One Island Lake

Wedding Day

Wedding

Valhalla Inn

Reception

Valhalla Inn Hotel

Ashley & Jeff's Wedding

Day After Party

Rehearsal Dinner

Our Wedding

It was Summer 2007. We were both enjoying our summer as we normally would with friends and playing softball. Since Thunder Bay is such a small town, one of Jeff's friends just so happened to be Ashley's sister, Steph.&nbsp;Thankfully, one day&nbsp;Steph had asked Ash to come and spare for her softball team - and of course, Jeff played for the very same team. This was the beginning of the rest of our lives, except it didn't&nbsp;start just yet...we had gone our separate ways for the next couple of years.

..Fast forward to Summer of&nbsp;2009. Funny enough, Jeff needed to find another girl to spare for his softball team, and decided to ask if Ash was interested. After this day, we began to spend most of our time together for the rest of the Summer. Jeff made it clear that he was not looking to be in a relationship, so we agreed that we will just stay friends.&nbsp;Before we knew it, we both started&nbsp;to fall in love with each other, and quickly became inseparable.&nbsp;





Over the last 8 years, we have grown so much as a couple, and have learned a lot about each other and life. We have been lucky enough to travel the world - to beaches&nbsp;with and without our friends, and to many different sporting events. We feel like we have experienced so much as a couple, we are very excited to start the next chapter of our amazing adventure, beginning with celebrating our love with all of our friends and family by our sides. We can't wait to have our little family of 3 grow and get to experience a completely new aspect of life together.





Ashley and Jeff

Our Love Story

Our Story

Details

Photos

We've pretty much been inseparable since starting highschool at St. Pats&nbsp;and realizing we both lived across the park in Northwood from each other.&nbsp;Whether it was hockey, RHL, tossing the pigskin, or just jumping on the trampoline after school, it seemed like we always had something in common to be doing together.&nbsp;

University was much of the same with recreational hockey and flag football championships together. We've since travelled all over with almost every 'guys trip' since highschool involving myself and zupz in the middle of it. We now have several annual trips, sports events, and viewing parties that we do together combined with some nerdy online gaming and summer nights at the lake.&nbsp;

I've always said I have the best group of close friends that a guy could ever ask for, so it was definitely a challenge when it came to picking a best man. But overall,&nbsp;Zupz has&nbsp;been my rock for the better part of life that I can remember. He's been right&nbsp;there with me for some of the most fun, most exciting, most terrifying, and of course hardest/lowest moments of my life.&nbsp;Always the first guy to lend a hand when needed, always &nbsp;into staying active and playing sports,&nbsp;always just a block away (still....we both bought houses around the corner from each other), and just an even-keeled good friend&nbsp;that it would be impossible not to want to be around. He's my guy.

Mike Zupan

Steph is my one and only sister, if you couldn't tell, my older sister! ;) I am soo&nbsp;happy to have her stand with me&nbsp;as one of my Maid of Honours on our wedding day. I have always looked up to how strong of a person she&nbsp;is, regardless of what life throws her way -&nbsp;she has taught me so much throughout our lives, and&nbsp;has always been there&nbsp;for me no matter what. I'm so proud to be an Auntie to her amazing/goofy/adorable kids!&nbsp;She is one of the only people who keeps me grounded (when I want to spend all of my money on Christmas decorations), and knows me better than I know myself.&nbsp;Without her, I wouldn't be where I am today, and wouldn't have met my future husband&nbsp;&lt;3

