Nearlyweds: Tanya McLaughlin & Kris LaBelle

Together for: 15 months (known each other through work for 8 years)

The proposal: “I met Kris 8 years ago through work, we have the same job at an OHL hockey rink. We both were in long term relationships and had developed a friendship over the years. During the summer of 2018 Kris had a terrible break up with her wife of 20 years. I had been in a relationship that I couldn’t seem to get away from and it suddenly was over for him and I. When the hockey season began we both were very unhappy with our lives and both had decided that alone was best. We started spending time together as friends, and even carpooling to work events. I was finding more ways to spend time together. We would ask the other to go out, secretly thinking of them as dates. Valentine’s Day came around we spent it alone and not together, but the day was constant text messages and phone calls. The next day I said we needed to talk about what was going on with us. We talked, we both had more feelings for each other than friends. We officially went on our first date that Sunday. We said we would take it slow.

I was looking for a new place to live for myself and my adult daughter. Kris went with me to see places, it felt like we were looking for a place for us. We decided that we would find a place together. I would move in and Kris would move in a little later on in the year. Quickly we realized Kris’s place was our place. I moved in on the first of April.

In August I had vacation time booked and we planned a road trip in my VW bug convertible to the East Coast. During the planning Kris messaged me at work asking if it was okay if we spent the first weekend of the vacation in Old Montreal. Fast forward to August…We arrived in Old Montreal on Saturday afternoon and wandered around seeing the sights. Kris had seen a rooftop restaurant online she wanted to go to, so we found it and we waited in a long line. During dinner, I felt Kris was not comfortable and not as happy as she had been during the day. After dinner she suggested a walk to the pier. I commented on how weird it seemed that people were standing or sitting in groups all looking out at the water like there were going to be fireworks.

We found a spot to stand and look out at the water but it started to get super crowded, Kris said let’s walk out to the other side of the pier. As we walked around the building, sure enough the fireworks started going off. We stopped to watch and take pictures. As they were going off, Kris stood behind me and started talking to me close to my ear, so I could hear her. She told me how much she loved me and was so happy we were together. I turned to kiss her and tell her I loved her too, only to find out she was holding a ring box in her hand. She said I needed to open this first so she could finish what she wanted to say. As I opened the box she asked me to marry her and be her wife. I said yes.

She said she had been worried if she was rushing it. What she didn’t know was I had been thinking about proposing on the trip, but in NB on my family’s beach. I had let my fears stop me from buying the ring and I had been looking for a long time for a perfect ring because I am the girl who loves shiny and sparkly things, Kris is not that girl. lol

Once we got home and were talking wedding things, I remembered I had bought a ring the year before as an idea that would be PERFECT as an engagement ring for Kris. As I was looking through my jewelry box, Kris picked up a Claddagh ring I had, and put it on her ring finger. The next day at work I went online and found the perfect Claddagh ring with a few diamonds, nothing super flashy and I stopped on my way home from work and picked it up.

When I got home I put it away, thinking I would wait until Kris’s birthday as I had already bought CFL tickets, and proposing at the game sounded like a great idea. I decided the next morning I couldn’t wait. I spent time in our home office ‘working’ (when I was actually making a puzzle). Once done, I asked Kris to go out for brunch. After ordering our coffee I gave Kris an envelope full of puzzle pieces and she started putting it together. I waited until it was almost done and when she was looking at the puzzle I put the ring box on the table in front of her. She had just finished saying there seemed to be a piece missing, so I suggested the box might help. I had put the last corner piece in the box in front of the ring and it said ‘will you marry me?’ Of course, she said yes!

We are less than 3 months from our August 8th 2020 wedding date. Unfortunately we have had to alter a few plans and we have our fingers crossed that the Covid-19 restrictions will be eased enough to not have to postpone our reception to 2021. We have had Plan A, Plan B, and after much thought we have decided to go with Plan C and move our wedding date to August 7th 2021 to celebrate with all of family & friends.” – T&K