The True Meaning Of A Wedding- A Must Read

Erin Sutherland contacted me this past spring to tell me that she and her husband, Ryan Bolger, were making 1001 cranes in memory of Ryan’s sister, Lindsay, who had passed away from cancer in 2009. I knew right then and there that I needed to hear their story and share it with my readers.

Lindsay was a very special person to her brother Ryan and also to Erin, whom she first knew simply as a classmate of Ryan’s at Sheridan College, in fact, the friends were working together on a school assignment, in 2004, when Ryan received the devastating news that his sister had been diagnosed with a brain tumour. He asked Erin to take over the project, which she willingly did, and she also became a part of Lindsay’s journey from the very start.

Erin and Ryan began dating in 2006 and, while they were not officially engaged in 2009 they knew they’d spend their lives together and were thinking of getting married in the fall of 2010. But then Lindsay’s health started to decline.

Unbeknownst to Erin and Ryan, Lindsay had made a list of all the things she wanted to do before she died. On the top of her list? Be at her brother’s wedding. Though Erin wasn’t aware of Lindsay’s wish list, she asked Ryan if he wanted to bump up their engagement and wedding so that Lindsay could be there to celebrate.

In September 2009, at a birthday part for Ryan’s grandmother, Ryan and Erin announced their engagement. Three weeks later, on October 18, they were married at Ryan’s aunt and uncle’s house, surrounded by 50 close family members, including Lindsay. She stood up for Erin and signed the couple’s marriage contract. It was a wonderful day filled with love, laughter, happiness and tears.

On November 26, 2009, four weeks after Erin and Ryan were married, Lindsay passed away. She was an energetic woman, so full of life, who not only fought her own illness but who put her energy into creating a legacy that will help others diagnosed with cancer have a better chance of survival. (Learn more about Lindsay at the Be-Strong website.)

Because of the unusual circumstances, Erin and Ryan’s wedding celebrations continued — only in reverse order. Unlike most traditional couples, who get engaged and then plan parties, showers, stags and so on, all in anticipation of the big day, they started with an intimate wedding and worked backwards from there.

Join us over the next two days as we bring you Erin and Ryan’s engagement shoot and the party they hosted for 200 friends and family members.