<img class="webfeedsFeaturedVisual" src="https://display.blogto.com/articles/20250421-whitney-heard-1.jpeg?w=1200&amp;cmd=resize_then_crop&amp;height=630&amp;quality=70&amp;format=jpeg" width="100%" /><p>For Toronto-based <a href="https://www.whitneyheard.com">photographer Whitney Heard</a>, a bizarre case of mistaken identity led to unexpected attention,&nbsp;and eventually, a relationship that changed her life.</p><p>It all began in 2017, when Whitney, who shares a name with Amber Heard's actual sister, started receiving fan mail intended for the actress.</p><p>At first, it was innocent enough, but as the highly publicized defamation trial between Amber Heard and her ex-husband Johnny Depp unfolded from April 11 to June 1, 2022, things took a bit of a turn, and Whitney found herself at the centre of an online storm.</p><p>"I started getting spam emails, DMs, comments, and even phone calls,"&nbsp;Heard told blogTO back in 2022. "I had to turn off my work phone."</p><p>Despite repeatedly posting that she wasn&rsquo;t related to Amber Heard, nor did she even have a sister, the Internet wouldn't let up. However, just a few years later, something unexpectedly beautiful came out of it all. Three years ago, Whitney was<a href="https://www.blogto.com/film/2022/05/toronto-woman-hate-mail-amber-heard-sister/"> featured in a blogTO article </a>highlighting her strange experience being mistaken for Heard's&nbsp;sibling.</p><p>"It was a funny, slightly chaotic moment in my life&mdash;but what I didn't know at the time was that it would also be the very first place my now fianc&eacute; ever saw me,"&nbsp;Whitney said.</p><p>Her now fianc&eacute;, Jake, stumbled across the article at the time, read it, and shared it with his friends in disbelief. As fate would have it, Jake and Whitney officially crossed paths in person at a wedding, where she was the photographer and he was one of the groomsmen.</p><p>"When I arrived that morning to take photos of the groomsmen getting ready, Jake recognized me right away&mdash;from the blogTO article,"&nbsp;she recalled. "Naturally, he made a few jokes with the guys about the mix-up, and then (very sweetly) asked me how it all played out."</p><p>Later that day, during a chat with the bride, Whitney revealed that she was newly single and casually asked if Jake was too.</p><p>"She laughed and told me he was also single. Jake had to leave the wedding early, but what I didn't know at the time was that he waited outside, hoping to catch me before he left. When he missed me, he called his mom and told her he'd met someone special. That night, he told his friends the same, and that he wanted to ask out the wedding photographer from that blog TO article."</p><p>A few days later, Whitney got a message from her friend Meghan, asking if she could pass along her number to Jake. The rest, as they say, is history.</p><p>Jake spent nearly a year planning the proposal, and wanted to make it very "Toronto,"&nbsp;according to Whitney. With the help of their wedding planner, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rainbowchan.weddings/">Rainbow Chan</a>, he curated a day filled with surprises and personal touches.</p><p>On a rainy Saturday in April, Whitney met Meghan for what she thought was just a casual brunch. When she returned home, an envelope was waiting on the kitchen table, along with a surprise Uber gift card notification from Jake.</p><p>The card read: "Today is about us. About love. There are three rules. 1. You don't have to worry about a thing. 2. You don't have to get ready. 3. Just say your name is Whitney &mdash; and let the rest unfold."</p><p>The next few hours consisted of a real-life romantic scavenger hunt across the city. Whitney was whisked from a manicure with her friend Maris to her favourite coffee shop, where the whole caf&eacute; clapped when she walked in and where she was handed a matcha with another note.</p><p>Then came a stop at <a href="https://comedybar.ca/">Comedy Bar</a>, and finally, a full glam session at a salon. Each destination came with a heartfelt card, and each one brought her closer and closer to Jake. Eventually, Whitney ended up at Jake's old apartment, which happened to be the first place the couple lived together, where she found one final card telling her to head to the <a href="https://www.blogto.com/hotels/park-hyatt-toronto/">Park Hyatt</a>.</p><p>At the front desk, she was handed a room key, and inside, three outfits were steamed and hanging. Once changed, she walked to the hotel's terrace room and followed the music, where a live cello and violin were playing "Can't Help Falling in Love."</p><p>At the end of a soft floral aisle stood Jake, with a beautiful view of the CN Tower as a stunning backdrop.</p><p><img alt="whitney heard" id="content-image-116422" src="https://display.blogto.com/uploads/2025/04/21/1745249966-Proposal024.jpg?w=1400&amp;cmd=resize&amp;quality=70&amp;format=jpeg" /></p><p class="caption">Photo:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/ericcheng.photography/">@ericcheng.photography</a>.</p><p>"From the moment I met you, I was hooked. You have opened my eyes and heart to a life I never imagined I could have, and a person I never imagined I could be,"&nbsp;Jake said.</p><p>"Your love and joy inspire me to be a better person, and a loving partner every day. You are the one I want by my side, and I want to be by your side for the rest of my life. I love you so much, and with all my heart I ask, will you marry me?"</p><p>Whitney says she&nbsp;could barely see through her tears, and she was already nodding yes before even seeing the ring. "I think you're supposed to put the ring on my finger,"&nbsp;she said, laughing through happy tears.</p><p>Their photographer was hidden nearby and ready for a mini shoot, and after the proposal, the couple took photos in the stairwell at Park Hyatt and on the streets of downtown Toronto. When they returned, the terrace room had been transformed by their wedding planner. Then, as if the day couldn't get any better, their closest friends and family walked in.</p><p><img alt="whitney heard" id="content-image-116423" src="https://display.blogto.com/uploads/2025/04/21/1745249994-WJProposal0216.jpg?w=1400&amp;cmd=resize&amp;quality=70&amp;format=jpeg" /></p><p class="caption">Photo:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/ericcheng.photography/">@ericcheng.photography</a>.</p><p>"We spent the evening celebrating &nbsp;&mdash; eating, toasting, dancing, and enjoying the whole story as it unfolded,"&nbsp;Whitney said, expressing thanks to all the vendors who made the day possible.</p><p>Looking back, Whitney says she is glad she spoke up about the identity mixup. Not only did it &mdash;in some ways &mdash; introduce her to the love of her life, but it also taught people some important lessons about social media.</p><p>"I am so happy I spoke out. Hopefully, it makes people think twice or do a little research into who they are actually messaging."</p>