Couple nourishes their relationship with chocolate

Intermountain Catholic

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Matt Canaday and Allie Humphrey in their Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory store. IC photo/Christine Young

LEHI — It has been said that chocolate is the symbol of love – at least that has been true for Allie Humphrey and Matt Canaday of the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Lehi. 

Humphrey, now a member of Saint John the Baptist Parish in Draper, grew up in Missouri. She met Canaday while attending Missouri Western State University. He was friends with some of her sister Lexie’s friends. Humphrey was attracted to Canaday’s good looks and his outgoing personality. Canaday said Humphrey had a glow about her whenever he saw her that made him know right away that he would marry her someday.

"We had started dating when I decided to take an entrepreneurship class. It was through that class that I wrote a business plan for the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and competed with other students in my class," said Humphrey. "At the end of the semester I was awarded the opportunity to own a store."

Canaday took a leap of "faith and love and moved to Omaha with me," said Humphrey; by that time the couple had been dating for six months. They operated a store together in Omaha for 13 months before selling that franchise to move to Utah and open their store in Lehi in November of 2012.

"Working together every day has brought us closer," Humphrey said.

Canaday proposed to Humphrey on May 16, 2013, in front of about 130 people on a stage at Missouri Western State University, when they returned to talk about their entrepreneurship project.

"The class that she took is part of a larger program, so there were about 15 winners on the stage, much like Allison," said Canaday. "I had thought about proposing that evening for about five or six months. It would be back home, her parents and her sister would be there, my mom would be there; it was the right place to do it."

Canaday was in cahoots with the hosts, while Humphrey thought they were just going to tell their story.

"I was tricked," Humphrey said.

Canaday was incredibly nervous, he said.

"I had only asked for her parents’ permission the day before," he said. "So I mumbled talking about our journey through Omaha and Utah."

Humphrey was shocked when she heard Canaday call her his "partner in life," thinking, "Why did he just say that? We’re not married," she said, adding that when she finished speaking she handed him back the microphone and he didn’t take it.

"I couldn’t because the ring was in my pocket," he said. "I had practiced how I was going to propose, but not what I was going to say, so I winged it as she held the microphone and I bent down on one knee. She didn’t really say ‘Yes,’ she just started crying and talking under her breath. People in the audience were yelling out, ‘Did she say yes?"

"Yes, I said yes," said Humphrey. "It was the only time in my life I’ve been in shock. Then we had to sit through a banquet for two hours and all I wanted to do was call people."

The couple will get married at Holy Family Parish in Missouri, with Humphrey’s sister Lexie as her maid of honor.

The couple has nourished their relationship for 14 months in Utah and "the chocolate business has been good," Humphrey said. "Last July we did the campaign ‘Fudge for Troops’ by matching every pound of fudge we sold during the month of July. We sent 600 pounds of fudge to the troops. For Christmas, we raffled off a 30-pound chocolate Santa and sent just over $1,000 to United Way’s Sub for Santa. Our big Valentine’s gifts are chocolate-covered strawberries and caramel apples that we make here in our store."