The Sobeys in south Red Deer was simultaneously a grocery store and a wedding venue on Monday afternoon, as a couple tied the knot in the meat department.
Travis Dutkiewicz has worked there for eight years. Four years ago, he met the love of his life on the job while showing off a crustacean.
“Travis has a nice little connection to the people that come in with the kids,” his boss, Mike Pratte, explained. “He brings a lobster out and they can touch it. He did the same thing with [Tara Dutkiewicz’s] kids. And that started the connection of them getting to know each other.”
Three days after meeting Travis, Tara came back to take a picture of him — and his lobsters. The relationship continued to go swimmingly from there. The couple decided to get married — but where?
“The majority of my family is back in New Brunswick and the majority of her family is back in Manitoba,” Travis said.
“So we knew we weren’t going to have a big wedding,” Tara said.
“We tried to figure out what was the most meaningful spot for us. Shopping for five kids at the time, I was in here almost every day and seeing him. So this is where it started and this is where we grew.”
With a few dozen friends spilling out into the meat department, Travis and Tara tied the knot in front of the same lobster tank where they first met.
For Travis’ sister, Lorri Meunier, the lobster tank venue isn’t surprising. Their family is all from Moncton, N.B., just twenty minutes from Shediac, N.B., home of the world’s largest lobster.
“You can’t get any more Maritime than that,” Meunier said. “That’s a wonderful thing. Their little daughter will get a kick out of it later on.”
She watched the nuptials with her family from the comfort of home, through live video on social media.
The wedding included a stuffed lobster to hold the rings and a pair of lobsters in love atop the cake.
So what’s next for the couple?
“Pretty much picking up kids and cooking them supper. Life goes back to normal,” Tara laughed.
The pair hope to indulge in some lobster on their honeymoon.