The couple who sings together stays together. Although that may not always ring true, it sure has for this musical duo. Shawn Creamer, of the Toronto rock band the Beauties, has shared a life full of music with his wife Shannon. The pair now own T.O.’s Dakota Tavern and Prince Edward County’s Hayloft Dancehall, where cottage-goers can catch live performances by Corb Lund and Sloan this September.
How they met
Shannon: We met the good ole fashioned way, in a bar! Shawn was playing in the house band, and I was there with a co-worker who was dating a different guy in the band. Shawn came over to our table and made some nervous conversation. The next day we met again. This time he asked for my phone number and called me that night. After two days, he told the friend that I was with he wanted to marry me. And he did!
The first date
Shawn: It was an epic first date. It started at an industry party sponsored by a brewery. We then went to a pub, and I tried to teach Shannon how to play darts. After that fiasco, we walked in the rain to the Brunswick Hotel and Tavern in London, Ont. Shannon tried to order a Malibu and cranberry to which the bartender responded “Unless Malibu comes in a wild turkey bottle, we don’t have that.” That slogan is written above the bar at the Dakota to this very day.
The courtship
Shannon: Our first year together was long distance while I was in second year at Laurier University. I remember being sick with a cold and Shawn showing up at my house with chicken soup he made from scratch to make me feel better. We’ve been taking care of each other ever since.
The proposal
Shawn: We were on vacation in Costa Rica. I had intended to propose on a moonlit beach trail after dinner one night. We were having such a good time that we may have had too much wine. I had to put it off. In the morning, I hired two horses and a guide to take us into the forest. We stopped for lunch and a swim at a pool beneath a waterfall. We climbed to the top of the waterfall, and I got on one knee.
The wedding
We were married in the fall on the shore of Lake Kashagawigamog in Haliburton, Ont. It was very beautiful and magical. We have many talented and lovely friends who participated. Carina Round sang us down the aisle; Justin Rutledge sang us back up the aisle; and Serena Ryder sang “God Only Knows” by the Beach Boys for our first dance. We sang a duet together for the first time ever to everyone’s surprise. It was “I’m Still in Love with You,” by Steve Earle, with the Del McCoury Band.
The kids
Shawn: We have two kids. Wyatt is five years old, and Violet is two and a half.
Their lives now
Shannon: We’ve opened two bars and a restaurant together. I built a career in publishing (which I left in 2012 to work on our businesses), and Shawn pursued a music career playing with the Beauties and Serena Ryder. We spend much of our time now in Prince Edward County. It has been challenging and scary but extremely rewarding to work together.
