Spotlight on: DECOR!

It's been a while since we did a spotlight post, so I'm delaying on our weekly update and sending this out instead. We've got another crazy week planned for the five days upcoming, so we'll blog a bit further down the road about the daily happenings. For now, enjoy reading about some of the lovely peeps who have our love and gratitude for their help with making the venue pretty.

As you may know already, we are not worried about, nor really interested in, worrying about a traditional sort of wedding setup...that being said, any party needs some help to look like a party! Our plan from the start has been to focus on minimal decoration with big impact. We're making the centrepieces out of old empty bottles, soup cans, and feathers that we'll re-purpose from the aisle markers, along with some other old cool things I've scavenged like some broken antique clocks I found on a street corner. Some of the other touches, like our cake topper, we’re making from scratch—and from materials we have around the house, which means no cost! Brian made the green owl, I made the orange one…Bri has never made anything with Sculpey before, so it was cool to teach him and he did soooo good.

But enough! Here are the interviews!

What is your name? : Allison (http://modmischief.blogspot.com/ )

How did you hear about P:P? : You contacted me through Freecycle because I was offering up an end table and I couldn't resist googling your intriguing email address.

What are you offering to the project?:  I've donated some feathers and buttons to the cause, and I offered up a bunch of Christmas lights, but I think you decided to go a different route for lighting (although they're still yours if you want them).

What made you want to help out with the project? : It's a great idea and I'm always happy to see unwanted things get put to good use.

What is your favourite thing about weddings? :  Weddings can be such beautiful expressions of love.

What's your advice to a new couple?  In the words of Bill and Ted, "Be excellent to each other!"

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What is your name? : Karie Ford

What is your business’s name? : rehash

How can people find you? : You can find me in bloggerland here!  I also have an etsy store here!

One of Karie's cool buntings!

How did you hear about P:P? : I heard about Project Priceless just before the Wed By Hand show in February. Krista from Urbanite Jewelry and an organizer of Wed By Hand let us know that a couple would be stopping by the show to have a look at the various vendors' tables and that this couple were endeavouring to get married with a next to zero budget.  Fast forward a few days and the next thing I knew there were these two smiling faces standing in front of my table!  About half a second into our conversation I knew I wanted to support such an awesome idea and such wonderful people!

What are you contributing to the project?:  I am making Jordan and Brian bunting that I believe they are using as a backdrop for guests' photos

What made you want to help out with the project? : If you have met Jordan and Brian then you know why anyone would want to help out.  They are great!  I also really believe in the project - a single day should be about much more than perfectly coordinated table linens and centrepieces.  I think there are lessons to be learned from Project Priceless - lessons of community and true value as well as lessons of humility and gratitude.

What does your business do? :  I sew stuff!  From the practical to highly-impractical-but-fun variety

How long have you been in business? : about 10 months

What is your favourite thing about weddings? : I am a sucker for a wedding!  I love the speeches, the love, the dancing to bad music.

What do you hate about weddings? : bad music

What’s was your most unusual gig/project/product you’ve created? :  Hmmm.  So far it's been pretty straight and narrow!  But I do love a challenge...

How did your business get started? : Out of both necessity and love!  I was living overseas as an expat and then my ex and I separated.  I have always made and created stuff and I thought it might be a good way to make some extra cash while in school and through this transition.

What warms your heart? :  My babes, sunshine, good people achieving good things.

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What is your name? : Lily

How did you hear about P:P? : I saw it on both Brian and Jordan's facebook pages.

What are you offering to the project?: picnic stuff, lights on strings, cans

What made you want to help out with the project? : I like to help people when I can

What is your favourite thing about weddings? : The joyous ambiance, everyone seems to be so happy regardless of family drama and different dynamics.

What do you hate about weddings? : the cost, the pressure to have a "white wedding" aka traditional big money wedding, the lack of creativity, the "dick measuring contest" that seems to occur between brides (oh well MY wedding cost blah blah blah and it was such a nightmare to plan OMGWTFBBQ).

What’s was your most unusual wedding moment you've ever seen? : I went to a wedding for a couple who were indie wrestlers. They had theme music and high fived each other when they came into their reception hall.

What warms your heart? : in regards to weddings, its the mother/son or daddy/daugther dance. Especially now that I have a daughter, I look forward to her having her own daddy/daughter dance one day in the future. As long as its not to that awful "Butterfly Kisses" song.

