A COVID LOVE STORY
On March 2020, Charlton and Shelley matched on Bumble by accident when Charlton thought he was swiping for a new board game. Despite this mix-up, they clicked and were ready to meet just before the world was going into lockdown due to the pandemic. Not wanting to let such a worthy adversary off so easily, Charlton suggested a telephone date instead.
They hit it off right away, talking on the phone for hours every other day for three whole months without ever meeting face to face. However, Charlton had one peculiar quirk - he refused to video chat with anyone except his beloved nephew, Aiden.
Shelley, not knowing what to make of this, started to suspect that Charlton was cat-fishing her. She couldn't understand why he wouldn't video chat with her. But Charlton had a valid reason - he was a hoarder of board games and was afraid Shelley would judge him for his massive collection.
Meanwhile, Shelley had her own obsession - snacks. Wherever they went, Shelley was always coming in clutch with enough snacks to feed a small village.In spite of these quirks, they bonded over their shared interests, talking about everything from their favorite board games to the best snacks for movie nights. Once they finally met in person they went on a summer-long tour, biking to Edmonton’s best picnic spots, patios, and festivals. They had a blast the following two years traveling, trying new things and new foods, always with their trusty pup Chando by their side.
On the final day of their trip to Maui last May, Shelley was ready to hit the waves and go SUP-ing but her friend Jen had other plans. "Just wash your hair and wear a bra," she said, dragging her to the beach for pictures with their cutest little pal Dexter in his new Hawaiian shirt. As the sun set on the sand, Charlton popped the question in front of their friends. At first, Shelley was shaken by the betrayal of her friends, keeping this secret from her for 10 whole days! But after giving it some more thought she was pretty thrilled that she'd locked in a life companion, someone she could consistently win against in their favorite board games.
Now, they are gearing up to celebrate their wedding in Mexico, where they plan to eat, drink, and play board games to their hearts' content, surrounded by their loved ones.