Now in fairness, I did have an inkling of what was going on. 

Our trip to Whistler was originally planned back in January. The timing of our ring shopping excursion in relation to that trip was a clue. 

The desperation to make that trip happen as scheduled was a clue. 

When it was finally official that it needed to be postponed due to the Omicron variant, the urgency to rebook it as soon as possible was a clue. 

Prior to this trip, I was informed that we’d be having a photoshoot here. Very typical for us to do on a trip. But apparently, I needed to get a new coat for the photo shoot. That was a clue. 

March 19, 2022, was to be the rescheduled photo day (weather delayed it from its initially rescheduled date).

Stéphane did everything he could to make it a surprise. Right down to making sure we remembered to bring our tripod we use for these photoshoots along. 

I had a feeling this might finally be the moment. 

Until we got to the location. Then he broke the news, he had booked a professional photographer. And then I knew for sure. The question was being popped today. 

We were at Nicklaus Golf Course in Whistler. A location suggested to him by Angie Gallant, a local photographer he had researched and booked for the occasion. 

She had just the spots for us to get amazing photos. The random blizzard cleared, and the sun came out just as we arrived. Yet another sign in our journey together that this was all meant to be. 

She took us back along a treed path that lead to Green Lake. Frozen over this day, but apparently during the summer when the sun hits it, it glows emerald green, hence the name.

Along the way, a lady and her son were out with their dogs for an afternoon by the lake. Super sweet dogs, just setting the scene for us dog lovers to have them there with us. 

We take a few photos. Get into the jive of things. Then around 3:15 PDT she backs away a bit and puts a longer lens on her camera.

“I’m going to take a few candids now, you guys just talk with each other.”  This was apparently the prearranged cue for Stéphane.

We knew we were getting engaged. We had both thought about this a lot. Both had words planned out we wanted to say when the moment happened. Those words were lost for both of us. He stumbled through a few words of how much I meant to him. How he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. Words we’ve both shared many times before now. 

The exact words used are lost to the moment. Forgotten already. Emotion overtaking. 

Beautiful cloud dotted blue skies the backdrop to the majestic Fitzsimmons Mountain Range that is the home of Whistler surrounding us, the only words from the moment that really mattered… as he dropped to one knee, “Will you marry me?”… promptly followed by my “YES”.  He slipped the ring that we’d bought together onto my finger. I then slipped his onto his finger. We then sealed with a hug and a kiss.

My fairy tale, better and more amazing than could be imagined, now real life. 

We then proceeded to shoot many more photos, with rings now adorning our fingers. Photos hugging. Photos kissing. Photos just looking into each other’s eyes. All very easy to capture as our love for each other is so real. 

As we headed back to the parking lot, we pass by the same puppies who came up to wish us congratulations. 

Stéphane had booked us reservations for dinner at Table 19, the restaurant at the golf club clubhouse, but they weren’t for another hour, so we drove to Base 2 of Whistler Ski Resort to get a background for the FaceTime calls to my parents (my mom screamed and did a happy dance right there in their back porch where they happened to be when they got the call), then with Stéphane’s parents (both extremely happy for us, François reiterating that while I was already part of the family, it was more official now), and then a call to Stéphane’s sister Marie-France an brother-in-law Alex, to loop them in as well. 

We shared the news with a few immediate circle friends by text message before heading into our dinner reservations. The rest of the world will learn once we receive the preview photos from the photographer tomorrow. 

We headed in for a delicious charcuterie board (we ate it all but the olives), followed by a plate of some of the most delicious bacon wrapped pork loin we’ve ever enjoyed.

The table for 2 that we got had one of us face out through the floor to slanted ceiling windows overlooking the lake and mountains. The other facing in towards the wall, which in fairness had some amazing art on the wall (which we looked up and decided was way too expensive for us). So we could both get the full experience we traded sides of the table between the appetizer and main course. 

And with that… we are now fiancées. 

And I, the luckiest man on earth. I could not be happier.