Well, hi there. Been a minute, hasn’t it?
If you’re coming to this post, chances are you already know what you’re in for. So let me officially spill the beans… We got our engagement photos back!!
Our photos are absolutely beautiful, surpassing every single expectation that Steven and I had. We worked with Cody & Camille from Greco Photo Co, who will also be shooting our wedding. They were an absolute pleasure to work with and we completely love the results. It really only makes us more excited for the Big Day™️… Only 3 months to go!
In honour of getting our photos back, I thought I’d show some of our favourite shots as well as talk a bit about our relationship story, as I’ve never shared that here!
We had our photos taken at Dundurn Castle in Hamilton, Ontario. For those who aren’t familiar with Hamilton architecture and/or history, no sweat. Dundurn was a neoclassical mansion owned by Sir Allan Napier MacNab who served as a former Joint premier of the Province of Canada. Today it sits as a heritage site in downtown Hamilton—and a beautiful location for engagement photos, if I do say so myself.
Steven and I both attended McMaster University, which is located just down the road from Dundurn Castle. But our story actually starts years earlier, in the ancient year of 2013. (Okay, maybe not that ancient… But kids born that year are literally 5th graders, so.)
our story
Steven and I have known each other since way back in middle school, when we were travelling in very different social circles. He was way more of the jock / popular type, whereas my friends were known by his friends as the “weird kids”. In eighth grade, however, we shared a few mutual friends so I saw more of him.
Our story actually starts with me as the wingwoman to my friend who had a crush on him. In typical eighth grade fashion, I was tasked with bringing them together. I planned for them to share a slow dance at our graduation. But when it came time to seal the deal, Steven ended up dancing with another a girl. He immediately became my sworn enemy and when he came to apologize, I brushed him off. Only for him to say, “Trust me, we’ll be best friends next year. I just know it.” (Oh, if only little Steven and Felicia knew…)
Flash forward to grade nine. Steven started coming around more often, hanging out with my friends in the hall during lunch and eventually, becoming a permanent fixture in a group. It really didn’t take long for me to start warming up to him and developing a sneaky little crush. Unfortunately, by November, Steven was dating someone else.
As soon as Steven starting dating someone else, I boxed up my feelings and put them away. The two of them hung out with my group and I started talking to other boys (most of whom were actual demons, but that’s a whole other story).
Throughout all this, Steven and I remained friends, and a shared math class in freshman year actually brought us closer together. We had the worst math teacher in the world and spent most of our time goofing off in class. We actually became the bane of our teacher’s existence, leading him to write in my report card that I should find better friends who didn’t distract me in class… Oops.
One time, our teacher randomly assigned us into groups for a project. When we found out we were together, Steven and I were ecstatic, literally cheering. And seeing our reaction, our teacher swiftly separated us into different groups. We still talked to each other the whole class lol.
Summer came around and we went our separate ways. Steven spent the summer with his girlfriend, and I ended up having a short fling with someone else. But at the end of the summer, my friend’s mom randomly turned to me one day and said, “So, when are you going to date Steven?” To which I was like “Uhh he has a girlfriend and also I don’t like Steven in that way.” And she just knowingly replied, “Yes you do. I give it a few months.”
By the time we got back to school, Steven’s relationship was over. We fell back into our typical rhythm at school but—unbeknownst to him—all of our friends were meddling and scheming to get us together. It clearly must’ve worked because on September 28, we made things official!
We dated from the start of grade 10 all the way through high school, and then attended McMaster University together. Steven majored in Social Psychology and I majored in History. When my family moved out of Mississauga and into the country in 2017, Steven came with us.
In 2019, we added a new member to our family… A beautiful and spoiled Havanese named Leia. She’s the light of our life, the object of our affections, and the sweetest little gal you ever did meet. So when it came to take our engagement pictures, it was a no brainer that she had to join us. And frankly, she is a natural in front of the camera.
On October 13, 2020, Steven and I journeyed to Lake Erie to stay at Sherkston Shores, a beachfront cottage resort. There, in the midst of outbreaks and lockdowns, our story began a new chapter when Steven popped the big question—and of course, I said “yes”!
Sherkston Shores was a place that held a lot of sentimental value to me, as my family spent a lot of time there when I was a kid. But now it’s just that much more special to me!
the look
For the outfit, I wanted to keep it simple, airy, and romantic. Given that our photos were taken in mid-June, we had no idea what weather to expect so I tried to be as versatile as possible. I also didn’t want to be over- or under-dressed, or hidden under layers and jewelry. What I ended up with was absolutely perfect and felt very “me”.
My dress is Yours Evermore Cream Swiss Dot Ruffled Midi Dress from Lulu’s. To me, it’s very much giving Taylor Swift x Pride and Prejudice, and if you know me, you know those things are basically my two personality traits.
My shoes are a bit older, they’re Madden Girl suede blush block heels that are very similar to this pair.
I also wore this beautiful pair of Michael Hill Hoop Earrings with Cultured Freshwater Pearls in 10kt Yellow Gold, which were a Valentine’s Day gift from Steven.
Almost 10 years after our story began (How has it been almost 10 years??), I am happy to say that Steven and I are still the very best of friends, in addition to being partners and soulmates. Every day is still fun, we still make each other laugh a hundred times a day, and there’s no person I’d rather spend the rest of my life with than this guy right here. And I cannot wait to marry him this October.
Keep your eyes peeled for more wedding content in the months to come as we arrive at the big day!
