Winter Engagement Photos in Collingwood
A chilly winter pre-wedding engagement session around Collingwood and Blue Mountain
I finally felt my years catch up to me all in a single email... a player from my past hockey teams was asked if I'd shoot his upcoming wedding. Say whah?! Austin had proposed to his high school sweetheart Katelyn over the holidays and now that it was official, they had photography as their first priority. I obviously coach the smartest kids. After putting in a call to the weather gods, we spent the afternoon up and around the Collingwood and Blue Mountain areas.Let's hear Katelyn and Austin's story in their own words...HOW DID THEY MEET:We met in grade 9 English, Katelyn sat behind me. We didn't really get that close until grade 11 when we really started to become best friends and start developing the relationship we have today.
WHAT DO THEY REMEMBER ABOUT YOU THEIR FIRST DATE:Katelyn: Since Austin and I were practically best friends for 2 years before we started going out we would hangout a lot, so I don’t really think we had an official “first date”. But one of the first times we went out together as a couple Austin took me to the driving range. Now, in high school I was not the sportiest person so I’m sure it took him a little by surprise when I agreed to go to the driving range with him (My dad taught me a thing or two over the years). I just remember after my first couple swings looking over at Austin to see what he was doing and the complete shock in his face to know I didn’t completely suck made me laugh.Austin: Well before Kate and I started dating we were best friends for around 2 years and we hung out a lot. Our first actual "date" was to the driving range. I had always been bugging Katelyn to come golfing with me and honestly I wasn't really expecting her to be that good but I remember getting ready to hit my first couple balls and I looked up and she was crushing the ball. After a couple swings she looked back at me and laughed at the shocked look on my face.
WHEN THEY KNEW:Katelyn: I think when I knew that Austin was going to be in my life for a long time was about a year before we were even dating. My mom and I were driving to Belleville, Ontario visit my grandparents and I was talking to her about something Austin and I had done, or something he said. I can’t remember exactly, but she looked over at me and said, “I think you two are soulmates,” and I kind of rolled my eyes and said yeah whatever mom. But, she then further explained to me, “soulmates doesn’t mean you have to be dating, it just means you two are meant to be together, it could be just friends.” So at that moment I knew he was my soulmate, but when I knew I was going to marry him one day was about a week after we had gotten together I just knew he was the one I was supposed to marry and be with for the rest of my life. He truly was and is my soulmate.Austin: Grade 11 was when Katelyn and I really started to get close as friends. We were in a course together where we were on trips most days, camping, skiing, snowshoeing, and just about any outdoor activity possible and we even went to Costa Rica for 9 days. So we spent a lot of time together doing a lot of amazing things and we just kept getting closer and closer during all of that and I can't really narrow it down to one moment - but some time during that semester was when I knew that Katelyn and I would be in each other's lives forever in one way or another. As for when I knew I was going to marry her, our first kiss. It sounds cheesy but honestly once our relationship changed from being best friends to more than that I knew that there was no way I could let her go and that some day she would be my wife.
THE PROPOSAL, HOW DID IT GO DOWN:It was a couple of days before Christmas and I had gone to look for a ring a couple times but couldn't find the one and then I went on this day to a place in the mall while Katelyn was working around the corner and I found it. A few hours later when I went back to pick her up we decided we were going to do our Christmas that night because she had to go to Belleville on Christmas Day and we wouldn't see each other. So we finished opening our gifts and we were both in our PJ's (I was actually in a roots onesie Katelyn got me) and she went upstairs to bring her stuff up, I called her back downstairs and as she turned the corner into the kitchen she asked me what was in my pocket and I pulled out the box, got on one knee, and asked her to marry me.
ONE THING THEY LOVE ABOUT ONE ANOTHER:Katelyn: THERE ISN’T ONE THING! I’ve been trying to answer this question and keep having to come back to it because I really can’t pick just one. Austin is my person, he understands me before I understand myself. He also puts up with a lot of my sass and for anyone who really knows me - that is a lot.Austin: She gets me, I have always had things that I have had to hide from people for whatever reason but she is really the only one person that knows and loves everything about me.
BESIDES GETTING MARRIED, WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST ON THEIR WEDDING DAY:Katelyn: The thing I am most excited for other than getting to marry the man of my dreams is getting to be with my best friend and maid of honour Kristen. Kristen and I have talked about this day since we were in grade 4 and finally it's happening and I feel like the most tears will be between the two of us before the wedding even happens. Getting to spend the day with my two best friends, Austin and Kristen is what I’m looking forward to the most.Austin: I'm looking forward to just having all the people we love and that love us together in one room. We both have family all over the country so it will just be nice to have everyone together for such a special day.
