It's the official day of love, Valentine's Day!
After being married for almost a decade, the novelty of Valentine's Day has worn off. Every year we get each other the obligatory card/flowers, and while it all seems very cliche, I secretly love it.
This Valentine's Day was one of the first since the pandemic began, that my husband and I were actually able to go on a date to celebrate. Alone! Together! No kids! (Thank you, grandparents!)
We decided to check out Friday Harbour's Valentine's Day weekend festivities. I told my husband I needed to report on the experience for work, and begged convinced him to take part in the vow renewals happening at the resort as part of their weekend programming.
My husband hates any form of attention, so the fact that he agreed means he must really love me!
I thought this was a fun, creative way to spend Valentine's Day together. You have to keep things spontaneous and exciting, right?
When we arrive, we are greeted by the warm and friendly officiant, Beth Foster, who makes us feel welcome and at ease.
We watch a few other couples go ahead of us, as they declare their love to one another in the middle of the resort for all to see.
Soon it's our turn. Then right there, in the middle of the boardwalk, with the sun shining on our cold faces, behind a large, pink, heart-shaped floral backdrop, we say 'I Do' again, eight years after we did the first time.
After the traditional 'kiss' we have our picture taken by the on-site photographer who promised to email us a copy.
Afterwards, we watch the Mariposa School of Skating perform on the ice rink in the Piazza, while enjoying a warm drink. The skaters glide elegantly across the ice to the tunes of the live DJ. One ice dance team is a two-time Polish national junior champion who glides across the ice to a romantic duet of 'At Last' by Etta James. Their grace and elegance amaze me. I have such admiration for these athletes who can make spinning around on skates in sync with one another look so easy and effortless.
We didn't bring our skates but after the performance, many families and couples took to the ice for some exercise. The skating rink will be at the resort until March, so I hope to go back one day soon and bring the kids along.
We spent the next hour just walking around the resort, enjoying each other's company and looking out at the ice and snow-covered marina. It was nice to be outside. I breathe in the fresh air and the smell of the burning fire at the Apres Skate Bar. Evening is setting upon us, and the romantic canopy lights at the Skate Bar flick-on. I am not a winter person but I love how cozy and sweet this date is.
The Valentine's Day festivities continue from 4 to 9 p.m. tonight with ice skating, handcrafted food and drinks, as well as a special take-out dinner menu.
To see the schedule of events and programming, visit the resort website here.
