Luce & Angie is such a sweet couple, I think I contracted a mild case of diabetes from the week I spent with them…but all jokes aside. I met Luceur on the 1st day of attending a new school in my Grade 11 year, one of the first people to make me feel welcome. I only realised a bit later on that he’s my neighbour. Luceur and I became friends, worked at the same restaurant during University and kept in touch here and there in the years after school. About three years ago I posted the question on Facebook “I can only afford a certain amount, will it be 1 week in NYC or 3 weeks in Thailand?”… a few seconds later I got a message “1 week in NYC and you’re staying with me”. It was Luceur…and New York is also where I met Angie.

I think Luce & Angie only went on 2 or 3 dates before I arrived in NY. So I kept asking him to invite Angie along whenever we went sight seeing… I didn’t want to create the impression with Luceur’s new “girlfriend” that we’re more than “friends”. The night I met Angie, this short, cute girl, with her pixie looks and broad beaming smile stood in front of me with a roll of band aid in her hand…I guess Luce mentioned that NY has taken it’s toll on my feet (see the blog post about that trip here), and she cared enough about a total stranger, to bring me band aid to wrap my sore blistered feet… Angie and I spent maybe a day in total in each others company, but the night I left NYC, I told Luce that he’s going to marry Angie and that I want to take their wedding photos. Fast forward 3 years…

“She smiled, and all I could think was “Oh Shit”…

In the time since then Angie & Luce decided to both quit their jobs and road trip through America, literally going where the road took them… so while living vicariously through them and while they where working and staying at a world famous writer’s, horse ranch in Montana… I saw something on Angie’s finger… a freaking engagement ring!! Their story on the road and the actual story of how they got engaged, should be made into a movie. It has all the elements for a Romantic Comedy… from a motorcycle ride on a winding road in autumn, in the colorful Asheville, a boy asking a girl to share his life with a waterfall in the background, to a boy and girl having to walk miles to the nearest house because said motorcycle ran out of gas. So before I write a novella… sometimes life happens and not getting into to much details, the actual wedding sadly had to be postponed. So many things where actually already arranged, that they decided to make the weekend, that the wedding would have taken place, a weekend of celebrating their journey and reaffirming their commitment. To be honest, I’m not sure that the actually wedding next year will be able to top the “Not Wedding” celebration… The people attending the weekend’s celebrations are the embodiment of “Friends are the family you choose”… I experienced so much love, laughter and music that my heart ached at some times… Luce & Angie (and all of their friends and family) thank you for making the week in Asheville one of the memories I’ll save, to take out and remember on days that I’m feeling blue and unloved… For those of you who want’s to see all 800 images you can visit and download them here.