Our Story
About Allen
the hunter-gatherer
Allen is a young Dene hunter from the northern forest, calling English River First Nation home. His real name is Ivan Jamie D'Jonaire. Yet everyone calls him Allen. He comes from a close family, who share moose meat like there's no tomorrow. He graduated from St. Louis School in 2001, as part of the graduating class. He went to SIAST and is now on his way to becoming super-welder. He likes golfing, traveling and hanging out with his friends. He has two tattoos, has had his nipples pierced and is always willing to try something new - but not new food. He likes his clubhouse and fries, thank you very much. He likes to watch movies lying down, always sits closest to the door, and has an affinity for expensive name brand items. He recently acquired customized Oaklies. I thought we were saving for a wedding?
About Tenille
the storyteller
Tenille (ooh la la) is a young Dene/Metis from ERFN as well. She didn't know that her future husband was actually named Ivan until three years of dating. No one told her. It was quite a let down. She had grown quite fond of the name Allen. She is not a hunter, but a poet and storyteller who happens to consider Graduate School work. She enjoys her addictive Starbucks, scrap booking and talking. She is frequently found at her laptop, by her scrap table, or driving around with various company - some trustworthy, some not so much. She wants to travel after obtaining her MFA in Creative Writing (UBC) and imagines that she will one day publish a book of poetry.
About Us
the real deal
Highlights:
Starting to date: September 22, 2001
First said I Love You: December, 2001
Have survived: grade 12, high school graduation, going away to college, long distance relationship, graduating college, summer jobs, and moving to Vancouver for graduate school.
Proposed: Allen proposed March 4th, 2008. He was leaving that Thursday back to work in the mines so he wanted to do it a week before my birthday. The whole night, getting ready to go eat at Earl’s (yum yum) my stomach was in knots and we were getting so awkward around each other.
He knew he was going to ask, I knew he was going to ask, and it made us just choke.
So finally, as we were both pretty awkward by this point, I asked him to ask me at our house. He thought I wanted the whole bended knee on the restaurant scene and I wanted us to be happy and comfortable and us. So he was about to get down on one knee and I grabbed him and asked that he ask me face to face, to ask me as an equal, not on bended knee. He started laughing and kind of held his hand up. In it was the box, which held my lovely ring. Then he said “Soo…” and we both just laughed really nervously. “Will you marry me?” And it was the most awkward, sweetest, incredible moment in my life so far.
... I said yes...which is why we have a wedding site.