What's your advice to a new couple?  The biggest piece of advice is to not hold anything back in important conversations. Its one thing to play nice when Brian asks if you like the soup he made and you want to say you hate it but you say instead that you love it. Its entirely different when something really, truly bothers you to get down to the nitty gritty and talk it out in an honest but still respectful way. And give each other space to think over the conversation if the topic is overwhelming.

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What is your name?  Christina Ouellet

What is the name of your business?  The Flower Factory

How can people contact you?  180 Plaunt Street Renfrew, Ontario  www.theflowerfactory.ca, and facebook: http://www.facebook.com/flowerfactory?ref=ts

How did you hear about P:P?  Article in the Ottawa Citizen

What are you offering to the project?  Flowers 

What made you want to help out with the project?  I loved the story and the idea.

What does your business do?  Full service florist.

How long have you been in business? The Flower Factory has been opened since April 2011....but i have been a florist since '96

What is your favourite thing about weddings?  the ceremony...and of course the flowers

What do you hate about weddings?  really bad decor...

What was your most unusual gig/project/product you’ve created?  I got to work on the 2003 Juno Awards that were held in Ottawa.

How did your business get started?  Just wanted to start my dream of having my own shop!

What warms your heart?  Being totally in love with the "one"
Just another little note: Christina’s designs are super cool, and she has really creative ways of combining non-traditional materials, like limes and artichokes,  into really incredible arrangements…this is one reason we are SUPER happy to have her on board! -xox

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What is your name? : Jocelyn D

How did you hear about P:P? : Through knowing Brian and Jordan, derby and Facebook.

What are you offering to the project?:  Offering craft supplies and a wishing well [that she is making by 
hand, and will then lend to other couples in her life as they get wedded! So cool.]

What made you want to help out with the project? : I've seen the awesome vibe between these two
people.  I've seen the love and passion and wanted to help begin their next chapter in this romance.  Being part of this adventure makes me feel more connected and happy that I could help in even the smallest amount.

What is your favourite thing about weddings? : The gathering of family and friends, the dancing and happiness and being able to feel the love that surrounds the whole event.

What do you hate about weddings? : Length of the service that can drag on and is still very archaic.

What’s was your most unusual wedding moment you've ever seen? : The way the best man (tag-teamed), delivered his speech during my friend's wedding last year.  Never laughed so hard!!!

What warms your heart? :  Knowing that two people can make their own unique fairytale and stands their 

ground about how they view marriage rather than falling into what society tells them to do.

What's your advice to a new couple?  Be who you are in your heart, don't let society force you into what they view as normal or appropriate.  Your life is yours, live it to the fullest.  Be happy and enjoy the experience of growing with another person.  You are both unique, amazing, and not afraid of being individuals- I look forward to being part of this next chapter in your lives.

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What is your name? My name is Penelope V

How did you hear about P:P? I heard about Project Priceless through the trashnothing postings

What are you contributing to the project? I had 9 boxes of chinaware, a lot of it mismatched (o.k. My daughter REALLY likes tea parties and I like to humour her, not that we break stuff a lot) but she can't use all the bits I got so this seemed like a really good opportunity to pass on some good stuff where it would be well used. [We made these phenomenal teacup platters out of them, and will use them again at the wedding to hold our friend Marta’s homemade cookies!]

What made you want to help out with the project? Spring cleaning, and a pleasure in helping out in a very different way

What is your favourite thing about weddings? My favorite thing about weddings is they are not mine and so I can sit back and enjoy the proceedings

What do you hate about weddings? The endless "going to shower party" frenzy, along with the "buy me a personal present" for each party. The last time I was involved in a wedding (last year) it cost me 5 presents at at least $25.00 each not counting the wedding present itself. My mother said when she got married (1951) she had a casserole shower (everyone cooks a dish and they freeze them for later on) and a tea towel shower. She was thrilled to get 6 matching teacups/saucers from the women she worked with then and she kept saying "they spent $8.00 for those cups" and she still had one of the boxes with the price tag on !!! Expensive for those days I guess but I'd choose the casseroles if I was up to me.

