Hotel Riu Palace Aquarelle

Wedding Day

Reception

Spring

Our Wedding

Here is the booking information from our travel agent. Please click the link to review the details. **UPDATE** (deadline extended &amp; price drop)A deposit of $200.00 per person is due by **August 31st**to secure the package price. Please reach out to Nick to secure your group booking, Nick Jackson, Expedia Cruises - CreditviewToll Free: 1-866-999-8747 | 905-567-8747njackson@expediacruises.com TICO# 50017021

Booking Information 

**Update** Aug 1stPrices have dropped a bit and the deposit deadline has been extended to August 31st, 2025. More information to come upon booking!

Travel

Once&nbsp;upon&nbsp;a&nbsp;time,&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;year&nbsp;2010,&nbsp;two&nbsp;hearts&nbsp;crossed&nbsp;paths&nbsp;under&nbsp;the&nbsp;most&nbsp;unexpected&nbsp;of&nbsp;circumstances.&nbsp;We&nbsp;were&nbsp;both&nbsp;in&nbsp;committed&nbsp;relationships&nbsp;at&nbsp;the&nbsp;time,&nbsp;but&nbsp;from&nbsp;the&nbsp;moment&nbsp;we&nbsp;met,&nbsp;there&nbsp;was&nbsp;an&nbsp;undeniable&nbsp;connection&nbsp;that&nbsp;sparked&nbsp;between&nbsp;us.&nbsp;Though&nbsp;we&nbsp;chose&nbsp;to&nbsp;honor&nbsp;our&nbsp;commitments&nbsp;and&nbsp;ignore&nbsp;the&nbsp;pull,&nbsp;fate&nbsp;had&nbsp;its&nbsp;own&nbsp;plans&nbsp;(and&nbsp;a&nbsp;wicked&nbsp;sense&nbsp;of&nbsp;humor). After&nbsp;a&nbsp;year&nbsp;of&nbsp;emotional&nbsp;turmoil,&nbsp;breakups,&nbsp;and&nbsp;enough&nbsp;drama&nbsp;to&nbsp;rival&nbsp;a&nbsp;soap&nbsp;opera&nbsp;(we&nbsp;even&nbsp;had&nbsp;our&nbsp;own&nbsp;soundtrack&nbsp;playing&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;background),&nbsp;we&nbsp;finally&nbsp;found&nbsp;our&nbsp;way&nbsp;to&nbsp;each&nbsp;other&nbsp;in&nbsp;2011.&nbsp;Our&nbsp;journey&nbsp;wasn’t&nbsp;without&nbsp;its&nbsp;challenges,&nbsp;but&nbsp;together&nbsp;we&nbsp;faced&nbsp;them&nbsp;with&nbsp;unwavering&nbsp;strength,&nbsp;love,&nbsp;and&nbsp;a&nbsp;touch&nbsp;of&nbsp;insanity&nbsp;(yes,&nbsp;we&nbsp;questioned our&nbsp;sanity&nbsp;more&nbsp;than&nbsp;once). In&nbsp;2012,&nbsp;our&nbsp;paths&nbsp;took&nbsp;us&nbsp;on&nbsp;exciting&nbsp;new&nbsp;adventures&nbsp;in&nbsp;our&nbsp;careers—one&nbsp;at&nbsp;the&nbsp;Toronto&nbsp;Humane&nbsp;Society,&nbsp;the&nbsp;other&nbsp;at&nbsp;Conestoga&nbsp;College,&nbsp;training&nbsp;to&nbsp;become&nbsp;a&nbsp;firefighter.