Rustic Romance In British Columbia’s Fraser Valley

About the couple

Bride: Kimberly Dawn Maude

Groom: Matthew Watkins

How they met: “It all began in 2003 when I was out with my girlfriend Sarah. She had invited me out for dinner and drinks at Stella’s, a local restaurant in Mission, which came to be one of our favorite places to go,” explains Kimberly. “As we ate dinner with friends, I spotted Matt walking in from across the room. I was immediately drawn to his green eyes, and easy-going personality. I was too nervous to go up and talk to him, so I just admired him from afar. Throughout the night I remember not wanting to take my eyes off him, wanting to introduce myself. But again, I didn’t have the courage. I ended up turning to Sarah and saying, ‘Who is that guy? He’s so cute! Do you know him?’ Funny thing is Sarah ended up introducing us through mutual friends. A couple of weeks passed, and I still couldn’t stop thinking about him. He ended up coming to a New Year’s Eve party his friends and my friends attended. I had said to myself if I ever saw him again, I would make my move. As the night drew closer to midnight, all my friends made it very clear to him I was interested. I remember smiling so much that night it hurt. We danced on the dance floor, and spoke only a few words to each other. But I still had that butterfly feeling. As the countdown to midnight began, I remember standing up there alone, while everyone else had someone in his or her arms. I remember feeling so awkward. I turned around to leave, and there was Matt. He grabbed my arm pulled me into him and kissed me! And all I could think of was OH MY GOD! Since that day we’ve been inseparable.”

Engagement story: “About a year and a half ago Matt and I decided to start talking about our future plans, what we wanted in life and where we saw ourselves in five years,” Kimberly recalls. “Matt decided on our six-year anniversary to propose. He had planned to take me out for a romantic dinner. We both were working that day (so I thought) and I couldn’t wait to get home and enjoy our time together. I called Matt at lunch to chat as I did everyday, and he wasn’t answering. For Matt that was odd, since he always answered, but I didn’t think anything of it. Later in the day he called and seemed kind of distant like his mind was somewhere else. I questioned him about what he was doing, but he changed the subject. He said he was excited to have dinner but he had to get back to ‘work’. Little did I know he was out picking up my ring from the jewelers. After work I rushed home, and when I pulled up to the driveway it was dark, the lights were out. I started my way up the driveway and noticed flickering through the front door windows… I opened the door to find the front stairway lit with candles and rose petals following up to the top of the stairs. As I walked up the stairs I had the biggest smile on my face, and noticed our song was playing as I walked down the hallway towards our bedroom. The stairway was also lit up with candles and rose petals, as I opened up our bedroom door Matt was standing there all dressed up in my favorite jeans and collared shirt. I remember stopping for a moment and thinking this is a moment I’ll never forget, and not because I knew what was going to happen but just because this was the sweetest thing that anyone had ever done. Then he started his speech… one that will play over and over in my head. My heart was jumping out and I wanted to scream. I of course said yes. The ring was perfect, the day was perfect, and now I had the perfect man to share the rest of my life with.