Free Wedding Contest Entry//Rachel & Derek

That is a picture of my messer of a little sister and equal of a messer fiancé off on a weekend trip somewhere in the outter wilderness of Toronto.

They took that picture during a weekend away trying to make up their minds on the hardest decision any newly engaged couple has to make.... location of venue. As an emmigrated couple that question was doubley compounded by whether to come home for their wedding to the lush green lands of Ireland, or stay where that have built a life and a future for themselves in Toronto. As you have guessed from the competition entry they have chosen the latter... early August this year.

My sister Rachel and her fiancé Derek have been together for 9 years. After Dereks mother was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time he began to worry if he waited any longer he might not get to see her face on his wedding day. So he popped the questions on their anniversary in Toronto at their favourite restaurant. Dereks mothernis making another amazing recovery as only a woman of her calibre could. They are both nuts and have the intrinsic irish ability for banter that is in all irish blood. They are perfectly matched fault for flare for fault.

We are hoping to all make it for the day that's in it and stand up beside them in celebration, but as Dereks brother is also getting married next year as am I there are rumblings that the guests might be thinner on the ground than we would hoped. 

So I hope that you take this entry in the spirit it was intended as a gift to my sister who I love so dearly that no distance in geography can diminish.

FACTS 

- Rachels nick name is stone heart.

She talks faster than the road runner.

Nobody knows it but she is actually really caring.

-Derek works in finance but djs at night.

The fact that he couldn't drink from a pint glass in Toronto made him so sad we had to send him some from home.

He's the only one who knows just the right way to look after my sister while still taking the piss out of her.

Thank you for your time.

Lorin Lawless

On behalf of Rachel Lawless and 

Derek Mulvahney

Free Wedding Photography Entry//Sara & Nick

Once Upon a Time, nearly eight years ago, the magic began…

Young Love

Sara and Nick met in May 2008 while working at Marble Slab Creamery. It would be nice to say 

that it was love at first sight; however, this was not the case. If you asked Nick, he would 

probably say that he was trying to impress Sara. If you asked Sara she would probably say that 

she was not that impressed by Nick. With Nick’s persistence and a little nudge from friends, Sara 

and Nick went on their first date.

First Date

On July 22nd, 2008 Nick invited Sara to the movies with him and his friends. Nick went to 

purchase tickets while Sara was at work; unfortunately, tickets for Batman were sold out and his 

friends had made other plans for the evening. Nick didn't want to miss his chance, so he invited 

Sara to see "Wanted" instead. Sara was skeptical about Nick’s story (she figured this was Nick’s 

plan all along), but agreed to the date anyway. After playing glow-in-the-dark mini putt and 

watching the movie, they kissed and decided to make plans for the next evening. The next day, 

Sara and Nick decided that they enjoyed each other’s company and starting dating exclusively.

The Big Leap 

Four years later, in May 2012, Sara and Nick moved-in together. During their first year living 

together, they made the big decision to move to Australia for Nick to continue his studies (the 

difficulty of their decision is debatable; goodbye winter, hello summer!). In 2012, they also 

welcomed two furry additions to the team (Lucy and Dante). The kitties quickly became part of 

the family, and as a result, they tagged along for the big trip down under. 

It’s Official

Sara and Nick's relationship has matured and strengthened over the years, especially since 

moving to Australia. With respect, love and honest communication they have become a real 

team. At some point, the couple decided that they wanted to keep a good thing going and made 

the mutual decision to announce their engagement! 

Sara and Nick are heading back to Canada to make it official! The couple was unable to have an 

engagement photo session due to the cost of tuition and student fees. Sara and Nick are not able 

to afford a professional photographer for their wedding as they have accumulated $250,000 in 

student debt and have spent over $60,000 out of pocket for Nick to complete his degree. They 

have been in a committed relationship for nearly eight years and have been dedicated to helping 

each other achieve their goals. Being given this wedding photography package would start their 

marriage off on the right track and would leave them with memories for a lifetime.  

Three Quirky Facts about Sara and Nick:

1. They’re big kids at heart. They can watch anime together until the sun comes up and eat 

lollies until it hurts (in an unpleasant yet satisfying kind of way). 

2. Whether it’s deciding what to eat for dinner, where to go on a date, or even which photo 

to choose for this contest, they have an interesting method for decision-making; one 

person voices their top two choices and the other person makes the final decision based 

on the choices given. They have used this system for many years, and are always satisfied 

with the result. 

3. They took a huge leap of faith in the name of love when they decided to move to 

Australia. They quit their jobs, travelled across the world to a mystery land where they 

didn’t know anyone, spent over $7000 to bring their two cats with them, they had no 

place to live, they brought only the items they could carry and hoped for the best. 

Somehow, it all worked out. 

Love is all you need.