Shelley and Dave are the kind of couple you’d expect to find in a cool magazine or billboard ad – the kind of folks who look so hip and fun you just wanna spend time with them.
Well lucky me, I get to! This stylish duo is so sweet and such a pleasure to hang out with. Our winter engagement session at Toronto’s Amsterdam Brewery and Harbourfront Centre’s skating rink was so cozy and relaxed, and was such a lovely time despite the chill in the air.

We met up for some coffee to get some warmth in our veins before braving the cold, and we talked about their wedding and the classically beautiful watch Shelley gave to Dave as an engagement present after he proposed. Now they both have lasting mementos they get to see daily to remind them of this special time in their lives – I love that idea.

They chose to go skating for their engagement session for a special reason – keep scrolling to the end to learn why, and to read their love story!

Here’s their story:
“Dave and I met on one of the first days of university in September 2003. Despite growing up in Ottawa and going to Carleton University, we had both decided to move into residence rather than living at home. We were on the same floor in Stormont Residence and once we met, we quickly became inseparable… as friends. We were both dating other people when we started university so our relationship was strictly platonic. Months went by and shortly after the Christmas break, we both found ourselves single and pretty much attached at the hip. Dave used the excuse of having cold hands several times just to have an excuse for us to hold hands. Since we were 18, we were “Boyfriend and Girlfriend” before ever really going on a date – unless you count the cafeteria in res, which we do not. Our first “real date” landed on Valentine’s Day and since we had just started dating and were on student budgets, we decided to do something low key (and inexpensive), but still fun and romantic. One of Ottawa’s best features in the winter is the Rideau Canal – it becomes the world’s longest skating rink at nearly 8km long. It starts at the Parliament buildings downtown and ends at Carleton. For our first date, we skated the length of the canal and then went to the ByTowne Cinema (an independent theatre) where they were showing a special screening of Love Actually. We moved to Toronto in 2008 and quickly fell in love with the city.  Five and a half years later, we still go skating whenever we can.”

Congratulations again, you guys.
Can’t wait to shoot your wedding on June 21st!