Stephanie Hauth

Although Dave and I played hockey on the same team back in Peewee, we never really became close friends&nbsp;until highschool. Since then he's been one of the guys I did everything with including hockey, softball,&nbsp;tennis, beach volleyball at Loon, or just chillin watching The OC&nbsp;or One Tree Hill in Jory's basement on the&nbsp;weekly.&nbsp;The one exception was&nbsp;golf which I hated for the longest time. Dave was always an unbelievably talented golfer, and I didn't even know which side to&nbsp;swing from, so&nbsp;I instead continued sports like softball. Then Dave moved away to Ottawa, and now I can't be on a golf course enough. Maybe it was my way of trying to fill that void of my best pal leaving town, but it's definitely been fun learning the game and having something else we can go do together, whether it's in town or somewhere sunny and 79.Of all the friends that have moved away, he's been the one to stay in touch most&nbsp;consistently. Were always texting about Brady, Gronk, and the Patriots overall&nbsp;dominance of Lombardo's life.&nbsp;&nbsp;He's always making time to come home or on the road for all our annual events, and I always try to visit him in Ottawa yearly. Dave is the life of the party, always good for a laugh, and has an infectious personality that everyone gravitates to.&nbsp;I was fortunate enough to be a part of Dave's wedding party, and I can't begin to describe how lucky I feel to have him supporting me on my big day.&nbsp;

Dave Gvora

Jenn and I have been best friends since the very first day of JK when&nbsp;we became instant friends! I am so excited to have her stand with me as one of my&nbsp;Maid of Honours. We have been through everything imaginable together from sand fights, travelling, to&nbsp;her wedding day, and now watching her become a mom to such a wonderful little man. No matter how far apart we are, or how long it has been since we talked, everything seems to&nbsp;fall&nbsp;right back into place where we left off the last time. I feel so lucky to have an amazing lifelong friend to share all of these experiences with!&nbsp;Xo

Jenn Ten Have

I am so honoured&nbsp;to have such an incredible girl like Julia standing&nbsp;with me as one of my Bridesmaids!&nbsp;Julia and I were lucky enough to work together at The Keg almost 8 years ago&nbsp;- although it took many years for a friendship to begin, now&nbsp;she is stuck with me for life! She is always up for an adventure, and has such a contagious positivity surrounding her that makes you love her instantly! I can honestly say that she is one of the people in my life that I look up to and feel so inspired by each and every day.&nbsp;I feel so lucky to have her in my life as one of my best&nbsp;friends &lt;3

Julia Alton

Nezzy first started coming around more often nearing grade 11. He went to Churchill, the rest of us went to St. Pats high school, however, he had grown up playing hardball with Dave and Jory. So when we started playing on our own softball team, they invited Nez to play as well.A few years into ball, we started to win frequently and became fairly competitive. That&nbsp;was the point where Kyle&nbsp;cut all his friends from the team, and replaced us with old vets. I'm kidding....... oh no wait I'm not that actually happened! Fortunately we stayed close friends with Kyle&nbsp;while forming our own team that&nbsp;eventually&nbsp;took over the league and&nbsp;dominated&nbsp;Nezzy and his band of ringers.Luckily for Nezzy, he's an acquired taste that we all have come to love. Once you get to know him, you really see what a dedicated friend he is. He's one of those rare, passionate&nbsp;friends that is as likely to take a bullet for his buds, as he is to get into a fight with his friends when they are drunk at&nbsp;their&nbsp;own&nbsp;birthday/bachelor/house-warming party!&nbsp;What can I say, I drank the cool-aid. Now I don't know what life would be without Nezzy by my side. Whether its playing&nbsp;hockey, golf, cards, going through girl drama, or just sitting around watching sports, I can honestly say "public enemy number 1" is one of the best true friends I have ever met.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kyle Nesbitt

Breanne is one of my favourite people, so I am so excited that she will be standing with me on my wedding day as my Bridesmaid! We also worked at The Keg together, and became friends, although she was my boss for a period of time! She has possibly one of the most adventurous&nbsp;souls I've ever met -&nbsp;I live vicariously through her and her travelling! Even though we seem to have opposite schedules (all the time!), we always make time for a Bre and Ash style night at the movies, a kitchen dance party or just a few minutes (which turns into hours) to catch up. I am so happy I have such an amazing friend like her in my life &lt;3

Breanne Smith

Back in med school I had to go spend 8 months doing a placement&nbsp;in Kenora. I decided getting back into competitive hockey after 5 years away might be a good way to pass the time.&nbsp;Pretty sure things went like this. I sat down, not knowing a soul in the dressing&nbsp;room at the first Thistles tryout. Jonny looks over at me like "who the hell is this clown". So he tests me with a quote from the movie step brothers, I respond with the correct follow up line. Best pals ever since. Literally how it went.

