OUR LOVE STORY
The First Meet Up
After graduating from the University of Toronto and sending out what felt like endless job applications, Ericka spent some time traveling around Europe, figuring out what was next. That same year, Josh was doing something similar, exploring Europe post graduation without realizing how closely their paths were already running alongside each other.
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When the trips ended, Ericka packed up her life and moved across the country to Kelowna. She arrived in August 2019 to a town that felt like the middle of nowhere, not realizing that Josh had made the very same move just a few months earlier. Their lives had been quietly unfolding side by side long before they ever met.
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Not knowing a single person in town, Ericka moved in with her godmother’s friends, Mildred and Randolph, who had just moved to Kelowna as well. By chance, or maybe by fate, Josh happened to be working with Randolph that summer. Little did they know, a connection was quietly being set up long before anyone realized it.
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Just a week after the move, Randolph asked Josh to be Ericka’s tour guide, so he showed up to pick up her and Mildred for a paddle on the lake. At the last minute, Mildred got “busy,” and suddenly it was just the two of them. Luckily, Josh came prepared for this sunset kayak by enlisting the help of his mother, Denise, to pack crackers, cheese, and refreshments for their ride. Unbeknownst to Ericka, they had just had their first date.
A Thanksgiving Wish
As summer ended and Ericka’s favorite season arrived, new festivities were in the works. Josh decided to host Thanksgiving dinner for family and friends and asked Ericka if she would like to come. Not only did she attend, but she also prepared the best mashed potatoes Josh had ever had. As they say, “the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach.” That evening, once the guests had left, they each took one piece of the turkey’s wishbone with the same thought in mind: to be together.
The Engagement
Last year, twenty-two years later, Ericka went home to the Philippines, and she wasn’t going alone. Josh went with her. They met her extended family, grandparents, titos, titas, and cousins, in Manila and Isabela. Josh fit right into the Filipino culture, with morning pandesal runs, hunting for turon stalls, and vibing with the chaos of big family meet-ups.
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During their sunset dinners after a long day canyoneering in Kawasan Falls, they were reminiscing photos of their Luna Baby, but little did he know, the next photo he was going to show her was a photo of the ring. In panic, he had felt pressured all throughout the trip, until they arrived in El Nido. ​
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As they were swimming at the beach, Ericka noticed a cute private sunset dinner being quietly set up nearby, but she kept her cool, knowing Josh was already feeling the pressure. While getting ready, Josh waited at the bar, rum and coke in hand, with shots of Tanduay rum to calm his nerves. Funny enough, a rom-com was being filmed during dinner—starring Star Wars actors. And if you know Josh… was this meant to be?
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Once they arrived at their table on the beach, all the pressure melted away. The moment was perfect, and she said YES. To top it off, they were treated to the most vibrant and breathtaking sunset of the entire trip, ending the night with the best vibes imaginable.