What’s the most unusual wedding moment you’ve ever seen? I attended a wedding where the groom had been in a motorcycle accident three weeks before the wedding. He was fortunately not permanently injured but he had broken his left leg in three places and cracked his tibia (hipbone anyway). He was adament that the wedding not be delayed, so he was rolled down the aisle (very carefully) by his best man on a big industrial dolly (to stay upright) and when they recited the vows "in sickness and in health" the bride added "and in spite of any injury". I thought that was the most personal touch I've ever witnessed.

What’s your advice to a new couple? The best advice you can give a new couple is not to give any - each couple is so different that what works for one won't be any use to the next but it really helps to keep your sense of humour intact. If you can't win the argument/overcome the obstacle/endure whatever one more minute, it's a real stress reliever to be able to laugh at it in some way. Not necessarily out loud but laugh anyway. Oh, and try to have fun at the wedding even if you the ones getting married - most people I know most regret not having spent more time talking/eating/laughing/schmoozing and less time fussing or worrying that the photographs would come out beautifully.

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What is your name? : Angela Klaassen

What is your business’s name? : Imagine Wedding and Event Planning

How can people find you? : Imagine is located right in the heart of the prairies, good ole' Regina, Saskatchewan! To find us online you can visit www.imagine-weddings.com.
BLOG www.imagine-weddings.blogspot.com
TWITTER www.twitter.com/imagineweddings
FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/imagineweddingsevents

How did you hear about P:P? : I first heard about PP through our local newspaper online. I thought this was a great idea, and I new I had to help out in any way that I could!

What are you contributing to the project?: Being a wedding planner, I immediately wanted to offer my wedding planning expertise! But noting that we are a few provinces away from one another, I knew that we would be facing many obstacles. So I decided to take a look through Brian and Jordan's "wish-list" to see what else I could help with, and decorations seemed to be a need for them. So I hand-crafted table numbers and aisle markers around their color combinations, and the "leather and feather's" theme.

What made you want to help out with the project? : Weddings are very joyous time in one's life, but they are also very demanding financially. After being inspired by Brian and Jordan's creative way to get married without having a heavy financial burden, I wanted to contribute also.

What does your business do? : With a fun and fresh approach to weddings, Imagine will take your vision and help you create the perfect day. Whether you are looking for an intimate romantic affair, lavish party, or quirky theme, Imagine is exactly what you need!
~Complete Wedding and Event Planning Packages
~Day of Coordination
~Custom Silk Floral Design
~Wedding Soloist/ Music Services
~Wedding Decoration/Rentals
~Simple, yet Professional Photography

How long have you been in business? : Imagine Wedding and Event Planning became a vision in late fall 2009, and started operation shortly there after. Imagine Wedding and Event Planning has a fun, fresh approach to weddings and events, on an extremely professional level. Specializing in budget-friendly weddings, and as a member of Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan, I am proud to offer photography, silk floral design, entertainment, and wedding/event planning services. While utilizing many talents within my business, I have also worked as a professional singer and actress for many years in local theatre, and am an accomplished author.

What is your favorite thing about weddings? : My favorite thing about weddings is watching the day unfold! It's the moments of the wedding that most people miss! The look on the father of the bride's face when he walks his baby girl down the aisle, and the nervous groom (whether he admits it or not)!

What do you hate about weddings? : Meddling family members.....there is always one in the crowd that seems to stir the pot.

What was your most unusual gig/project/product you’ve created? : A 007 fight dance number for the groom and groomsmen at the beginning of the wedding ceremony. The groom was a huge James Bond fan and wanted to incorporate a musical fight scene before the ladies walked down the aisle. In the end, the groom "won."

How did your business get started? : After years of volunteer planning events for non-profit groups, I wanted to go into business for myself. Already having a degree in professional photography, I decided to take additional courses in wedding/event planning. After becoming certified in the wedding industry, I put my knowledge to good use and opened up Imagine Wedding and Event Planning.

What warms your heart? : Cheese Pizza Bread with honey dill dip. And cookies....

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What is your name? : Chris Lackey

What is your business’s name? : C.R.L Construction

How can people find you? : www.crlconstruction.ca or on facebook under the name  C.R.L Construction

How did you hear about P:P? :  My wife directed me to the blog

What are you contributing to the project?: the archway for the ceremony/reception, and potentially fixing a warped table top

What made you want to help out with the project? : I am always interested in creating "out of the box" items for clients and so far no one has asked me to create anything like this for their homes. I thought it would be a great project for me to work on to expand my portfolio, and also a way to get involved in an interesting community project.