&nbsp;Moving&nbsp;into&nbsp;our&nbsp;apartment&nbsp;in&nbsp;Oakville&nbsp;with&nbsp;our&nbsp;two&nbsp;cats,&nbsp;Sam&nbsp;and&nbsp;BMO.&nbsp;Money&nbsp;was&nbsp;tight&nbsp;as&nbsp;we&nbsp;navigated&nbsp;bills&nbsp;on&nbsp;one&nbsp;and&nbsp;a&nbsp;half&nbsp;incomes,&nbsp;but&nbsp;our&nbsp;love&nbsp;only&nbsp;grew&nbsp;stronger&nbsp;(along&nbsp;with&nbsp;our&nbsp;skills&nbsp;in&nbsp;creative&nbsp;budgeting-we&nbsp;even&nbsp;joked&nbsp;about&nbsp;starting&nbsp;a&nbsp;side&nbsp;hustle&nbsp;as&nbsp;financial&nbsp;advisors&nbsp;for&nbsp;broke&nbsp;couples).&nbsp;Later&nbsp;that&nbsp;year,&nbsp;we&nbsp;added&nbsp;a&nbsp;new&nbsp;member&nbsp;to&nbsp;our&nbsp;family:&nbsp;Monty,&nbsp;our&nbsp;beloved&nbsp;Boston&nbsp;Terrier,&nbsp;adopted&nbsp;from&nbsp;Toronto&nbsp;Humane&nbsp;Society. In&nbsp;2013,&nbsp;we&nbsp;planned&nbsp;our&nbsp;first&nbsp;trip&nbsp;as&nbsp;a&nbsp;couple—to&nbsp;Negril,&nbsp;Jamaica.&nbsp;But&nbsp;Eugene&nbsp;had&nbsp;other&nbsp;plans,&nbsp;breaking&nbsp;his&nbsp;ankle&nbsp;playing&nbsp;hockey&nbsp;two&nbsp;weeks&nbsp;before&nbsp;departure.&nbsp;With&nbsp;medical&nbsp;clearance&nbsp;in&nbsp;hand,&nbsp;we&nbsp;set&nbsp;off&nbsp;on&nbsp;our&nbsp;trip&nbsp;of&nbsp;a&nbsp;lifetime—crutches,&nbsp;sympathy&nbsp;drinks,&nbsp;and&nbsp;all&nbsp;(we&nbsp;may&nbsp;or&nbsp;may&nbsp;not&nbsp;have&nbsp;started&nbsp;a&nbsp;rumor&nbsp;that&nbsp;Eugene&nbsp;was&nbsp;a&nbsp;retired&nbsp;pro&nbsp;hockey&nbsp;player).Six&nbsp;weeks&nbsp;later,&nbsp;we&nbsp;found&nbsp;out&nbsp;we&nbsp;were&nbsp;expecting&nbsp;(turns&nbsp;out&nbsp;our&nbsp;idea&nbsp;of&nbsp;“safe”&nbsp;wasn’t&nbsp;so&nbsp;foolproof).&nbsp;Though&nbsp;unprepared&nbsp;and&nbsp;terrified&nbsp;about&nbsp;how&nbsp;we’d&nbsp;manage&nbsp;financially,&nbsp;we&nbsp;welcomed&nbsp;our&nbsp;beautiful&nbsp;daughter,&nbsp;Charlee&nbsp;Sommer&nbsp;Medina,&nbsp;on&nbsp;February&nbsp;18,&nbsp;2014.&nbsp;She&nbsp;quickly&nbsp;taught&nbsp;us&nbsp;that&nbsp;sleep&nbsp;is&nbsp;overrated&nbsp;and&nbsp;that&nbsp;baby-proofing&nbsp;is&nbsp;a&nbsp;never-ending&nbsp;task&nbsp;(who&nbsp;knew&nbsp;one&nbsp;tiny&nbsp;human&nbsp;could&nbsp;cause&nbsp;so&nbsp;much&nbsp;chaos?). In&nbsp;2018,&nbsp;we&nbsp;welcomed&nbsp;our&nbsp;second&nbsp;child,&nbsp;Auston&nbsp;Xavier&nbsp;Medina,&nbsp;on&nbsp;May&nbsp;28.