One Letter Apart: Erin & Erik
Photos taken by Pottinger Photography, @pottingerphoto
Erin will be the first to tell you her family has a thing with names, an almost eerie track record of perfect pairings that go back further than she can explain. So when she came across Erik on Hinge, she noticed immediately. Erik and Erin. One letter apart. It made her smile. As if that weren’t enough, Erik later shared that his parents are Kris and Chris. Her smile turned into something closer to certainty.
"I remember thinking, maybe this is the universe making it obvious—pick him."
Jumping In
Their first date was dinner at Tela. Easy, unhurried. But Erin has never been one to ease slowly into things. So for their second date, she brought Erik straight into the middle of her world: her friends, her family, and the annual Pumpkin Festival in Hamilton.
"I’ve always believed you can learn a lot about someone by how they show up around the people you love, so I figured—why wait?"
He fit in effortlessly. Warm, easygoing, completely himself in the middle of her loud and lively crew. Everything felt aligned in a way that's hard to articulate but impossible to miss.
Even so, Erin's path to certainty wasn't a straight line. By her own admission, she found ways to question something that was clearly, undeniably good. But Erik never rushed her. He never pulled away. He just stayed, patient and steady, quietly making space for her fears until they had nowhere left to go.
"That’s how I knew. I didn’t fall in love all at once—I grew into a certainty. And today, I can say without hesitation that I’ve never been more sure of anything, in my life."
The Setup
As someone who works in the wedding industry, Erin knows her way around a beautifully staged moment. So when she and Erik were asked to model for a styled shoot at the Taylor Mansion—a stunning new venue in town—it felt like just another exciting project.
They dressed in wedding attire, surrounded by florals, cameras, and all the carefully curated details that come with a faux wedding photoshoot. Erin was in her element, fully in professional mode.
Later, they were asked to change into something more casual to help showcase the rooftop views at sunset. She didn't think twice about it.
"It seemed completely routine, I was in full model mode, helping the photographers get their shots of us and the view."
Then Erik got down on one knee.
Her mom was there, her precious niece too. A full team of photographers and videographers captured every second of it. And in the middle of what was supposed to be a styled shoot, with the city stretched out behind them at golden hour, Erik asked Erin to be his bride—for real this time.
"Of course, I said a resounding yes to forever as Mrs. Olsen."
What Comes Next
Erin and Erik will be married in May of 2026, at the Taylor Mansion. Returning not as models for someone else's story, but to begin their own.
"It only felt fitting that we’ll return to the Taylor Mansion to celebrate our “I do,” this time not as part of a styled shoot, but as the start of our forever."
After pouring their hearts into planning a beautiful celebration, they're looking forward to turning their energy homeward. Toward a primary bathroom and kitchen renovation in their Prospect Hill home, and something a little more unexpected: a rooftop greenhouse, a creative escape built for any kind of weather.
Dreaming big, together, in true Erin & Erik fashion.
A huge congratulations to this pair, and a heartfelt thank you to Sara from our team for helping bring their perfect ring to life!
Cheers to the soon-to-be Olsen's! 🤍
