Wedding Day

Ceremony

Reception

Our Wedding

(the photos are from that night hehe, December 12) I knew Ben liked me for most of university but nothing ever happened, mainly because I kept him in the friend zone. He didn't give up though, continuing to talk to me in the hallways or message about classes we had together. Then, it was December 12 in our fourth year, we were at a party for a friend and this is where I began to think that maybe I could like this guy. It might've been because I had a little too much to drink, but whatever it was, it just felt right. So I texted him that night after the party, making sure that he had a ride to the airport for Christmas break, thoughtful right? ;) And we just kept texting ... throughout the entire break. I often stayed up until 3 am, because of the time difference (obviously), and it was so much fun. All of a sudden, it was the Friday before school started. Ben flew back into Hamilton that day, and that night, he cooked dinner for me #brokenfoot. It was real. We were actually hanging out and we both really liked it. Ben was thinking his dreams were coming true and I was kindof freaking out. After many chats with my roommates, I finally admitted that yes, I liked Ben. We started dating on January 29, 2022 and the rest is history &lt;3

Our Story

Photos

My best friend, cousin and roommate for the last 6 years, who I actually could not do life without

Nicola deVries

The friend who got Ben through school and is still his go to for all things life related, like video games, and sports

Ethan Coolen

The sister who also likes haribos, working out and listening to taylor swift (my other half)

Natasha Meinders

Ben's friend who you would always see by his side, from childhood to now, they've been inseparable. Hehe my favourite activity is listening to all the random sh*t they've done.

Peyton Grim

The sister who has travelled the world and will take care of all of our animals one day, thanks for being a vet <3

Hannah Meinders

A constant friend in Ben's life from when he was little, who is always included in the stories that are told. He's been Ben's roommate the longest and I know Ben is going to miss that. 

Will Kloosterhof

The pilot sister, who can literally do it all, fly, crochet, read, and LAUGH hehe

Katrina Meinders

Ben's brother, who may be younger, but has much nicer hair and bigger muscles than Ben does currently

Shaun Woltjer

My roommate and best friend, who just got married and is my role model for all things wedding 

Heather Boonstoppel

My brother who is overjoyed to have a soon to be brother-in-law to help him overcome the number of girls in the family

Ryan Meinders

Hehe also my roommate and best friend, who moved back to Ottawa *sad* but is living her dream as a teacher *yay*

Olivia Ellens

Ben's sister but could've been mine since she loves reading the same books as my sisters and listening to taylor swift

Haley Woltjer

Wedding Party

Q + A

The Casablanca Inn is located in Grimsby, about 20 minutes from Smithville, where the wedding will be. We have 10 Standard Rooms reserved if you would like to stay in a hotel for the night, just let them know you are a part of the Meinders/Woltjer Room Block.

The Casablanca Hotel

A hotel in Grimsby, about 20 minutes from Smithville. We don't have a Room Block with this hotel, but it is another good option, and may even be slightly cheaper than the Casablanca Hotel.

Quality Inn and Suites 

AirbnbsIf you are looking for other options within the area for accommodations, you could look into booking an Airbnb or Vrbo. There are some great places in and around Smithville that are closer than the hotels, and may be more budget-friendly too!

Travel

Things to do around Niagara and Hamilton - based on where Ben and I have been so far &lt;3 AncasterYou could visit Redeemer University, where it all began, and if you drive through the subdivisions around there you might just be driving through the area where Ben and I walked when I put him in the friend zone. HamiltonFor a place to eat, you could visit HAMBRGR, one of our favourite restaurants to go to for a really good burger. I LOVE their Honey Crunch chicken burger and Ben usually goes for Le Royale with Cheese.You could also try out a place on Locke Street, a street in downtown Hamilton where we spent a lot of evenings one summer. They have lots of great restaurants to try, little shops to walk around in, and of course, Donut Monster. SmithvilleThere's not a lot around, but if you do a walk around town, you will see an A&amp;W and a Tim Horton's, as well as a Giant Tiger and Foodland if you need to stock up on some groceries for the weekend. GrimsbyWe haven't actually spent a lot of time in Grimsby, but Ben got some hangers from a thrift store called the Grimsby Benevolent Fund, where I also found some wedding decor. There's also a Dutch Shop that is kindof fun, and is super close to Lake Ontario if you want to walk along the water. BeamsvilleThe one place we have gone in the Beamsville area is The Watering Can, a place for all plant lovers. It has so many plants, and the cutest cafe with really yummy pastries and food options. Would recommend. St. CatharinesThis city has been Ben's home ever since starting his new job, and so we've been slowly exploring it. A great place to walk (or rollerblade) is along the Welland Canal Parkway. It is a walkway right beside the canal, where you can see the locks, and has an ice cream and a food truck somewhere along it.Port Dalhousie is also a fun little part of St. Catharines, right on the water, with a carousel, a beach and lots of boats. Niagara FallsWe went to the Butterfly Conservatory on one of our dates, and loved it. Butterflies are my favourite animal after all. There are so many different activities to do in Niagara Falls, the options are endless, so you might just have to Google it and see what you want to do. Niagara-on-the-LakeOr you could take a drive to Niagara-on-the-Lake, a picturesque town that is also along the water. It has a whole bunch of cute shops, our favourites are the candy store, and the Christmas store. We went for lunch at the Corks one time though and both had the worst meals, so would not recommend that restaurant &lt;3 Port ColborneOkay, the final option that we're going to suggest is Port Colborne. Apparently you can get here from the Welland Canal Parkway but we haven't figured it out yet. What we do know is that they have an amazing fish and chips place called Minor Fisheries, that Ben loves, so you know it has to be good. Also, we haven't been, but apparently The LockWood Fired Pizza is also really good. Maybe we'll put it on our list. Also, really important, if you're looking for 7-elevens and a really good slurpee, you can find one in Welland, one in Port Colborne, and a couple in St. Catharines, and two in Hamilton. The only flavour we recommend is Coke, if necessary, Pepsi &lt;3 Have fun!

Ben & Leanna

Ben & Leanna

B&L