FROM HIGH SCHOOL CLASSMATES TO WEDDING INDUSTRY LEADERS
THE MANDY & RANDY love story
As told by Mandy
♡
As told by Mandy ♡
Life
I've always believed that people come into our life for a reason, some for only a season and some for a lifetime. While some are sent to awaken growth by challenging and teaching us, others may only stop for a short time to remind us of who we are and what we want from life. And still, in all these people, there’s that person. The one you always wished was there. The one you have searched for in every person you have ever met. You are shaped by each other and live your best life together.
And life. It has a funny way about it, where if you’re not paying attention, you miss that person. But. When things are simply meant to be, the universe offers you another chance…or two…or three! This was the case for Randy and me.
How we met
While the first time we met was back in Mrs. Robert's sec. one homeroom on our first day of high school, it took us a full five years before we actually spoke. Back then, I was painfully shy and quiet, always looking down and blushing if anyone spoke to me. The thought of speaking to the tall, cute blue-eyed boy sitting across the room from me was absolutely unthinkable! And Randy... Quiet and focused, Randy. He was silly enough to believe that if he said "hello," I wouldn't reply back.
We speak
It wasn't until our final year of high school that we spoke. The interaction was so brief, but I can still recall it vividly in my mind. I had applied to be a cashier at Loblaws, and while there for my interview, I saw Randy. My mind plays it out now like one of those slow-motion movie scenes. I see him from afar, walking towards me, and as he approaches, he catches my eye, his lips turning ever so slightly up at the corners in that adorable smile I've been crushing on, and my heart skips a beat. Without breaking stride, he turns to face me, walking backwards as he goes and asks, "Are you applying to work here?" I nod and reply that I have an interview. He shakes his head. "Don't," he says. "You don't want to work here. It sucks. But I'd love to have you here." Then he waves and is gone out the door.
Partly taking his advice, partly because the Loblaws was just too far from home and a hassle to get to, I didn't end up taking the job. Looking back now, I wish I had. More than anything, I wish he hadn't discouraged me. Without a doubt, if we had worked together we would have become fast friends. But as life played out, Randy and I wouldn't speak again for ten more years.
Words with friends
With social gaming on the rise, who hasn't been hooked on a Facebook game or two? One of mine was Words with Friends, a multiplayer word game similar to the classic board game Scrabble. It was through this gaming platform that Randy and I connected. He sent me a game request, and what started off as friendly banter and competitive fun between old classmates soon developed into long late-night conversations. I was hooked, but not on Words with Friends. There was something between us—an undeniable connection I had never shared with anyone else before. I wanted to explore this connection, but our time hadn't come yet. I don't believe in chance; there are no coincidences. People come into our lives when we're ready to have them, not a moment sooner or later. And this wasn't our time. We were both clearly crushing on each other, but circumstances in life would keep us apart for a few more years.
SERENDIPITY
The course of life is unpredictable, and its lovely gift is serendipity. I was living in Ottawa, strongly contemplating moving to Europe, never expecting where life would take me next. But they say that a simple "hello" could lead to a million things, and so it did. Late one Friday night, while sitting at home watching TV, my phone chimed. Looking down at the screen, the last person I expected to see a message from was Mr. Randy Smith. Opening the message, it read just one word, "Hey." Curious, I replied back, "Hi." A paragraph came next as Randy rambled on, explaining how I had been on his mind for some time now.
Even through messenger, I could feel his nervous energy. It was sweet, and as the conversation picked up, as easily as it had the last time we spoke, it was clear that the deep connection I felt once before between us was still very present, and the feeling was mutual. I went to bed that night with a nervous feeling so beautiful, I knew something had changed. Trust the timing of your life.
A week later, Randy came to visit me in Ottawa, and so began our wonderful whirlwind romance. To anyone on the outside looking in, mine and Randy's relationship blossomed quickly and moved ridiculously fast. To us, it couldn't have happened any other way. I believe that if you are lucky enough to find your person, savor that feeling and enjoy every bit of getting to know each other. When it comes to matters of the heart, there is no timeline. If two hearts are meant to be together, no matter the time or distance apart, fate will unite them. I may have met my soulmate when I was 12 years old, but our journey took us down separate paths. Finding each other now was a happy chance, destiny. It was serendipity.
Mandy & Randy
Mandy & Randy came to be soon after Randy and I got together. Randy was already a successful photographer and videographer working in the industry for many years. But in some of our earliest conversations, he expressed wanting to re-brand his business and shift his focus away from corporate work to follow his true passion, wedding photography. Coming from a creative background myself in Graphics and jewelry design, I shared in Randy's passion for photography. I had worked in the fashion industry for some time, but my entrepreneurial heart was looking for a new and exciting challenge to express my creativity. We both quickly realized we shared a similar vision for this new business and as one conversation turned into 10, it became abundantly clear that together we could create something really special. And so we did.
Today we are Mandy & Randy, a premier wedding and portrait photography studio working in both the provinces of Quebec and Ontario. As wedding photographers, we do what we love and love what we do. We have the unique pleasure of capturing the most beautiful of love stories, yours! And most importantly, we do it together.
