This couple's love story is just a romantic comedy waiting to happen. You will want to take a little gander at the bride's description below, trust me. When the stars finally aligned for this cute as can be couple to get married - their wedding was just as darling as the story that brought them together. Jeff Cooke Photography was there to document the start of the next fabulous chapter of their life, and he filled the full gallery of images with enough to keep you swimming in lovely all day!
Click here to see the entire gallery of images!
From the Bride...Our story is a long and complicated one! We met in the summer 1989 when Erica was just 8 years old and Tyler was only 9 years old. Our parents had mutual friends who felt that all three families would get along well and suggested that we go camping together at Fundy National Park in New Brunswick. What followed was many years of friendship between the three families, with regular trips, visits, and activities planned together. In the early years of those Bent-Harris-Doucette events, Erica and Tyler effectively ignored each other, while Erica played with the girls and Tyler spent time with the boys. It wasn't until the summer of 1992, after the Harris' moved to Ontario, that Erica and Tyler began to notice one another.
The next few summer and spring time visits, Tyler and Erica became increasingly interested in one another. The summer of 1995 was really when our love began to grow. Erica's parents had rented a cottage along Amherst Shore, Nova Scotia and were spending 2 weeks there. Both families came to the cottage for a few days and in those few days, a lot developed! We both left heavy hearted and it would take another few years before we would meet or be in contact again. In 1998, Tyler came to Ottawa on the train on his own for his March break and stayed with the Harris family. Tyler was in his final year of high school, while Erica had 2 more years to go. With Tyler heading off to university in the fall, we decided that it was not time to begin "going steady." We kept in more regular contact over the next two years, with phone calls, family visits, and eventually emails. Finally, in the spring of 2000, Tyler came up again by train to Ottawa to visit his friend who was studying there. Tyler was in his second year of university, while Erica was finishing up her final year of high school and making plans for her future studies.
It was this trip that finally sealed the deal and saw us as an official couple within a month of the visit. From 2000 to 2005, we had a long-distance relationship. Erica studied at Trent University and Queen's University in Ontario, while Tyler studied at Carleton University in Ottawa and Saint Mary's University in Halifax, as well as working in Ottawa for Foreign Affairs and then in politics. It was an exciting time in our relationship and young lives, but it was also very challenging. We saw each other at least once a month and spent our summers together. From 2005 to 2008, we settled into life in Ottawa, with Tyler continuing his work in politics and eventually moving into the private sector and Erica working as a teacher. In 2008, we embarked on our most recent adventure together, moving overseas to live and work. The two will be moving to London this summer after the wedding.
Wedding Photography: Jeff Cooke Photography / Location + Wine: Muir Murray Estate Winery / Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero via Cecile Brautmode / Bride's Shoes: Cinzia Valle / Tuxedos: T.M. Lewin / Bouquets + Boutonnieres: Pulsifers Flowers and Foliage / All Other Flowers: Groom's Mother / DJ: Jesse Kemp / Beer: Sea Level Brewing Company / Arbor: Groom's Father / Invitations: Laura Mensinga / Wedding Cake: LaVerne Dowell / Details: DIY