Chris' cool bookcase secret doorway...

What does your business do? : We are a small home renovations company, doing work from the most basic of finished basements to extremely custom projects for our clients.

How long have you been in business? : a little over a year formally, informally about 3 years

What is your favourite thing about weddings? : the food, spending time with family, and experiencing something different at each wedding.

What do you hate about weddings? : the dancing, sometimes the speeches can be pretty terrible as well.

What’s was your most unusual gig/project/product you’ve created? : I made a book case that doubled as a hidden door as a part of a basement renovation.

How did your business get started? : I was working for a small renovations company in Ottawa when the recession hit and the company downsized. I took that as an opportunity to start up my own company. We've been very successful so far!

What warms your heart? : my daughter.

32,000 hits and counting

32,000 hits and counting...wow. It kind of hit home last night as we were counting out plastic forks and knives that we've been slowly gathering from people with leftovers who handed them over to us, and we have nearly enough to feed everyone at the potluck. Thank you to everyone who has given us so many well-wishes and amazing help. You all have made this project a huge success; we started with hopes of up-cycling people's old wedding decor, finding a used suit, and  possibly meeting a few friends...but we turned virtually no one away and consequently are preparing for one heck of a fancy day where our family can be with us and our friends, new and old, too. Where we thought we would simply get some offers from friends and family, we were surprised and delighted with all the amazing support from people we hadn't yet met! We would have been happy no matter what turned out, but we're overwhelmed and grateful that such a splendid event is coming together. Thanks to the support of our newfound friends and followers, Project: priceless has gone further then we could have ever expected. We are getting down to the finish line now and from here-on out it's sure to be exciting!!

Here's to you!!

-Brian

63 Days to Go: a potpourri of happenings

With 63 days to go, I can honestly say our heads are spinning. Everything is speeding up now, which means we have a lot happening in short periods of time. Over the last 8-10 days, several adventures have taken place. I’ll attempt to bring you up to speed…

First off, Brian got his jacket. I can’t even begin to tell you how excited we are about this. We stopped into Harley on Brian’s birthday and played dress-up with all the jackets, and they put aside the one Brian liked best. Then, like a kid waiting for Christmas morning, Brian waited the interminable 72 hours ‘til we could go back and pick it up. But wait he did, and on the Wednesday after his birthday, we headed back over to Freedom Harley Davidson on Industrial Road, and got his jacket. We chatted with Harley Ottawa’s marketing guru, and met some of the staff, as well. I thanked them for making it possible for us to walk down that aisle, now that Brian would be dressed like the cowboy in shining leather I had so desperately hoped for. We met a sweetheart of a salty biker dude, who also gave us a generous donation towards completing our scavenging of plates and cutlery for the wedding. Brian put on his jacket, and I swear he stood six inches taller. He strutted over to a bike where we took his picture, and he insisted on wearing the jacket in the car (until the heat got him and he quietly took it off). We felt like the final major piece of our wedding puzzle had come together. We`re helping HD Ottawa out with their next fundraiser, offering volunteer time and/or graphic design work as a trade for the jacket. Harley, thanks for rockin' so hard, and way to go on your kick-butt fundraiser, Precious Metal (raising funds for the Ottawa Cancer Foundation). We'll be blogging about the next one, for sure.

Then…we hit a road bump. Turns out we can’t use the on-site fridges, stoves, ovens, or microwaves. Eeeeeesh. So now what? To avoid a smorgasbord of salmonella at 7pm that evening, we have to be able to store and prepare food at proper temperatures. I was calmed with promises that we would figure something out. Here we are, about a week later, and we’re still waiting to confirm a solution. It looks like my cousin Steve and my dad have figured out a potential roast that will be transported to the venue at a safe temperature, and fed immediately to our hungry guests. So we would simply have to ask guests to bring only cold dishes to accompany the roast, and to pack these on ice in appropriate coolers. Okay, so fingers crossed, this plan works out…because our only other option is to find a caterer that’s ready to feed 200 people in about 60 days. Stay tuned, I guess…

We started planning our wild Stag & Doe with Boston Pizza Orleans on July 12^th all evening. We’ll talk more about this later, but basically, BP Orleans is incredible and is hosting our ‘all-welcome’ (that means YOU) party. There’s no cover as at some Stag & Does; you can come, eat and drink, and then deposit your receipt in the provided bin…BP Orleans will donate 10% of each to us. We’ll also be having games and a silent auction. If you have something to donate towards the grand prize package or the silent auction, give us a shout! You can RSVP on facebook here. Invite everyone you know!

