How Stephen and Cher became "Stephen & Cher"

Cher's account:

It was the summer of 2001 and I was about to go into Grade 12. My parents resigned from the Church they pastored in Swift Current, SK and didn't really have a plan as to what to do next. So we did what any other pastoral family does - my dad decided to go back to school. So we moved to Moose Jaw, SK the weekend before school started. I started attending Cornerstone Christian School. The first few days were hard, but didn't take long to meet people, as my class was only 20 or so people. Stephen had graduated the year before from CCS and a lot of his good friends were still in my class. He was also working for his dad, who was doing a huge expansion onto the school. So I saw Stephen pretty much every day at the school. It didn't take long for me to develop a crush. He was so dreamy, in his red bunny hug and white construction hat. I still get giggly thinking about it. Some how, Stephen and myself, and our one other friend, Derek, started hanging out all the time together. We nicknamed ourselves the 3 Musketeers. I didn't know at the time, but both Derek and Stephen liked me.

When I had moved to Moose Jaw I had decided that if I found a guy that I liked, I would be open to dating him. I hadn't dated anyone before that but thought with the fresh meat of Moose Jaw I might find a worthy suitor. I crushed on Stephen for quite a while until one day, the unthinkable happened. He actually liked me back! This was quite hard for to come to terms with, because it had never happened before! I was terrified to say the least; I didn’t know what happens when 2 people like each other at the same time. (I believe my best friend Ashley has quite the memory of me throwing myself on my living room floor unable to handle the drama of it all!) I don't remember all the details but a few that stick out in my head are:

1. Before we were dating, taking Stephen out to Caronport to meet one of my best friends, Becki. Only to realize in the middle of my introduction, that they already know each other. Becki and I went to school together in Swift Current from grade 8 - grade 10. In grade 10, she had come up to visit a friend in Caronport, and had met Stephen. Well Becki is a bomb shell, to say the least, so Stephen had given her his school picture, with some chummy "if you ever in town we should hang out" note on the back. Well she brought it back to Swift and we sat and drooled over it for days after that! The funny part is, fast forward 2 years, and she still has the picture! So we ran to her dorm room and looked at it and couldn't stop laughing.

2. Before we were dating, and I was unsure if Stephen liked me or not, a mutual friend came up to me at school and asked me if I liked Stephen. Well in classic high school fashion I stammered then said “No.” I wasn’t about to admit to a crush with out full knowledge the feeling was mutual. Being the girl that I am, my mind starts going, and I can’t stop thinking and analyzing. “What if Stephen got his friend to ask me, because he wants to know” Well I absolutely freaked out, I remember it was a Friday afternoon. I was 100% certain I had just blown any chance that I had had with Stephen. For some reason Ashley was visiting me, and this is where the throwing myself on the floor comes into play. Looking back, it was hilarious, but then it was anything but! I kept waiting for him to call, as we were supposed to do something. And he finally did and life went back to normal. I later asked him if he had asked our friend to ask me if I liked him. He had no idea what I was talking about. Of course not, he’s a boy!

3. Talking to Stephen on the phone one night and telling him that I had never kissed or even dated anyone before. I remember I said it confidently, with pride (because I was proud) but being terrified on the inside of the possible humiliation. Stephen told me later that when I told him that, it was one of the most attractive things about me.

4. Watching 'The Thin Red Line' (which the line may be thing but it is looooonnnnggg!) and Stephen holding my hand for the first time. We weren't dating. It was one of the most unreal nights of my life. When he drove me home - it was awkward, but good.

5. Talking to Stephen on MSN just a few days after the hand holding situation and making it very clear that he would not, under any circumstance, be asking me out over the computer. (He insists he never had the intention of doing that!)

6. When Stephen did ask me out, it was after we watched a movie, and in classic Cher style, I had fallen asleep. (I can guarantee there was drool) and we were sitting there with the TV blue after, and he asked " So do you want to be my girlfriend?" (or something awkward along those lines) I said "Yes" but Stephen didn't hear me! So I am sitting there like, ok now what. And he is sitting there like Holy crap, didn't expect her not to answer! So after a minute he asks quietly "So will you?" and I am like "Yes, I already said yes!" Boy was he relieved!

So that is how we met, started dating, and some funny things that happened during it all.

This photo was 5 days before we were married