I once wrestled a bear. I hold a Guinness World Record. I’ve performed on the Vegas stage. Hooked, right? So was I. Fast forward a few weeks, and you’ve got a nine-hour-long first date, an afternoon embracing our inner children at Science World (though to be honest, that’s Tyler on the daily), hikes in the mountains, dockside fish and chips, and two normally quiet people who can’t shut up around each other. And suddenly we’re asking ourselves whether a weekend trip to Whistler is too much for a fourth date.
A Few Years Later:
Picture a quiet, unremarkable Tuesday evening in Vancouver: it’s late and we’re walking home along the seawall, talking softly and enjoying the city lights twinkling along False Creek. About halfway home, we stop to look out over the water. I’m gazing at the lights, distracted, thinking about the Cirque show we’ve just seen, but gradually I notice Tyler’s heart racing through two layers of coats… and I wonder what the heck is going on — is he having a panic attack?? Then I notice he’s been acting weird and quiet all night, and as I half-turn to ask if he’s okay, I realize that — for the first time in my life — I’m not looking up at my 6’4” boyfriend, but down, at my newly minted fiancé.
A Few Years After That:
Not even married yet, and I can already tell you that my best premarital advice is to spend the first year of your engagement locked up in self-isolation with your husband-to-be. You learn a lot about conflict resolution as a couple when you’re three weeks into quarantine and your partner’s new juggling hobby has mandarin oranges flying around the apartment. Virtual Zoom backgrounds for the win. But in reality, going through the ups and mostly downs of 2020-2021 has given us both a new appreciation for this transitional period of our lives. While we faced many challenges planning our wedding during a global pandemic — including three reschedules, a last minute downsizing, numerous travel hiccups, not to mention last minute location changes on the day of the wedding and a brief period where I got stuck in a parking garage alone in full wedding dress (!) — in the end, it was both everything and nothing we had imagined. Our new first look and portrait locations completely outshone our original ideas (huge kudos to Isle & Oak for this stroke of brilliance); I amused the heck out of a bunch of people in an IGA when I finally emerged from the parking garage; and our family, friends, and vendors went above and beyond just to get there and help us celebrate with incredible energy and support. It was a magical, fun, and unpredictable day — the perfect herald of the kind of marriage Tyler and I hope to build together.
Getting hitched in Vancouver? Check out our Vancouver Destination Wedding Planning Guide for local vendors, rehearsal dinner spots and the inside scoop on planning a wedding or elopement in Vancouver!
