In the summer of 2017, Jonathan, a mutual friend introduced Scott & Oriyana. Two years later, just before the federal election, Scott surprised Oriyana with a proposal. This was completely unexpected. Now, they have been engaged for over a year already. We even managed to fit our first consultation in before the election! The initial plan of a cherry blossom engagement session, including a picnic was interrupted by COVID-19. Scott had planned it to be just like the day he proposed; what a romantic idea! This Stratford engagement session was the absolute perfect way to capture this love story; Stratford, with the beautiful river and adorable shops, is just the perfect little town to leisurely enjoy.

Change in Plans

Scott works for an organization that works to get pro-life people into government positions. He is someone I’ve admired for quite some time. Capturing his love story with Oriyana has been an honour. Oriyana is a paramedic; her job has definitely changed because of COVID-19. The current situation with the virus has made things especially challenging for these two. Scott spent 6.5 months in his home province of Manitoba with his family, as restrictions were not likely to be as severe in Manitoba. He wasn’t sure if he was even allowed to see her at a certain point as she’s a frontline worker, but he’s incredibly glad to be back now!

Oriyana and I first met at a pro-life crash course that I attended a few years back. She taught me so much about how to argue for the life of the preborn, especially the principle of double effect. Knowing that Oriyana and Scott do so much for the lives of the unborn means so much to our family. Especially as our own unborn child (Stella) was in so much danger for 11 weeks of her pregnancy.

I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine

Scott and Oriyana didn’t consider moving their wedding date even once, but they have had to cut it down quite significantly. Especially as certain very special loved ones are not able to attend the big day. It didn’t feel right having a big party without those special guests. It is still going to be an amazing intimate wedding day, however. We are excited to photograph in the same church as Victoria and Jonathan’s wedding again!

This Stratford engagement session was so much like what their actual engagement looked like; it started off sunny and happy, but was rudely interrupted by a very unexpected storm (as COVID did in real life). We sought cover under a bridge, and after a 15-minute downpour, even though the sunshine was gone, we were still able to continue on until we got all the photos we need. Our session went from the beautiful alcove under the trees, to walking along the Avon River, to a beautiful little street with unique storefronts.

Life Changing Moments

In the evening after our session, Scott and Oriyana got wonderful news later that they had secured a place to live together after their wedding. This is sure to take a lot of stress of their plates, and they are now able to put all their energy into putting the final touches on their wedding day, which is less than a month away!

Scott & Oriyana, your love story is inspiring. I can truly say that I’m incredibly impressed at how you’ve navigated all the obstacles during your engagement. And also incredibly glad that you (hopefully) never have to spend that much time apart again. Your wedding day is exactly a month after this session, and we are incredibly excited!!! Wishing you God’s help during these last few weeks as fiancés, and we’ll see you in October!