We asked some couples a few questions for our Valentine's Day special feature, which appeared in the Feb. 12 issue of the paper.
Richard and Cheryl Wahl live in North Vancouver, and were married Aug, 23, 1997, at Mount Seymour United Church.
How did you meet?
Richard was attending Capilano College at the time and a group of friends he went to school with organized a big ski weekend. I was invited on the trip by a mutual friend and we all had such a fun weekend.
Tell us about your first date:
We never actually had an official first date. We became friends after the ski weekend and were dating other people. I was studying finance at BCIT and he was at Cap College. We had some of the same courses, with the same instructors. We studied together regularly and a few months later, we ended up single at the same time. We just kind of hooked up.
How did you propose?
It was New Year’s Eve day and we went for a walk through Cates Park and found a bench overlooking the water towards Port Moody.
We got to talking about plans for the new year and he pulled a ring out of his pocket and said, “Mine is to make you my wife. Will you marry me?” I was so excited (I had patiently waited almost seven years for this) that I started crying. It took a few minutes to calm down and I still hadn’t answered him, so he asked again. Of course I said yes.
What do you like most about each other?
Richard: The thing I like most about Cheryl is that she is my best friend. I can always count on her for an ear to listen, a shoulder to lean on or a voice of reason if I need one. I couldn’t imagine my life without her.
Cheryl: I love how dedicated he is to his family. He would rather spend an evening with his family than anything else.
How do you like to spend time together?
We love quiet evenings at home, or tasting new wines or a newly found scotch. Whether it’s just the two of us or with a few close friends, home is where we love to be.
What is your secret for lasting love?
Honesty, communication and compromise. You need to be able to talk to each other. You need to communicate how you feel about something and be honest with your own feelings. Compromise is
also important.
What are your plans for Valentine’s Day?
We are probably just staying home and watching the Olympics. We will likely buy a nice bottle of wine and try a new recipe for dinner. We find going out is usually hectic and overpriced so we will save it for another time.
