The Love Story of Canyon Lakers Chelsie Cadieux and Rick Fay

BY Aprile McKinnon

Both Rick Fay and Chelsie Cadieux lived in Canyon Lake. Rick was a member of a local band that frequently performed at various venues in the area, including some of the locations near the Main Gate. Meanwhile, Chelsie was a member of the Canyon Lake swim team during her childhood and participated in the Canyon Lake Beauty Pageant at the age of 17. Interestingly, Rick had served as an escort for the Canyon Lake pageant just the year before.

Chelsie had her first drink, a milkshake, and her first kiss with Rick at late-night local hangout Denny’s. That followed with dating only a little while, but they never forgot their first kiss and their short time together.

Rick and Chelsie Fay pose after their wedding overlooking the lake Sept. 24. Photo by Dustin Thompson Photography

In 2001, Rick and Chelsie dated for approximately 4.5 months. However, they eventually decided to go their separate ways for college and other pursuits. Although both had already graduated from high school by then, they attended Rick’s younger brother’s prom at Temescal High School together.  Life took them down separate paths…until they met again.

In April 2022, Rick sent a friend request to Chelsie on Facebook. Upon visiting his profile, Chelsie discovered that Rick had relocated to Boise, ID. Coincidentally, Chelsie had plans to visit Boise with two of her girlfriends two weeks later for a camping trip. This led to Chelsie sending Rick a message about her pending visit.

Before leaving for the camping trip, their communication transitioned from short emails to lengthy exchanges, which culminated into nightly phone calls which lasted for hours. By the time Chelsie’s trip to Boise approached, she extended an invitation to Rick to join her and her friends for dinner upon her arrival.

Their reunion in Boise felt remarkably comfortable, as if no time had passed since their Denny’s days 20 years earlier. This positive experience prompted Chelsie to invite Rick for a private dinner when they returned from her camping trip. The dinner went exceptionally well, and they shared their “2nd 1st kiss,” reigniting their romantic connection.

This pivotal moment occurred on April 24, 2022, a date that became special to them. Fortunately, Rick’s work required frequent travel, allowing them to utilize his accumulated frequent flier points to ease the challenges of a long-distance relationship. Additionally, both of them had the flexibility of working remotely, enabling them to spend extended periods at each other’s homes.

With lots of help from Chelsie’s friends, Rick proposed to Chelsie at the same restaurant where she had her birthday party the year before. After bending down on his knee to give the proposal, the restaurant goers cheered as Chelsie responded, “100 times over, yes.”

As a result, they decided to get married on Sept. 24 in a friend’s backyard in Canyon Lake. The night last week was beautiful and the help of friends and family made it a special day.

It just goes to show that true love exists and you never know when it will happen. I was a witness at this amazing wedding. The family are beautiful people who proved that a wedding can be put together in just a few short weeks, and it can be filled with the magic of a fairy tale.

Congratulations to the both of you.