On Valentine's Day, everyone is inspired by love. Stephanie Poulin grew up only a few miles away from the love of her life, Chad Stark, yet the two never met as children. Only a short time after meeting, the young couple, aged 19 and 20, are engaged to be married in August 2011.
“We must have passed each other on the highway a couple of times but never really noticed," said Poulin, explaining that she lived only a few miles on one side of Highway 29 and Stark lived on the same road, only a few miles in the other direction from the highway.
Poulin went to École du Sommet in St. Paul while Stark attended Racette and the Regional High School. Although the two did have friends in common, they never crossed paths until the first weekend in August of 2009, when Stark was working as a deejay at a wedding and Poulin requested some songs.
There was an immediate connection between the two that everyone seemed to notice. Poulin said her friend predicted they would soon be dating and that they would marry only nine months after dating. That prediction turned out to be very close. Poulin and Stark started dating less than a year later and only seven months after they started dating, Stark asked Poulin's parents for permission to marry her and then proposed.
Stark explained he had planned to ask for her hand during a romantic horse-drawn sleigh ride, but hadn't spoken with her parents yet so he waited. Then he proposed in the car in the same location where the couple shared their first kiss.
“We just know that it is right. We have so much in common and we get along so well," said Poulin, adding they both have very strong family ties and “we both like wrenches."
They are both enrolled in the same heavy-duty mechanics program at Olds College.
“We didn't even know," said Poulin, of the fact that they ended up enrolled in the same program at the same school. When Stark applied for the program, the couple weren't dating. Meanwhile, Agland, the company Poulin works for, sent her down to take the program. “When I found out that he was going too, I said, 'Great, we can drive down together,'" said Poulin.
They both said they now believe in love at first sight and that they are looking forward to spending the rest of their lives together.
Unique date ideas for Valentine's Day
Unique date ideas for Valentine's Day Perhaps this year is the year you really want to let your partner know how much you love him/her and do something beyond a standard dinner and movie date. If so, here are a few ideas on how to add a special twist to Valentine's Day and leave a lasting impression of love on your partner: Buy two canvasses and do a painting for one another. Choose something that describes yourself or something you appreciate about each other. Build a fire, snuggle up, and read a good book or romantic poetry together. A cup of hot chocolate or spiced cider or a glass of wine can add to the inner warmth and sizzle of the evening. Plan a weekend trip somewhere close, even if it's only an hour or two away. Call ahead to the hotel and have your dinner waiting in the room, along with flowers and dessert. Select a dinner from a cookbook you have never tried. Shop for the ingredients and prepare dinner together. To add ambience, choose a type of cuisine and add decorations or dress to enhance the atmosphere. Treat each other to a full day dedicated to relaxation, including breakfast in bed, a soak in a hot tub and couples' massages, capped off with watching a movie together at night. Go through old pictures that bring back memories of times you've shared together. Compile the photos in a scrapbook, and make some plans to develop future memories of laughter and love. Surprise your partner with a trail of flowers and a treasure hunt for when he/she comes home. Along the way of the treasure hunt, leave notes telling your sweetheart about why he/she is special and why you love him/her. After all, one of the best secrets to a great relationship is letting your partner know the ways you appreciate him/her.
