Kerisa Armstrong and Jesse Ferguson officially met through a mutual friend in January 2017, although they have known of each other their entire lives. They had similar circles of friends and even grew up on the same street. Given the right time and place, they started dating despite their relationship being long distance at first. It’s funny how things work out, right?

It doesn’t hurt that these two have similar passions. They both love the outdoors and spend lots of time quadding, camping, and travelling. “Jesse and I are very similar in many ways,” Kerisa said. “We are each other’s best friend.”

The most important similarity, though, is their care for others. “We both have a big heart and we truly care about the well being of others.” These aligned values and complementary goals have made their entire relationship an easy decision. One day flows into the next.

The Christmas gift

The right time and place surprised Kerisa again at Christmas 2017. She was completely shocked when her Christmas morning suddenly became a lot more special, especially because she thought she would have to wait a little longer for a surprise this big!

Jesse had Christmas morning all planned out. He wrapped the ring box in a huge box under the tree with a label Must Open Last. He also asked Kerisa’s sisters to record her opening the box—insisting it was a hilarious gift and they had to catch her reaction. While her sisters weren’t in on the surprise, Jesse had asked Kerisa’s dad for his blessing before the big day.

“All eyes were on me when I opened my last gift,” Kerisa said. She opened the ring box inside, realized it was empty, and looked up to Jesse on one knee with the ring in his hand! “I was in complete shock!” she said. “I had no idea he was going to propose on Christmas Day in front of my family.”

The celebration

Why wait until the wedding to celebrate? This couple immediately hopped on a plane to paradise.

“We celebrated our engagement on a 10-day vacation in Maui in January 2018,” Kerisa said. “It’s a place that is very close to my heart, and I honestly thought he was going to propose during that vacation.” This trip was perfect timing after Kerisa said yes because they had planned it long before the proposal!

The ring

Jesse put a lot of time and thought into designing the perfect ring for Kerisa—and the perfect proposal! With Heather’s help, he designed a princess cut ring with a rose gold cushion. “He wanted it to be perfect and it truly was!” she said.

Kerisa and Jesse are currently planning their wedding. They will be married on July 6, 2019, in Cranbrook.