We met in 2019 through one of our mutual friends and immediately hit it off. What started as a summer fling during James’ OE quickly became something neither of us wanted to let go of. After spending every minute we could together the summer started to come to an end, we tried everything we could to extend our time together, including convincing Bella’s parents to let James stay with them while he recovered from a surgery, even though they had barely met him. That was just the beginning of our long-distance adventure.

We had plans to see each other again in March 2020, but then the world shut down, keeping us apart for fourteen months. Countless video calls and a lot of patience later, we were finally reunited.

In 2021, Bella faced the joys of New Zealand’s border rules, including two weeks in Managed Isolation and navigating what felt like endless immigration paperwork. She lived in New Zealand for a year before returning to Canada to finish university. Over the next few years, we became professional long-distance travelers, flying back and forth and making up for lost time whenever we could.

By 2024, Bella moved to New Zealand for good. A few months later, while visiting Canada, James pulled off the surprise of all surprises. He made the engagement ring in just one week and then proposed on Strawberry Island, behind Scottie’s Beach. It was completely unexpected, utterly perfect, and a day we will never forget. That special spot has even inspired some of the details you will see at our wedding.