David and Crystal's wedding in Winnipeg, Manitoba

Years later, after much time ... had passed, David slid into Crystal’s DMs, just checking in. Funny thing was, Crystal wasn’t doing so well. Life was a bit of a hot mess, and she was mid-escape from a villain who had wreaked havoc on her world for far too long. Despite the chaos, David and Crystal spoke every single day, like two characters on a side quest that kept bringing them back together.

David, ever the persistent hero, kept asking her out. Crystal, cautiously navigating the dungeons of her busy life, held off -- until one day, she said yes. And the rest? Well, you know the deal … a love story was created.

Their first official date (November 12th, 2023) was a whirlwind of hilarity and sweetness: terrible “Cherry Blossom” sushi in Osborne Village, a mad dash to grab cake from a bakery just as it was closing, and a late-night stroll through Safeway to quench their thirst (because yes, the sushi was that bad!). But from that moment on, they both knew. As they wandered through grocery store aisles and ate cake in the car, it became clear that their adventure had truly begun. From the second they locked eyes, the stars aligned, and forever love was sealed in their future.

A few short months later, exactly one week before Valentine's Day ... David proposed with the most magical ring. (Might I add, after a month of David insisting she picked it out herself. In which she refused as said it needed to come from the heart.) Crystal of course said YES! They've been swooning over one another ever since -- with Gordon (David's son) as their trusty life sidekick.

As for the wedding ... David and crystal don't even know where to begin. They planned to marry on the date of their first date in 2025 ... then some life "things" happened and they decided not to wait any longer. They knew their love could conquer all ... they planned, and created everything themselves as wanted to linger in every moment up to the big day. They made their wedding invites look like movie/concert ticket stubs alongside a photobooth "save the date" from their favourite photos of the year ... they created a message in a bottle capsule for their guests (which will be opened on their first anniversary), they wed at Bailey's Restaurant due to it being a historical building in Winnipeg as it peaked their mighty nerd brains (alongside being major foodies with word on the street being the food there was more than remarkable) ... The end all, be all ... the entire day/evening/wedding was beyond words magical.

... ... ...

Note from the BRIDE (to David on their wedding day):

Today is the day we've been waiting for ... I don’t just want to marry you so I can wake up next to you every day (though I can’t wait for that!). I don’t just want to marry you because it’s exciting and butterflies are everywhere (even though, let’s be real, this day is beyond words exciting!). No, I want to marry you because marriage isn’t always easy -- it’s real, it’s messy, and it’s hard work. And you are the one I want to go through all of that with.

Life throws its fair share of curveballs. Bills pile up, jobs can stress us out, raising a family brings chaos, and blending our lives together is its own adventure. There are no unicorn farts or magical rainbows just because we’ve found our soulmate -- although I’m sure we’ll have our fair share of magical moments too. But here’s the thing: I want to be with you not just for the easy times, but for all the bumps in the road. I want to be your rock, your safe space when everything else feels like it's falling apart. I want to face every challenge, every joy, and every struggle with you.

We should’ve done this years ago ... and maybe in some parallel universe we did. But this is our time now. Life brought us together exactly when we needed each other, and it’s been like our strings were always tied -- just waiting for the right moment to pull us together. I know it in my soul that we were always meant to be, even when we had to wait.

Sometimes, words fail me when I try to express just how much you mean to me. But if I did anything right in this life, it was giving you my heart. You are my best friend, my soulmate ... the love of my fucking life -- my everything.

In just a few minutes, we’re going to make a promise to each other for the rest of our lives. And I can't wait to marry the absolute fuck out of you. Forever and always, my love. Here’s to our adventure, to the real, to the messy, to the beautiful -- and ... to doing it all side by side.#MagicalWedding #MarriedAsFuck #BestNerdFriends (For LIFE!)