and the winner is...

a while ago, i had a contest to shoot a free wedding. rather than just enter your name and contact number like they do at most bridal showcases, i wanted to know the couples better by having them write a little something about themselves. they had a choice of writing about:

1) How did you two meet?
2) How did your significant other proposed to you? (details leading up to the moment) OR
3) Tell me about a time you had an awkward date with each other.

after sorting through a couple of entries, it was boiled down 2 entries that caught our attention, with one slightly edging out the other. so without further delay, a big congratulations goes to MATT & CHELSEY, who are getting married on Oct 3, 2008 in Leduc!

here is their story:

---

Hi. My name is Matt, and my Fiance is Chelsey. I am doing this as a surprise for her. She's in bed sleeping, and I just found out about this contest from my sister.

Chelsey and I are getting married in Leduc on October 3rd, 2009. The ceremony and reception will be in Leduc.

We met back in 1999 in Drayton Valley, Alberta. My family had moved into a quiet neighbourhood on the west side of town. All of the neighbours were really friendly, especially Andre and Pearl. They were an outgoing couple that everyone enjoyed being around, and they had 2 daughters. Mandy, and Chelsey. Pearl, Andre, and Chelsey lived 3 doors down from me. My sister started hanging around with Chelsey as the years went on, and eventually, I started to hang around with her too. We'd all stay up late on summer nights playing basketball on my driveway, and just talking about everything teenagers talk about. During this time, my sister, Caroline, mentioned that Chelsey had a big crush on me. I was too shy to act on the opportunity, so we continued to be friends.

A few years passed, and I graduated highschool, and moved to Edmonton to go to NAIT in 2002, losing contact with most of my friends and neighbours (including Chelsey). After my schooling, I worked for a few years, and moved around the city a few times.

Then in November 2007, I logged on to Facebook, and noticed I had a new friend request and a message. It was Chelsey! After 5 1/2 years without contact, she found me out of the blue on Facebook of all places. We started chatting and sending texts back and forth everyday for a few weeks. On November 18th 2007, I asked her if she'd like to meet me for supper. She came to pick me up at my house, and we left for supper. We had a great conversation, with no shortage of stories and old memories from our highschool days. At the end of the evening, we agreed to meet again the following day. I went to her place and made supper for her and her roommate. We watched movies, and had a great time. Then on November 20th, we decided to give things a try as a couple, and we have been together everyday since then. We moved in together in February 2008.

On November 20th, 2008 (our 1 year anniversary), Chelsey and I went on a weekend getaway to Banff. By this time, I had already purchased an engagement ring a few weeks prior to the trip, and was planning my proposal to Chelsey. We arrived in Banff, and unpacked at the hotel. That afternoon, we decided to take a ride on the Gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain overlooking Banff. I cautiously transfered the ring box from my sweater pocket to my coat pocket. When we arrived at the peak of Sulphur Mountain, I suggested that we take a short hike down the boardwalk to another lookout point. As we walked down the path, I found a nice quiet spot with a beautiful view. I asked Chelsey to get her camera ready for a picture. As I held the camera at arms length, I said "Hold on one second. I have something that will make this picture better." That's when I got down on one knee in the snow, pulled out the ring, and asked Chelsey to marry me. After a few tears of joy, she said yes, and then we took the picture.



There were a lot of phone calls made that day!

Sorry if I wrote too much. But that's our story!
And we've never had an awkward date with each other.

Chelsey is the love of my life, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with her. She's my everything!

- Matt and Chelsey

---

Here is what some of my esteemed colleagues had to say about the entries:

Shaun of Scade Photography: the one that stood out for me was Matt's entry. I don't know what it was, perhaps it was the surprise element of it, or just the way he talked about it. Something about it just seemed Ubersweet and to me it is the most deserving of the entries.

and I think Margo of Eyelush Photography summed it up best: My favorite story is Matt's story :)

It shows that lost love is always regained. That true love prevails over adversity and distance. And they both knew it early on, they really listened to their hearts. As I was reading the story I felt a smile on my face that these two best friends found their ways back to each other after all those years. It just shows that true love never dies ! Love it !


If this is just a small sample of how sweet and creative they can be, then I definitely can't wait to shoot Matt and Chelsey's wedding on Oct 3, 2009.

Thanks again to those that entered.