Collingwood Engagement Photography in Fall
Collingwood Engagement Photos
Blue Mountain Village pre-wedding engagement session near Collingwood
Those who regularly follow my work know that I love working with fun couples who love to laugh and put photography super-high on their to-do lists. Brittany and Matt are perfect examples - we roamed around Blue Mountain Village as well as Collingwood's chilly waterfront and they never stopped laughing and teasing one another while diving into each shot setup with gusto. "Gusto" in a sentence, what a day.
EDIT FROM THE FUTURE: Check out Brittany and Matt's Northbrook Farm wedding.
I'm going to stop right here and let Brittany and Matt take over telling their story below... it's a great one and just wait til you hear the time and thought Matt put into his proposal. Well done dude.
HOW DID THEY MEET:
I guess now that it's 2016 we no longer have to make up a cheesy story of how we met… yes, we met online. I had recently signed up for match.com, while Matt had been on it for a little while. I had started to let my subscription slide, as I only signed up for the month free trial and was too cheap to pay for the subscription. I had been on a couple dates here and there, but nothing really stuck and I was starting to give up hope.
Right before I canceled my subscription, I received an unexpected message from a tall, green-eyed, brunette man named Mathew. It was a romantic message that centered around the idea of a chilly waterfront walk. We exchanged emails; yes emails, as Matt was too overly cautious to give out his phone number!! After countless emails back and forth, which drove me nuts because who emails now a days when texting is so much easier, we decided to set up a date to meet for the first time. And yes it took about another 3 weeks to a month after meeting AND dating, before Matt gave me his phone number, so I guess that meant things were getting pretty serious haha
Blue Mountain Village engagement pictures
WHAT DO THEY REMEMBER ABOUT THEIR FIRST DATE:
Brittany: What I remember most about our first date was how incredibly nervous I was! So nervous that I did the typical girl outfit check, and sent my best friend (who is my maid of honor) a picture of what I was wearing for approval haha I then made the big plan to show up 10 mins before our planned time to meet so that I could watch him arrive and not have to do the awkward approach, smart idea right!! Haha Matt and myself had planned to meet at Barrie waterfront and go for a nice walk around the lake and after grab a coffee, this was the perfect relaxed first date to calm the nerves. I remember parking in a different parking lot then I originally told him so that when he arrives and if I got to nervous I could bolt, I needed a back up plan Haha
My plan had worked out perfectly, he arrived on time and I got to creep him first from a distance, however to my surprise, my stomach filled with butterflies as he was just as tall dark and handsome as I had pictured! I remember making some corny little comment to break the ice and from that moment forward, I had never been so instantly comfortable in someone’s presence. We walked the waterfront, chatting and laughing, and laughing some more and the whole time I remember being so nervous about the goodbye! Mostly because I never wanted the night to end, but also because I was so nervous if he was going to kiss me goodbye!! And well the rest is history! But for the record, he went after what he wanted and gave me that charming goodnight kiss!!!
Matt: We decided to meet down on the lakefront in Barrie for an evening walk. We decided to start our walk over by the splash pads, I stepped out of my truck, wondering, looking around, and thinking I was stood up. There she was sitting in her car stalling. As we began to walk from one side of the lake and back the talking didn’t stop. I found myself not wanting the evening to end. We sat on a bench over by one of the rocks and carried on talking for another couple hours. Not realizing how late it was, I decided to make my move and give her a kiss goodnight. Hoping it wouldn’t be our last.
WHEN THEY KNEW:
Brittany: Well this part of the story doesn’t go as smooth as the rest, it’s not your perfect “love at first sight” story, but it’s our little love story. When Matt and myself met, I believe we were at two different points of life but because of our intense feelings we attempted to make things work. For myself I had just finished 4 years of university attaining my nursing degree and I really just wanted to travel and gain some experiences. For Matt he was in the middle of building his own company and ready to start settling down in life. We dated for 6 months, before I decided we should go our separate ways and figure out life on our own. Shortly after I took off for 30 days and backpacked Thailand and Matt continued building his business.
During the time apart I had always had this unsettled feeling that “I let him get away”. Fast forward a year and half later, Matt and myself began to reconnect again, and when we hung out for the first time after not seeing each other for the last year and half, we seemed to pick up right where we left off. I was on my way to compete in my first bodybuilding competition, and Matt showed up to surprise me!