We had some downtime at Westfest, where, you’ll recall, we were on site in the VIP area for Bif Naked’s concert on Saturday night. Westfest is a local festival in our neighbourhood. It was our friend MJ’s birthday gift, and she had a total blast. Elaina Martin, mastermind behind Westfest, took MJ backstage and sat her on a stool where she listened in quiet rapture to Bif, only ten feet away. We texted her to run out and give Bif a hug, but MJ is a much more laid-back kind of gal, so she was quite content to sit just out of site, in perfect bliss. I said a hasty thank you to Elaina at the end of the evening, avoiding a longer, wordier show of gratitude for fear that I’d cry like a little girl. One of the greatest joys in life is bringing joys to others, and we are so grateful that Westfest treated us with such a lovely wedding present, where we were able to cross a really special moment off of our friend’s bucket list.

Little pieces are also starting to come together. I stopped by DavidsTea last week to find Brian holding out a shoebox for me: it was the borrowed cake cutting set that we were offered from a lovely woman named Kerry H. This set is so beautiful, styled like silver branches with leaves and gems, and is absolutely perfect for our big day. I find myself walking by the box and opening it just to peek at them again. I am not the biggest ‘small detail’ person when it comes to an event of this size, which is why it wasn’t a big deal for me if we didn’t have our own cutting set; but my oh my, when one of these small touches is right, it really adds to the feel.

Oh, and we received in the mail (just before the strike, phew!) a giant box containing about two dozen aisle markers and twenty-five table number cards. Angela Klassen of Imagine Events in Regina came through, despite almost no helpful direction from anti-bride moi, and created some gorgeous things. The table numbers are done in our colours, and the aisle markers are purple cones with leather tips and sprays of ostrich and peacock feathers. Again, this is really helping us to start visualizing the big day.

My wardrobe is nearing completion, as well. My cousin Stephanie sent me the incredible bag she made me for the day of. It’s a full-sized messenger bag (because we’re being honest here and we all know I feel compelled to carry that much stuff around with me), made of a kickass sparkly green vinyl that I bought years ago. I had attempted at one point to sew my own bag out of it, and had succeeded in maiming my sewing machine, creating a rat’s nest of black thread in the vinyl, and basically just ruining the whole thing. I’d held onto the mangled remains in the hopes that one day, someone could help me. Well, Steph managed to deconstruct what I’d started, begin anew, and make it into something really fantastic. I love my bag and it’s killing me not to use it right now!

I got my hair cut as well this week, and experienced what I think was a pretty typical bride moment. I asked Lori to style it after cutting as she plans to for the wedding. This isn’t as big a deal for me as it is for many women, as my hair is incredibly short; Lori’s plan is to allow my hair’s natural curl to happen, then to style it into more of a wavy ‘beach hair’ kind of bohemian mess. Problem is, when she began styling it, the curl was intense. I iron my hair every single day, so looking into the mirror and seeing my natural poodle pelt…it was terrifying. I felt my pulse quickening, and I was certain I hated it. Lori, amazing professional that she is, gently reassured me that there was a greater plan in motion; and by the end of her styling, I had an adorable coif that I couldn’t stop admiring all day. This was a good reminder that there are professionals for a reason: they know what they’re doing so I can just sit back and relax.

Speaking of pros who know what they’re doing: I also did some fabric shopping with Judy Ruggles, our seamstress, this past week. Our goal: to purchase fabric to make vests for the boys that will make them all look like Jude Law. I love fabric shopping because as unskilled as I am with any sewing that requires actual measurements or attention span, I adore the idea of fabric, and I make a lot of stuff for my home. When we arrived at the fabric store, we realized a major sale was going on; this was a bittersweet discovery, as it meant that the prices would be good but the store was in total chaos. We scouted around for the better part of an hour, looking for an acceptable orange for Brian’s vest, and I’m very, very hopeful that what we found will work out well. It took the two of us a good long think to decide on a lining colour that would complement the shade, but I’m glad we took the time because I think it’s going to look great. I appreciated Judy’s patience as I toted around a pair of the boys’ slacks, two ties, a motorcycle jacket, my wedding dress, and paint chips, and attempted to pair each fabric selection with the whole lot. In the end, the fabric cost us around well under $40.00, and Judy was sweet enough to pick up the tab for the pattern. With Judy’s fine work, we will have four lovely vests in a couple of weeks.

