In the first summer of the COVID pandemic, Michelle had left her Toronto condo to live back home in Huntsville. Similarly, Geoff had moved from St. Catharines to the Slemon family cottage in Minden.

Although the moves north were somewhat similar, the living conditions couldn’t have been more different. Michelle was isolating on Lake Vernon in her Aunt Lynn’s home with her cousin Dani, where they could have their own space away from the congestion of Toronto. Geoff, on the other hand, was living in a non-winterized cottage, waking up to sub-zero temperatures indoors, boiling snow for drinking water and smoking himself out using a decorative acorn fireplace for heat (Michelle: Geoff we get it, you're a big deal). Taking it day by day, life was on pause at this point for both.

Outside of work, Michelle and Dani had little to do to keep themselves entertained, and one of their pastimes was swiping through Tinder, of course. Dani found great joy in confirming that yes, Michelle in fact did know almost every single person on the app in the Huntsville area having grown up with many of the local suitors… that’s what you get in a small town. But while on the app, Michelle found a guy who looked reasonably normal that she did not recognize, and (kind of haphazardly) swiped right.

We started chatting - sports, music, craft beer, having two siblings (Michelle being the youngest and Geoff as a triplet), food, dogs, family and friends… the conversation was good and it was a great comfort in a lonely time. After a couple weeks of chatting, Michelle had planned a trip to Kingston to see her two best friends for the first time since the start of the pandemic, but decided she might sneak in a quick detour on her way. Geoff was living as a solo outdoorsman at this rustic cottage, so she figured the COVID risk was low (sorry, Dad). We took the chance and met for a drink at Boshkung Brewery in Minden, overlooking the Gull River on a beautiful August day and the rest is history. Just shy of 4 years later, we would get engaged only a few steps away from the first place we met.

For the next several months, we tried to see each other every few weeks, slightly mischievously but always as safely as we could. In September, Michelle decided to spend a few months living with Stephen & Marisa Martin in Brantford, and the two were the first to meet and vet Geoff in Michelle’s life. It was a pretty strange way to start a relationship, where building trust quickly was essential and having good communication was pivotal to making things work right off the bat. In December 2020, both Michelle and Geoff moved back to Toronto and from there things just sort of took off.

Fast forward a couple of years, we now live in Liberty Village in Toronto with our dog, Charlie. On weekends when we aren’t at one of YOUR weddings (Geoff: I’m looking at 20 of you couples since 2020) or spending time up north in Huntsville and Minden, you will find us out on a walk with Charlie and a good cup of coffee, or on a patio enjoying a beer or two with friends, usually cheering on (or commiserating about) the Leafs.

2020 was a strange time for everyone but it ended up leading to the start of something pretty incredible. We aren’t strong proponents of fate, but we do see the serendipity of the circumstances that led us to meet during what otherwise was a scary and difficult time. We can’t wait to share the next chapter of our story at Port Cunnington Lodge in September with all of you. To know Geoff and Michelle is to know how important our relationships are with our friends and family - we simply wouldn’t be us, as individuals or a couple, without you all. Thanks for being there for us through so many stages of our lives and, most importantly, for being with us to celebrate the start of our marriage.