Our story began in 2012, in Victoria, two high school kids met and became fast friends. Carly thought Kaelin was cute and funny, while Kaelin was dazzled by Carly’s bubbly personality and infectious laugh. They bonded over their shared love of snacks, sarcasm, and making each other laugh. Spoiler alert: they had no idea what they were getting into.


A lot of their early days involved sitting in Carly’s car at Clover Point. There, overlooking the ocean, they would talk and laugh for hours on end. Whether they were debating something deep or just making fun of their day, it was in those simple, quiet moments that they realized their bond was something special.


Fast forward to the summer of 2014, and things finally got interesting. Carly was moving to Vancouver for school, and Kaelin, being the helpful guy he is, assisted with packing her U-Haul. Somewhere between loading boxes and a too-long ferry lineup, Carly finally took matters into her own hands. “When are you going to ask me to be your girlfriend,” she said. Kaelin, did exactly that, and they officially became “a thing.”


Their first test as an official couple? Moving and going to IKEA. After making the rookie mistake of not eating beforehand, they navigated the maze of flat-packed furniture barely escaping with their relationship intact. They spent their first night as a couple in Carly’s way-too-hot Vancouver apartment, sleeping on a mattress on the floor, wondering if this was the glamorous start they had envisioned.


Over the next eight years, Kaelin and Carly accomplished a lot. They moved nine times, attended way too many sporting events, both graduating university and adopting Moose.


Kaelin always said he would never propose in another country, which is exactly why Carly never saw it coming when he did! During a family trip to Mexico, after lunch one day, all Carly wanted to do was take a nap. But instead, she was told they were taking a family photo on the beach. Grumpily, Carly went along with it and started getting annoyed when everyone was taking forever to get ready. She even started kicking the sand like a little kid out of frustration. Then, out of nowhere, Kaelin said, “Will you please turn around?” When she did, he was down on one knee, and just like that, the nap could wait!


Since the proposal, weve moved back to Victoria and into our first home together. From Clover Point to IKEA survival tests, and now to building a home together, our journey has been filled with laughter, love, and a lot of shared adventures.


We can’t wait to celebrate our next adventure with all of you. Join us as we finally make it official and continue writing our love story, one funny, heartwarming chapter at a time.