Meeting Deborah & Michael was very serendipitous. About a year ago, I was listening to the BBC on my computer while I edited photographs. On the other end I was transported to an incredible story of a guy biking around the world. Being a lover of travel, my ears perked up instantly. Not only was he biking around the world, he was doing this to raise awareness for mental illness, was from Vancouver, & also engaged! After being awe-struck by his story (please see his website: Ride Don't Hide), I was moved to email him & tell him I wanted to photograph his wedding. I laughed as I did not expect a guy biking around the world to respond to my message. He quickly did & I later met with his darling fiancé who was in Vancouver. After 2-hours over coffee with Deborah, I knew we were meant to meet one another.

They have an incredible story. Deborah was that amazing girlfriend who supported Michael's dream to bike around the world. In the mean time, she bought herself a bike & practiced riding to & from work (after not much biking experience at all). She soon met Michael on a leg of his journey half-way around the world. After a few trips meeting up with one another in exotic locations, Michael finally realized he did not want to let this gem of a woman slip away & proposed to her in Hong Kong. There is much more to their amazing story I will tell later, but for now here is an engagement shoot we did one rainy, mystical day in Vancouver. Deborah & Michael, I must mention, are quite the foodies (so I always let them order wherever we go). We went to some of their favourite places in the West End & along the seawall in Coal Harbour where they run together. Feeling so lucky to have met these two & can't wait until their wedding in July!