Update from December 2018: Steve McMasters and Alyssa Briggs are engaged! Read on to learn how they met.
Everything about a Southern Alberta couple’s annual Christmas card defies tradition: Steve McMasters and Alyssa Briggs went all out for their holiday cards, hoping for a reaction to their photo shoot.
“Everybody else was doing these nice family Christmas cards and I always wanted to be that guy when people come to their house and they’re like, ‘what the hell is this?'” McMasters said.
“I always like to be that shock and awe.”
Eight months into their budding romance, the couple is going strong. It was the holiday cards that brought them together.
For years, McMasters was doing his own seasonal shoots solo. A mutual friend of the couple’s had one of his cards posted on their fridge.
When Briggs saw it, she knew she wanted to meet him.
“Everyone was like, ‘you like that one?’ Then you’re gonna love him in person and he’s way cuter than that,” Briggs recalled.
Photographer Lori Loree always looked forward to taking McMasters’ annual Christmas card picture.
“The story behind the shoot was endearing: single lonely man meets girl through Christmas card.”
The pair hit it off and Briggs says she saw something far beyond the comedic captures. She admired his courage.
“It takes a lot of guts to do this. It’s just so genuine,” Briggs said. “When you meet someone like that and you just feel like home…that’s so cheesy…but it doesn’t always happen like that.”
Laughter aside, McMasters is grateful to have found his match.
“I’m extremely lucky to find the person I did.”
The pair are already dreaming up next year’s Christmas card. Friends and family say they’re already looking forward to it.
