Bruce Peninsula Engagement / Heidi + Eric

Heidi + Eric's epic adventure engagement session at Bruce Peninsula in Tobermory was definitely worth the 3 hour drive up......one way. PLUS it was also worth getting an aquarium so that I can attempt to get some shots of them in the water in the cave (you can see what I mean in the last photo in the post! We chose Bruce Peninsula because they are an adventurous couple that are passionate about being active outdoors. They also dream of eventually settling down in BC, so this was the closest thing to it in Ontario :) Heidi is a Holistic Nutritionist + a Health coach. Eric is an adrenaline junkie + has a degree in Robotic engineering! These two are inspiring to say the least.  As I'm writing this, they are moving to California and road tripping their asses down there! Hope you two are having a blast!!

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Proposal story from Heidi's perspective! (long but soo worth the read!)

Eric was working for Apple this summer in California. I went out to visit him. The second day I was there he told me it was a surprise but to plan to wear something comfortable enough for a day hike. We ended up at what looked like a provincial park, very scenic, with a lake right in front of us. We took a small tin boat to the base of a mountain, we proceeded to hike up the mountain for about an hour and a half. It was cold, it was beautiful, it was warm, there was hail lol it was mountain weather and it was great. We were trying to hike to a lake on the mountain but the trail got very snowy, so we took a break and ate some morale boosting cherries and then headed back the way we came, looking at the amazing scenery as we went. We had passed a really great spot and Eric suggested we head off the trail to explore some more and get some great shots when we passed that spot again. So we did. We came to an opening/ ledge of the mountain where there was a pool of water, I'd say the size of a large pond, that overlooked another lake - it was absolutely gorgeous and surrounded by trees, with white capped mountains in the background. Eric told me where to stand and said he was going to come take a photo with me so he set up the tripod. The sun wasn't cooperating and he said he wanted to get the perfect shot so he waited and I just looked around at the amazing scenery. Eventually, he came to stand beside me for the photo. We smiled looking at the lens. Then he started to talk ...and I thought - he's going to have to take the photo again because now he's talking lol - then I realized once I heard what he was saying, what was happening. I was smiling so hard my face hurt and I started to shake! He said that the trail we were on, if we were to hike it for about 3 months would take us to BC (that's where we are planning to start a family and our next chapter) and that's why he wanted to take me on this trail, and that much like the trail today - life has unexpected elements and challenges but together we can get through them, the last 4 years hasn't always been easy (he's been in an extremely demanding program at U of W and we've dealt with a lot of family health issues on my side) but we climbed to the top together and now it's time to start enjoying the view. He said that when he's out here in the wilderness it's just a walk, but when it's with me it's a journey and that he loved me very much, then he got down on one knee and opened a hand carved wooden box (made from a giant sequoia tree) and asked me to marry him. I have literally never felt that happy in my entire life - I didn't even know you COULD feel that happy. I cried a lot of happy tears and we hugged and then had a mini-engagement photo shoot on the mountain. After about an hour and a half we hiked back down (oh ya, he had planned a picnic lunch and brought a blanket and food but we didn't end up eating because we wanted to make it back down in time for the boat). Once we got to the car he gave me his hat and told me to cover my eyes. The car stopped, he got me out of the car, led me down some steps, then I could feel I was walking on carpet (super confused) and when he told me to open them I was standing in a gorgeous log cabin/chalet with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the mountains (hot tub on the back deck!) and a huge fire place in the middle of the room - amazing! He cooked me a steak dinner with ingredients all from whole foods (I'm a super healthy eater and he doesn't cook lol) and we had wine by the fire, he retold me what he had said when he proposed because I had forgotten already lol and I gave him a letter I had written to him while he was away. We went out onto the back deck, popped champagne and spent hours in the hot tub. The next morning he didn't tell me where we were going but we drove for about an hour and arrived at a ranch - we rode horses through the Sierra Nevada mountains and explored the town. It was amazing. The next weekend he took me to Napa Valley where we did a bicycle wine tour and basically floated on cloud 9. It was THE best time of my life thus far and I have never felt more in love with him :)

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The water was so cold and they were bring such troopers! Had to include this behind the scenes shot :) This was my attempt at getting some photos of them in the grotto using an aquarium that I put in the water along with my camera inside of it! The water was pretty hectic and I was making sure my camera wouldn't get submerged so it was a challenge! I love a challenge! Thank you Heidi + Eric for being troopers and getting into that frigid water :)And one more behind the scenes shot, because the water was really, REALLY cold!

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Toronto Documentary Wedding + Portrait Photographer for Free-Spirited, Bohemian & Adventurous Couples - GTA, Algonquin, Muskoka, Toronto, Vancouver, Caledon, Alberta, Guelph, Cambridge, Worldwide, International, Destination, Bruce Peninsula, Tobermory