We lucked out with some of the best Spring weather for Cheryl and Kirstin’s engagement session. I always encourage my couples to pick spots that have great meaning to them – Cheryl and Kirstin live super close to Bowness Park and, being an active couple, go there often for sports and to hang out with their nephew. On our walk around the park, we discovered a kids nerf gun group and lamented over the fact that we’ve yet to find an adult nerf gun group – because we would totally all join.
I learned about their passion for biking and other sports, which was awesome to hear just how many fun activities these lovely ladies have in common. They spoke about the excitement of their wedding day, which they want to view as a huge awesome party where their two friends and families come together, some to meet for the first time. I really loved hearing that – looking at your wedding day as a party and celebration certainly takes some of the traditional pressure off. I feel this makes for a much smoother day and better experience!
The age old question… How did you two meet, and what were the initial thoughts or feelings of one another about the other?
C & K: We met at hockey. Cheryl joined the Hurricanes 5 years ago and Kirstin already played on the team. We had mutual friends. Cheryl thought Kirstin was loud and funny. Kirstin thought Cheryl was cute and intriguing because she was more reserved and quiet. It took a few months for us to get to know each other but we found out we clicked quite well after hanging out only a few times.
Describe your proposal story! Were you surprised?
C & K: Kirstin was caught off guard. Cheryl planned a canoe on the Glenmore Reservoir one night after work in late August 2017. She had two really good friends in on the plan, they were disguised as a couple of fishermen in another canoe off in the distance. Cheryl proposed in the middle of the reservoir about an hour before sunset which was captured on camera by our friends in the other canoe. The two friends also packed some celebratory drinks and a picnic. We spent the next hour paddling around and we saw a moose, several beavers, and lots of water foul.
What brings you two together, and what do you enjoy spending time doing together?
C & K: We both have a silly sense of humour and make each other laugh all the time. We love sports and enjoy playing, watching on tv or going to live sports events, especially hockey and baseball. We enjoy camping, biking, hiking, and going for walks around our neighbourhood. We especially enjoy spending time with Kirstin’s 6 year old nephew and 3 year old niece. We also love traveling together.
Describe an event or memory that was significant about one another, and how your feelings or thoughts may have changed/grew as a result.
Kirstin: The first Christmas after dating for 3 weeks, I had some upsetting news and was a little down in the dumps. First, Cheryl invited me to go back home with her, which was thoughtful, but I declined. The day before she left, she gave me a Vancouver Canucks jersey, which is my favorite hockey team and something I would never buy myself. This was the first indication of how kind and thoughtful and extremely generous Cheryl is.
Cheryl: I invited Kirstin come on a 6 day backcountry canoe portage on the Bowron Lakes our first summer together. The trip is a chain of 11 lakes over 200 kms in length in the middle of nowhere. She hadn’t camped much before. It rained 3 of the 6 days and she was a champ! She was really good a steering the canoe, staying calm when the waters got rough, and was great company the entire time. She made me laugh the whole time! She says I was testing her, but I say I just wanted to share my love of nature ;)
I’m so excited to share their wedding photos in a future post!