Me and Jon went from hanging out at the rink, to eating a full dozen donuts after practice, to being roommates on every road trip and&nbsp;Allan Cup run we made. I even ended up living with him and his family&nbsp;for a few months &nbsp;on subsequent residency placements in Kenora.&nbsp; His family took me in as one of their own handsome, athletic, burly sons (we'll pretend Jon and I&nbsp;fit into those&nbsp;categories with the other 2 Johnson brothers).&nbsp;



Some of the best people I've met from Kenora and Winnipeg, I know and stay in touch with now because of Jonny. He's an awesome guy with a great group of close friends that he truly made me feel a part of. Nowadays we usually find a way to see each other at least once a year. He's living out in Calgary so I've gone to visit him there, he's come here for hockey with the Winnipeg boys, or I&nbsp;usually find my&nbsp;way to meet up at Bruce and Sally's lake house for the annual&nbsp;Harbourfest hockey tournament every other year.



Even though I haven't known Jon as long as the other guys, he really feels like a brother to me (since I don't have enough already). I consider myself so blessed to have met him,&nbsp;his family, and his beautiful wife Kayla.

Jon Johnson

Nicole has been one of my best friends for the last 3 years, so of course I am thrilled to have her as one of my Bridesmaids on our wedding day! Thankfully, the Mango brought her into our lives and we have since stolen her away from Kenora. Our dogs have also become best buds, so play dates are a regular&nbsp;thing for us - which we have turned into nights of shamelessly watching the Bachelor!&nbsp;(don't judge us!) I'm lucky to have someone like her in my life to tell me when I am being unreasonable,&nbsp;just have a girls day with #allthefun, and she always seems to have the cold beer waiting&nbsp;when she knows you had&nbsp;a long week.&nbsp;She is someone I couldn't live without, so&nbsp;I couldn't picture getting married without her beside me! &lt;3 ps. I can't wait to randomly find more secret photo albums you keep of pictures we all didn't know existed!&nbsp;

Nicole Heath

Mike has been a good friend since high school. He's also been my mortal enemy since the Patriots and Tom Brady started winning football games. As a 49ers fan, Mike's&nbsp;jealousy has reigned supreme over our friendship&nbsp;to the point where&nbsp;literally the vast majority of our relationship&nbsp;is Mike looking up, researching, and then trying to teach me about New England conspiracies and how they cheat. If only he dedicated as much time to watching his own football team as he does to watching every snap of his most hated team.

Lombs is a truly gifted trash talker, and his laugh is contagious to the point where his giggles can always get everyone else in the room smiling and laughing. This always shines through on football sundays, when playing poker, and especially when he's busy faking an injury to try to&nbsp;explain why he's losing at bowling or squash.

Unfortunately he now lives in Toronto, and I don't get to see him nearly enough. I miss his compassionate and friendly personality. He's a friend I definitely try to see as much as I can when he's home or when I'm passing through TO. Anyone who knows him, however, knows how challenging this can be. He's a busy guy with the greatest excuses ever when it comes to having to miss or be late for things. Just hoping he doesn't have a relative's friend's last dinner before their trip to Europe on the night of the wedding, so that everyone can meet him and see what a sweet, jovial, amazing guy he is.