Brian and I both had some work done by Katerina Pek of OrthoKinetics this week, too. (I told you we were busy, didn’t I?) Katerina, as we’ve mentioned in an earlier ‘offers’ post, performs a unique form of multi-faceted therapy called orthokinesiology. It’s a combination of manual therapy, exercises, movement re-education, and pain management. I had been a client of Katerina’s at a younger age when I was struggling with some nasty back problems, but haven’t seen her for years. Brian has never had a professional touch his back or body in any sort of way (outside of rehabilitative physio, for various insane accidents involving martial arts, rugby, and probably skydiving into a shark pit, if you know Brian at all)…but he loved this experience. Katerina’s method involves very little rubbing or movement at all, and a lot of ‘unlearning’ of things, like how we engage our core.

We went in twice to Katerina this week; the first visit, I stripped down to my underthings and discovered, in my utter haste and complete distraction these days, that I had worn a bra that no one should ever see. Now, I feel comfortable enough to bring this up on the blog because I am certain that every woman in the world has one of these bras: a bra that you know is worn out beyond any decency, but that you haven’t managed to replace yet…a bra that is super comfy, and goes perfectly under that cute dress or tee shirt—but if you were ever, heavens forbid, in an accident, you are certain you would will yourself to remain conscious long enough to rip it from your body before the paramedics could see it and recoil in terror. Yes, that, lady friends, was the bra I wore to an appointment where I was guaranteed to be wearing little else. I spent the first half of the appointment attempting to cover it with my arms, until, given the nature of the treatment, that became an impediment and Katerina began to wonder if I had trouble unbending my elbows. I sighed, gave up the effort, and reassured myself that I couldn’t possibly be the first woman to commit such a silly error. I still don’t know for sure…but I actually went and bought a new bra, on sale, on my way to the second appointment, and it was worth every penny for the peace it brought me. Regardless, the treatments have been helpful for my messed-up ankle (long story) and Brian’s rockclimbing-related pains, and that’s wonderful, indeed.

Oh! We also got my ride confirmed. We finally met JP Walsh, local realtor, in person. JP is loaning us a 1969 Vista Cruiser in lemon yellow. I couldn't be more stoked. JP is a sweetheart and we chatted for a while when we went to see the car. I adore the car and it'll be perfect for jumping out of just before walking up the aisle.

And lastly, this morning your favourite almost-newlywed couple had an extra fifteen seconds of fame on television. We were interviewed on Rogers Daytime Ottawa about the wedding…six minutes of sweating, shaking, and stagefright. (Watch the interview here.) I really think it wouldn’t be so bad if we were hosting ourselves, and could set the pace; but I get so panicked when there is someone asking questions, keeping you on an incredibly tight schedule, and you don’t know anyone in the room. Either way, the interview is done, and we are able to laugh at the moments where our amateurisms shone. It’s another cool story for our wedding scrap book, another special moment we got to hold each other’s hands and celebrate with a bagel and a walk in the park.

Sixty-three days, people. In sixty-three days, the short wishlist of items in the left-hand column of the blog will either be found, or forgotten. In sixty-three days, Brian and I will walk that long walk, and will meet in the middle and stumble through some promises, and take some pictures, and eat some food (hopefully) and dance some dances. In sixty-four days, this wedding will be over, and it’ll be just the two of us, joined together not only by those few minutes of vows, but by the adventure we’ve been on since October last year with all of you. We can see the finish line, and we are soooo excited.

Motorcycles, topless guys, and Brian's jacket found!

