September 9, 2021
We met seven years ago the new “old-fashioned” way on a dating app. We both swiped right and connected immediately. Denis was working in the Middle East at the time, and we happened to match whilst he was home on holidays. We hit it off and began getting to know each other virtually before going on our first date a few months later when he was next home. The tension leading up to the moment was incredible, and sparks flew.
We dated long distance for the first year going on as many dates as possible when Denis was back in Ireland. The following September, Denis decided to move home full time much to Katie’s delight and we moved in together right away. We had the most magical two years in Ireland, but our shared sense of adventure and love for travel inspired us to pack up lives and go backpacking in Southeast Asia and Australia before moving to Canada.
To my surprise, Denis had asked my father before we departed on our travels and carried the ring for five weeks (through five different countries!) before he finally popped the question. We were on a cruise in Ha Long Bay in Vietnam and Denis dropped to one knee on the 3-year anniversary of our first date. We were on the top deck under the stars after midnight and we celebrated with bubbles. The next day, we arrived back in Hanoi and went to a beautiful restaurant and waited the time difference to call our family and friends to tell them the good news!
Like many couples over the last two years, our wedding plans were heavily impacted by Covid-19. We had originally planned a big white wedding in August 2020 in Ireland and after several postponements and delays, in 2021 we felt we couldn't wait any longer, so we decided to elope in Canada. A quick Google search later and we discovered the Pop-Up Event Company and after a consultation with Amanda, we knew they were the right vendor for us. We saw photos of a romantic elopement at Sequel Inn and fell in love with that idea. After a quick site visit and a meeting with the owners, we knew we found the spot.
When our wedding came, we focused on creating a relaxed atmosphere, surrounded by nature and filled with amazing food. It was important to us to have our parents join us and to have a wedding that felt intimate and fun and celebrated our relationship. We spent a lot of time creating the perfect ceremony, we wrote our own vows and selected meaningful poetry and music and even incorporated a ring warming into our ceremony, which was really special. It really was the best day of our lives.
Venue
Sequel Inn
Wedding Planner/Floral and Decor/Cake Arrangements
Pop-Up Event Company
Photographer
Maranda Elysse Photography
Videographer
Anton Park
Officiant Jenifer Duff