reality wedding stories
AN INDOOR GARDEN WEDDING Jennifer & Stephen
august 13TH, 2011 :: CEREMONY AT St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church & RECEPTION AT La Hacienda Sarria, IN Kitchener
Photography by One Great Day (www.onegreatday.ca) | Story by TheWeddingRing.ca Jennifer Starr and Stephen Tello first met when she was hired at his Montreal workplace. Jennifer remembers thinking he was cute but since they didn't have the chance to have a real conversation, that was about it. Stephen actually moved on to work at their California office until years later, when he came back and the two connected on Facebook. Random flirty conversations between Jennifer (in Kitchener at the time) and Stephen (in Montreal) started to become running we-should-date jokes that neither took very seriously, given that there was still a distance issue. During Christmas 2009 season, for reasons unbeknownst to them, their Facebook conversations grew in number and depth. "We were talking and flirting constantly. What started out as little jokes from Stephen like 'Well if you're ever back in Montreal, I'm going to take you out...' turned into a flat-out-crazy plan that Stephen would drive to Toronto on boxing day and we'd meet." And he did.
Their first date turned into ten days together. They met at a Queen Street, Toronto restaurant. Stephen arrived first and was sitting at a table in the front window of the place. Jennifer remembers walking up to the restaurant and seeing him sitting there. "He was smiling his sexy smile from ear to ear and he had me... When we sat down together I just remember switching from worrying I wasn't going to be into him and [that I might] hurt him, to worrying about him not wanting me. Let's just say we were both on the same wavelength." Their first date turned into ten days together. "We left Toronto that night, went back to Kitchener, spent New Years together, travelled to Montreal on New Years Day, and then on our last day together, got matching tattoos that read 'Mi Vida' (My Life) - a Spanish expression that reflects the immensity of someone's love toward a partner or spouse." Stephen says he loves Jennifer's 'umpf'. "I know she's a fighter... I never have to worry about her giving up on 38 • The Wedding Ring | www.theweddingring.ca
anything that's worth fighting for... That assures me that I'll always have someone by my side, pushing me on, even when I feel like there is no silver lining." He laughs and admits, "I also like her booty!" It's Stephen's strength of character and intelligence that had Jennifer falling for him. "I respect him very much... He makes me laugh and smiles while letting me be a crazy girl. Stephen makes me feel safe and cared for. And it would be remiss not to mention how attractive he is... and how attracted I am to him even after two years!"
Jennifer remembers thinking 'don't forget how this feels, right this second'. Stephen popped the question during a vacation in Mexico with Jennifer's family. Throughout the trip, he hid the ring in their room's safe and secretly (after several attempts to muster the courage) asked Jennifer's father for her hand in marriage. Once earning permission, he took Jennifer up on the roof deck of the resort at sunset (using fluent Spanish and a little help from a concierge with connections). "It was beautiful up there," remembers Jennifer. "He started to say something like you know how much I love you? I said 'Of course' and I thought this was it! Then he just stopped. He reached in his pocket, got down on his knee, and tears started flowing." Stephen proposed and Jennifer said "Yes!" followed by "Thank you!" They laughed. Jennifer remembers thinking 'don't forget how this feels right this second'. After their engaged status had a chance to sink in, the couple rushed down to share the news with Jennifer's family. They had plenty of champagne toasts, a fabulous dinner with new friends, and one last night in Mexico. "Over the week, we'd made friends with many of the hotel staff and guests in the resort so word spread quickly that we'd gotten engaged.. People were amazingly sweet congratulating us wherever we went all night."