Lake Minnewanka Engagement Photos In Banff
I am beyond excited to be sharing Michelle and Ryan’s Lake Minnewanka Engagement Photos In Banff! Michelle and Ryan have such a unique love story and I asked them if they could share a bit of it for their blog post. YESSS! Banff is a special place for these two and we did their engagement session there of course. I’ve bumped into these two a few times this summer and I absolutely love getting to see them and know them as time goes on. Michelle and I are in the same running crew and will bump into each other sometimes. I was also the second shooter at a wedding that Ryan was one of the groomsmen in too.
We had a blast exploring Lake Minnewanka for their engagement session and headed over to Two Jack Lake afterwards for a few more photos too. Michelle’s two best friends and also bridesmaids were visiting them from Florida. They were all in Banff exploring the area on their visit. They came with us for photos and we got a few of everyone while they were there. The girls decided to try to pick up Ryan for a photo and it did not go as planned when Michelle decided to let go because of all the laughter. You will have to scroll down to see that!
They are getting married next July at Silvertip in Canmore!
How did you meet?
We met traveling Europe. I was on a trip through Greece with one of my friends and Ryan was backpacking through Europe with his best friend. Our paths crossed when he joined a Contiki for a Greece cruise through the islands and my Contiki group was on the same boat. So we actually first spoke at the first dinner in Mykonos and became friends from then on. When we left Europe we would check in on holidays and birthdays and catch up but nothing major. He says he always had a crush on me but figured we’d never see each other again. Around the same time as that trip the year after, the friends I had made in Greece wanted to plan a trip to Peru to hike Macchu Picchu, so I messaged Ryan and invited him thinking he would be a great addition to the group.
We got to Peru and for two weeks I fell absolutely head over heels. I learned how kind and caring he was, he was an absolute blast to be around, and I really couldn’t explain it at the time but it literally felt like I had found some other part of myself in him. Luckily he felt the same and at the end of the trip, he promised me he’d come to see me in Miami. I didn’t believe him…at all. But two weeks later, for my birthday, he came. So technically our first date was in the Florida Keys, Key West, and I took him snorkeling… and he practically died. He got to see me in my element, he was out of his and yeah we just had an amazing trip, introduced him to my friends and at the end of the week, he told me he loved me. I was stunned and I didn’t say it back and he told me to say it when I was ready.
Fast forward 6 weeks and I came to Edmonton. He took me to Banff (told me it was Edmonton) and I told him I loved him and that’s when we made it “official”. We dated two years long distance (that was a roller coaster of Facetimes and trips back and forth and all around the world to see one another) and then I moved back and forth from Florida to Edmonton for a year. Finally got my permanent residency last July 2018, and started working. The long-distance I think solidified that we wanted to be together because there was no way to survive that without us both knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that we were soul mates.
How did you propose?
July 9th, 2018, the proposal day! Throughout the week I got to plan with Michelle’s family different ideas of what would be a good way to propose to Michelle. So off to the Keys we went. We left early in the morning and went straight to Key Largo to do a half-day snorkel trip. Michelle absolutely loves the ocean and is a mermaid in the water. I loved seeing her in her element and seeing how much joy the ocean and sea life brings her (as much as I freak out by every fish that swims by me). After the snorkel trip, we did some bar hopping throughout the afternoon. We enjoyed the sun and the water and talked about everything and anything. At last, I took her to Snooks bar and grill. It is a restaurant with an ocean view and a dock that went out into the ocean. During dinner, I went up to the bar and told them my proposal plan. The staff was so pumped and asked if there was anything they could do to help. I quickly told them my plan and went back to the table with Michelle. Holy Crap This Is Happening!!!
We had a really nice dinner and enjoyed the ocean views as the sun started to make its way down. At the end of dinner, I told Michelle I had to use the washroom. I ran straight past the bathroom and out to the car to get the ring (Michelle is wayyyy to observant and would have noticed a huge bulky box in my shorts pocket). I ran back in, covering my left side and sat down. The waitress (who was in on it) was super giddy and asked if there was anything else that we needed. I tried as nonchalantly as possible (not at all) if we could get a picture out on the pier. Michelle totally knew something was fishy as I was starting to get nervous and obviously the waitress was more than happy to go take our picture. We made our way out to the pier and started to take some pictures overlooking the ocean.
Then it happened, I turned to Michelle, took both of her hands in mine, and poured out my heart to her. I told her how much I love her, how much I love putting a smile on her face every day, how beautiful, kind, caring, full of energy, full of life she is, and that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. It was one of those indescribable moments where I felt like I was on top of the world. Michelle exclaimed yes! I put on the ring, which looked like absolute perfection on her hand, picked her up and cheered (we easily could have fallen off of that dock while I was spinning Michelle in the air as was mentioned to me later.. but there wasn’t much processing in my brain in that moment other than I have the woman of my dreams in my arms and I am going to marry her). It was the best moment of my life, and I can not wait to make another best moment with Michelle on July 9th, 2020, exactly two years later.
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