Alexa (she/her) and Leslie (she/her) have known each other since they were kids. They grew up in the same small town and reconnected as adults when Alexa started apprenticing as a student at the physiotherapy clinic where Leslie worked. One thing led to another, and the Ontario, Canada, couple eventually fell in love and followed their dream of a flower farm together.
On the anniversary of Leslie proposing to Alexa, the brides-to-be trekked back to the same mountain where the proposal happened for a sunrise engagement photoshoot. The location is a private lookout near Manitoulin Island, with gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains and lake where the pair took a romantic canoe ride at the end of their photo session. Leslie and Alexa wore casual, cozy outfits and hiking boots and brought their dog along as they hiked to a scenic boulder to enjoy mimosas and rainbow layer cake parfaits in celebration of their upcoming wedding.
Alexa says the thing she loves most about her future wife is “Leslie’s thoughtfulness, her small surprises, and her openness to new ideas and adventures.” Leslie says, “I love Alexa’s pure heart and passion for nature’s beauty. Her perspective of the world around her lights me up and inspires me. She has shown me how to appreciate the little wonders of life.”
We caught up with Alexa to hear more about this outdoor summer engagement.
Tell us about the proposal!
Leslie convinced me that we were going on an overnight camping trip to watch the sunrise to help our friend Corey with marketing for his outdoor hiking guide business. The sunrise hike was in a nature reserve that’s always been meaningful to us. So we hiked into the woods, stayed the night and then hiked up to the beautiful view that Leslie had picked out a few weeks before. Just as the sun was rising, Leslie proposed. Our photographer, Lauren, was amazing enough to agree to hike the six kilometers into the exact same spot, in the dark, to capture us during a sunrise about a year later for our engagement shoot!
What are you most looking forward to in your marriage?
The peacefulness of living our dream life on our farm, the excitement of seeing what the flower farm business will grow into, and creating memorable moments with family, friends and hopefully our own kids one day. 
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Photographer: Lauren McCormick Photography
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