&nbsp;Charlee&nbsp;wasn’t&nbsp;exactly&nbsp;thrilled&nbsp;to&nbsp;have&nbsp;a&nbsp;baby&nbsp;brother&nbsp;(we’re&nbsp;pretty&nbsp;sure&nbsp;she&nbsp;plotted&nbsp;to&nbsp;ship&nbsp;him&nbsp;to&nbsp;Granny’s,&nbsp;Lola's&nbsp;or&nbsp;Opi's),&nbsp;but&nbsp;their&nbsp;bond&nbsp;has&nbsp;grown&nbsp;stronger&nbsp;each&nbsp;day—along&nbsp;with&nbsp;the&nbsp;daily&nbsp;squabbles.&nbsp;At&nbsp;this&nbsp;point,&nbsp;we’re&nbsp;considering&nbsp;getting&nbsp;a&nbsp;referee&nbsp;whistle&nbsp;just&nbsp;to&nbsp;keep&nbsp;the&nbsp;peace.&nbsp;Their&nbsp;sibling&nbsp;rivalry&nbsp;is&nbsp;truly&nbsp;something&nbsp;to&nbsp;behold—we’re&nbsp;still&nbsp;not&nbsp;sure&nbsp;if&nbsp;they’re&nbsp;plotting&nbsp;world&nbsp;domination&nbsp;or&nbsp;just&nbsp;fighting&nbsp;over&nbsp;the&nbsp;last&nbsp;cookie. Then&nbsp;came&nbsp;the&nbsp;pandemic.&nbsp;After&nbsp;being&nbsp;stuck&nbsp;inside&nbsp;for&nbsp;months,&nbsp;we&nbsp;thought,&nbsp;“Hey,&nbsp;let’s&nbsp;buy&nbsp;a&nbsp;house!”&nbsp;And&nbsp;in&nbsp;2021,&nbsp;we&nbsp;did&nbsp;just&nbsp;that—finally&nbsp;purchasing&nbsp;our&nbsp;own&nbsp;home&nbsp;after&nbsp;years&nbsp;of&nbsp;renting&nbsp;(because&nbsp;nothing&nbsp;says&nbsp;stir-crazy&nbsp;like&nbsp;impulsive&nbsp;home-buying).&nbsp;And&nbsp;if&nbsp;that&nbsp;wasn’t&nbsp;enough&nbsp;excitement,&nbsp;Eugene&nbsp;finally&nbsp;proposed&nbsp;on&nbsp;August&nbsp;21,&nbsp;2021,&nbsp;in&nbsp;front&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;CN&nbsp;Tower&nbsp;(better&nbsp;late&nbsp;than&nbsp;never,&nbsp;right?). As&nbsp;you&nbsp;can&nbsp;probably&nbsp;tell,&nbsp;we’re&nbsp;not&nbsp;your&nbsp;traditional&nbsp;couple—we&nbsp;dance&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;beat&nbsp;of&nbsp;our&nbsp;own&nbsp;drum&nbsp;(more&nbsp;like&nbsp;a&nbsp;chaotic&nbsp;symphony,&nbsp;really).&nbsp;Fourteen/Fifteen&nbsp;years&nbsp;later,&nbsp;we’ve&nbsp;finally&nbsp;decided&nbsp;to&nbsp;make&nbsp;it&nbsp;official,&nbsp;in&nbsp;front&nbsp;of&nbsp;all&nbsp;of&nbsp;you&nbsp;(because&nbsp;apparently,&nbsp;we’re&nbsp;not&nbsp;content&nbsp;with&nbsp;just&nbsp;the&nbsp;chaos&nbsp;of&nbsp;everyday&nbsp;life). We’d&nbsp;be&nbsp;honored&nbsp;to&nbsp;have&nbsp;you&nbsp;join&nbsp;us&nbsp;in&nbsp;celebrating&nbsp;the&nbsp;culmination&nbsp;of&nbsp;our&nbsp;love&nbsp;story—and&nbsp;maybe&nbsp;even&nbsp;share&nbsp;a&nbsp;laugh&nbsp;or&nbsp;two. With&nbsp;love,Lauralee&nbsp;&amp;&nbsp;Eugene

Lauralee & Eugene

Lauralee & Eugene

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Hotel Riu Palace Aquarelle