Mike Lombardo

Vince, Jay, Jimmy, Yimmeh, Yimz..... whatever name he's going by this week...... was one of the very first friends that I made upon starting at St. Pats High School. As time has passed, and other prior&nbsp;friends have become more distant memories, my friendship with Yimz has only continued to grow. It seems like with each passing year we become better and better friends despite the fact that he has now moved away to Southern Ontario. He manages to stay in touch more often than some great friends who do still live in Thunder Bay.&nbsp;He's one of the most generous, caring, reliable friends anyone could ask for. Always willing to host, completely insulted if you're staying in the Toronto area and don't stay with him at his house, and literally willing to give you the shirt off his back. He's a reflection of the way he was raised, as his parents are the exact same way. I've never been fed or treated&nbsp;better than the multiple dinners/visits with him and his family, who always find a way to treat you as if you are one of their own family members.&nbsp;And after getting to stand with Yimz on his wedding day to his lovely wife Morgan, I can't describe how lucky I am to have him&nbsp;be up there with me on my wedding day. We'll just have to remember to keep him away from the microphone so he doesn't try to&nbsp;steal the show away from my beautiful bride. I look forward to many more trips, visits, dinners, and especially golf outings with my first real&nbsp;golf instructor.&nbsp;

Vince Fragomeni

Wedding Party

Q + A

Registry

The Hotel will honour reservations received by May 23, 2018. Reservations received after this date are subject to space availability and rate availability. Please quote Group Booking number for discounted wedding rate 180623HAUT.

Travel

<ul><li>40 metre high Kakabeka Falls is the second highest waterfall in Ontario with year round access for viewing</li><li>Excellent views of the falls and gorge from the boardwalk that wraps around the top of the falls</li><li>The Kaministiquia River has cut deep into the rocks to reveal 1.6 million year old fossils at the bottom of the falls&nbsp;</li><li>Historic route of the Voyageurs</li><li>Endangered Lake Sturgeon spawn at the base of the falls</li><li>Walking and nature trails in summer and groomed cross-country ski trails</li></ul>

Kakabeka Falls, ON, Canada

Enjoy spectacular views of Thunder Bay from the Terry Fox Memorial and Lookout, which is located on the outskirts of the city. The monument sits in a park overlooking Highway 17and the city. The Terry Fox Memorial was created to mark the spot where the famous athlete ended his run. It has since been moved to its current location, around four kilometres away. The monument depicts Terry Fox atop a pedestal that lists all of the places he passed through on his cross-country run. There is also a tourist information centre onsite.

Terry Fox Monument and Statue

The Hoito Restaurant is the oldest restaurants in Thunder Bay, dating back to 1918. It is also arguably the oldest establishment in the entire country. The restaurant is located on the lower level of the historic Finnish Labour Temple and serves Finnish-Canadian cuisine. It is most famous for its Finnish pancakes, which are served with maple syrup, sugar sprinkles or strawberry sauce. The Finnish Labour Temple is also a landmark that was once one of Canada’s largest workers’ halls. It is designated as a National Historic Site of Canada.

Hoito

Also outside of Thunder Bay, Ouimet Canyon is around 60 kilometres northeast of the city. The large gorge is 100 metres deep, 150 metres wide and 2,000 metres long. Walk through the Ouimet Canyon and be in awe by the stunning scenery. There are also trails above the canyon that offer magnificent views overlooking it. The canyon is believed to date back a billion years when it was split by advancing glaciers. Nearby is the privately owned Eagle Canyon that boasts a zip line and two footbridges.

Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park

Not literally, but a mesa and sill formation that is named the Sleeping Giant because it looks like a giant sleeping on its back. You can get an amazing view from Prince&nbsp;Arthur's Landing at Marina Park. The Sleeping Giant is one of the top ‘Seven Wonders of Canada’. It is located within the Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, which has the most dramatic and steep cliffs in Ontario. The park itself also has plenty to do, including fishing, cycling, hiking and camping. In fact, there are over 200 campsites throughout the park.

Ashley & Jeff