Alastair was born in New Zealand but grew up in Australia, so he’s both Aussie and Kiwi. After training as a heavy-duty mechanic, he spent some time working in Darwin before deciding to come to Canada to work a ski season. He liked it enough to stay and took a job at the mines in Fernie. Five years later he moved to Lethbridge for a new job.

Vicky grew up in Iași, Romania. After finishing her BSc in Biomedical Engineering, she moved to Canada to pursue graduate studies. By the time our story really begins, she was deep into finishing a PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge.

They met in December 2022, and from the first date it was pretty clear something special was happening. While she was busy studying tiny brains, Alastair was fixing very large machines — which, as it turns out, is a pretty good balance. Over the next two years they built a life together in Lethbridge, eventually moving to Calgary.

On August 2, 2025 — after several attempts delayed by classic mountain weather — Alastair finally managed to get Vicky onto a helicopter ride over the Canadian Rockies. Somewhere on top of the mountains, he asked the big question. Once the surprise wore off, Vicky happily said "yes".

And now, a little over a year later, you’re all here celebrating the next part of their adventure.

Welcome!