our one-year anniversary, complete with the ring and what was planned to be the perfect day. From the moment the day started, Lauren had a feeling it might be happening. We spent the morning picking out new decor to make Calvin's home more cozy. Then came a hike with Archie, where Lauren was convinced the proposal would happen, but it didn’t… Next, we headed out to Prince Edward County to a cocktail lounge and once again it felt like this had to be the moment! Still nothing… Arriving to dinner, we decided to treat ourselves to the chef’s table experience, expecting a lovely meal and then heading home soon after. Instead, our dinner turned into a delicious (but lengthy) three-hour experience. Ironically, we even got sat beside a couple who got engaged earlier that day, gushing about the details and her gorgeous ring. By the end of dinner, Lauren finally accepted that maybe the proposal just wasn’t happening that day after all! Meanwhile, back at home, Calvin’s sister and nephew had been setting up the back deck with candles, creating the perfect romantic scene, with the ring tied to Archie’s collar. With no cell service at the restaurant, Calvin had no way of letting them know dinner had gone wildly off schedule, and eventually they had to leave and blow the candles out. When we finally arrived back, Calvin told Lauren to head around to the backyard. Calvin ran ahead to light the candles and get Archie into place. As Lauren turned the corner, there was Archie, sitting perfectly with the most beautiful diamond ring hanging from his collar. As they say, the rest is history!

Our venue holds a special place in our hearts. It is deeply woven into Calvin’s story as he grew up right next door and spent much of his life making memories on the property. Over time, it has become a special place for both of us where we’ve shared many moments with his family. We feel incredibly grateful to celebrate our wedding there, in a place that already holds so much love. We express a big thank you to Calvin’s parents for making this happen!