After work last night, I was a busy gal. I drove around my neighbourhood, running errands and picking up items for the wedding; I finished my relay with a trip to the gym, where I forced myself (despite being utterly disinterested today) to work up a serious sweat on the elliptical, followed by calisthenics ‘til my abs gave out. I drove home to an empty house, as Brian was working late—perfect. I made myself a giant veggie burger and some sautéed vegetables, put Anchor Man in my DVD player, and prepared to gather my sewing materials to work on my wedding dress. I got half-way through my burger before I felt pretty full, and I considered putting the other half in the fridge for later when I would be hungry again. But then the little voice inside my head reminded me that I’d been hungry all afternoon…that I wanted to finish my burger just for the tastiness of it…that I had nowhere to go, so I might as well stuff myself (albeit, with pretty healthy food) to the point of guilty-pleasure-discomfort. I complied, mowing down the burger in four giant bites, content with my distended belly, my gym-sweat hair, and my evening plans.

Then I checked Twitter. And there was a message. From HarleyDavidson Ottawa. Inviting me to last night’s big fundraiser, Precious Metal. “Oh, em, gee,” I said aloud. I had heard about Precious Metal, and had really wanted to go, but with 74 days ‘til the wedding, I just felt way too busy. Yet here I was, with an open invite to stop by the gala, on the house, and chat with Ottawa Harley about Brian’s jacket search. Hmmmmm.

First, I tweeted back that I had only just gotten the invite now, and it seemed too late. Then I tweeted that I would stop by. Then I waited to see if Harley would tweet back, maybe to tell me I shouldn’t come…but no such tweet occurred. A little reluctantly, I went and put on a little black dress, and ran my hot iron over my hair. I argued with myself that while, yes, this type of event wasn’t my usual thing (loud music, bar scene), and while I wouldn’t know anyone, nor would I be able to hear anyone because I never can in a bar, it did involve motorcycles and it may actually be fun, even flying solo.

Well, fun would be understating it! The event took place at a lounge called My Condo on Clarence Street in the market, a cozy little club with a good atmosphere. I knew I’d found the place when I saw the half-dozen Harleys lined up outside—one in our wedding green, which I took as a good sign. Inside, there was a station to get your photo taken on the back of a Harley, a spot to get your hair made over with a stripe of pink added in, a couple different makeup stations, and cupcakes from a new shop, The Cupcake Lounge, that just opened in the market. A guy was teaching girls on the dance floor how to stand up a fallen motorcycle (something I really want to learn how to do but not in a skirt and heels, thanks), while a silent auction took place and women tried on pink Harley gear upstairs. The entire event was put on to raise money for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation.

I asked the bartender to make me up something virgin and pretty so I wouldn’t feel empty-handed, and made a tour of the stations. I explored the clothing, got my hair made huge and wavy with a pink streak added in, and got my photo taken with two topless fellas while I straddled a big hog. In a moment of unusual bravery, I introduced myself to some strangers and made quick friends with them, chatting with them throughout the evening. I managed to find out who mans the Twitter feed at twitter.com/#FreedomHDOttawa …we chatted briefly before she had to take care of some stuff around the event, with a promise to reconnect later. I bided my time, because I was, naturally, very curious about her interest in Brian’s motorcycle jacket search.

I forget sometimes that not everyone reading the blog has been reading since day one, so let me quickly get you up to speed: motorcycles are what brought Brian and I together. Bri and I were friendly for about a year before he got Sookie—his little Honda Magna that he reconstructed from broken parts by hand—but we became real, fast friends when Brian got his bike. Actually, that’s not accurate: when Brian first got his bike, I wasn’t interested in the slightest. My dad had put a serious fear of bikes into my head, and I had no intention of ever getting on one. Brian pleaded with me for weeks to take a ride, and I just laughed. He told me he’d bought a helmet just to get me on the bike, lying and telling me he’d gotten it on sale for thirty bucks at Canadian Tire so I wouldn’t feel badly if I really didn’t want to go. I still said no. He finally got me to try it when he threatened to take a different girl out, wearing “my” helmet. My pride was piqued, I told him to be at my house at five, and I was standing on my doorstep, trembling, when he showed up.

He explained the rules of being a bike passenger, got me strapped into my helmet, and promised to take me just around the block. I remember hanging onto him with all my strength, convinced that my pride was going to get me killed. Three minutes later, we stopped at Starbucks and Brian pried me off of him and took me inside to get a drink. As we stood in line, me still in shock, I turned to him abruptly. I grabbed his jacket in two shaking fists and said, “I know you want a coffee right now, and I know we just got off the bike, but I really want to go again.” Brian obliged me, and we were on Sookie non-stop for the rest of that summer. It was our chance to spend real quality time together, our last chance to hang out before he moved away in September to Calgary—a story for another time, but the end result is, I rescued him three months later and brought him home…and in exchange for that, he bought me my cowboy boots, which I love to ride in and which I’ll wear down the aisle.