All along something inside me always knew, but it was in that moment, that I had an intense feeling of “I am back and I want to spend the rest of my life with this guy”. When we went our separate ways I said to Matt “If its meant to be then it will”. In my own cute way I like to think Matt hung on tight to that and waited around for me haha But I will admit it is true what they say, timing really is everything!
Matt: For myself I knew this was the person I wanted to spend my life with pretty early on in our relationship, but as they say timing is everything. About 6 months into our relationship Brittany wanted to travel and figure out a few things. As for myself I was starting my own business here in Barrie. Our lives where in conflict and we ended up going our separate ways. Almost 2 years had past when I got a text message from Brittany asking me how I have been etc. Once we saw each other again it was almost like we hadn’t missed a beat and picked up where we left off. I always knew she would come crawling back haha
THE PROPOSAL, HOW DID IT GO DOWN:
One hot Saturday morning in April, started out like any other. Matt got up early and head off to work for an hour or two, and I was waking up to meet a friend at the gym. To my surprise when I came down stairs I was greeted with three-dozen roses and a card that read clue number #1 with a list of rules. The rules stated, 1-have fun, 2-be on time and 3- do not contact me for anything today. Little did I know I was about to embark on a full day scavenger hunt through Barrie, to where Matt would be at the end waiting for me!
The first clue, which was written in riddle format, sent me to the gym to meet my friend. Myself fully thinking I was going to get to avoid my workout, I was sadly disappointed and was pushed through a 2-hour sweat session! Haha After the workout while in the change room my friend handed me another envelope with clue #2.This clue, along with some money had sent my friend and I out for lunch, at which happened to be at our favorite post workout food joint…Freshi! Once we got there and we ordered our food and the lady serving us, reached behind the till and handed over my clue #3!!
At this point I was stunned that so many people were involved in this, but I was overjoyed with excitement because I knew where it was leading! After lunch ended, my friend went home and left me with one word of advice “whatever you do next, just make sure you look good” haha. That was cute, considering this next clue left me 45 mins to get home, showered, changed and out the door where someone would be waiting to pick me up. Remembering one of the rules “be on time” I then raced home to find my two dogs sitting on the bed with my 4th clue.Immediately after I raced to get ready, which I managed to do, just in time to go outside where Matt’s friend was waiting to pick me up!
Off to my next destination, and his friend was no help at all, as I spent the entire 15 min car ride trying to pry out of him where I was headed and what was happening haha But he dropped me off at a nail salon, where Matt had made an appointment for me to get my nails done and after that the lady doing my nails had given me my final clue!! At this point I was both super excited, and extremely nervous! This final clue read…”
Well done babe, you survived the day!Now for the final spot, this shouldn’t be to hard to find me, because it was also the first place you found me!” With no hesitation, I quickly told my driver to take me to the waterfront by the sprinklers where we met for our first date! When I arrived there was Matt standing waiting for me, in the same place we shared our first kiss. He said a speech, got down on one knee, and I said yes!!! To wrap up the story Matt had also hid a Go-Pro camera at every destination I went that day, and we now get to have video of me throughout the day finding my clues and him proposing!!
To finish off this amazing day, Matt threw me in the truck along with luggage he had packed for me (which may I add, was packed with everything I haven’t worn in years!!! But 'A' for effort haha) and we took off to stay in Niagara in a presidential suite! It was the perfect end to an already amazing day!
ONE THING THEY LOVE ABOUT ONE ANOTHER:
Brittany: One thing! I can’t narrow it down to just one thing!! haha Ok well one of the things I love most about Matt is his selfless nature and who I am when were together. He supports me through every accomplishment, as well as every challenge and is constant reminder about the positive things in life. Matt simply loves me for me and always makes me feel beautiful both inside and out.Matt: Just one! I would have to say the way she keeps me grounded, keeps me level headed, keeps me smiling and keeps me happy, even when the stress is over barring from running my company. She is pretty amazing.
WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST ON THEIR WEDDING DAY:
Brittany: What I look forward to the most is having my bridal party with me while I marry the man of my dreams! The whole group of us have been friends for 15+ years and being the first of the group to get married, besides my sister, I can not wait to share everything about the day with them, and my soon to be husband!Everything from getting ready together, the amazing photography with Vaughn, being surrounded by all the people I love, and most importantly tearing up the dance floor with all of our ridiculous dance moves we have been practicing since grade 8 dance days!! haha Anyone who knows me knows my friends are like family and this group means the world to me!
Matt: I would have to say the wedding night... eh, eh! lol But in all seriousness I would have to say just being able to share this moment our family and closest friends.
Sunset Engagement Photo