Brian had wanted to paint Sookie; I obliged by surprising him.

So this, readers, is why Brian is going to wear a motorcycle jacket down the aisle instead of a regular suit. Between Sookie and Calgary, Bri has always been my cowboy on a steel horse. And surprisingly, finding Brian a jacket has been one of the hardest parts of our wedding project. We knew we had to look second-hand, or hope for someone with a new one to offer it up; trouble is, Brian is larger than a lot of actual vintage jackets. We were ready to trade an old vintage coat of my own, but we just weren’t finding a jacket that fit and looked right. Brian is, if people haven’t caught on yet, very easy going, and a few weeks ago I was telling him how upset I was about the jacket search going badly…to which he replied, he didn’t care if he had to marry me in jeans and t-shirt. If you’ll recall, I informed Brian that if I started down that aisle and he was not wearing a leather jacket, I was going to turn right back around and not marry him. While I admit that this is a bluff, the emotional sentiment is genuine: I want to walk down that aisle and into the arms of my steel-horsed cowboy, waiting for me in proper attire. (To revisit the original blog entry where I melted down over the jacket, click here.)

Well, it looks like we’ll have that dream of a jacket realized!

Towards the end of the Precious Metal evening, I reconnected with Jennifer of the FreedomHDOttawa Twitter account, and she brought me to meet the manager. We chatted, and they offered Brian a jacket. We haven’t seen it yet, but we will post pictures as soon as we can! I was speechless, and in total shock, and I can’t imagine how that looked to the Harley ladies. I just couldn’t believe that this last non-negotiable ‘must have’ element of our wedding was coming together. With 74 days left, we were realizing our vision. I told the ladies that we were thrilled, and so appreciative, but that given the generosity of the offer, we’d like to help out with volunteer hours, art/design, or whatever else, for their next fundraising event. We shook on it, and a wonderful trade was approved by all.

Ladies of Harley Davidson Ottawa, I can’t thank you enough for a wonderful evening of fun, motorcycles, and cool women. I still have 74 days to sew the detailing onto my wedding dress, so I’m really glad I made the decision to roll my full belly out of the house, put on a dress, and come visit. I’m looking forward to the next Precious Metal, and I strongly suggest that all you lady readers out there join us for the next one!

Our wedding shower: a mad hatter's tea party!

Brian and I decided to do a co-ed shower, breaking with tradition...I know, big surprise, right? But when I thought about doing a girls-only shower, my skin crawled. It reminded me too much of a baby shower, those loathsome parties where the childless among us either feel weird for not wanting babies, or feel rushed to hurry up and have them, while our dear friend is forced to wear bows on her head and people have to play 'what's in the diaper' games--don't the parents get to play that enough at home!

Sir Tam took a major lead in planning this party, and our love and admiration goes out to her. Every tiny detail of the event was truly a showering of love upon us. Her sweet knight in shining armour, Jon, was by her side every step of the way. He hand-drew the playing cards you see in the photos. My (Jordan's) parents made copious trays of Kent traditional sandwiches, and the wedding party chipped in to provide all sorts of other goodies. The crowning jewel in the room: the Little Cakes cupcakes, all done in our Mad Hatter's tea party theme.

Tam organized party games, presents were opened, and people had a lot of fun. Brian and I got to visit with some friends that we haven't gotten to see much lately, which was also really nice. Family met family. Tam's friend Erin gave her talent to make a cake for us to enjoy. Our lovely Laura Stephenson captured the most lovely shots of everything, and Adam Pap came by a little later to catch a bit more. All this in the gorgeous little venue, From This Day Forward, which owner Izabela had donated to us for the day!

I'll admit, hesitantly, that I have caught a bit of the wedding bug. This party was really fun, and it's pretty traditional to have a shower. So maybe not every wedding tradition is silly. Mind you, any excuse to dress up and you've got my attention! But really, when you fill a room full of gifts, food, friends, family, and cupcakes...how could that not be fun?

I've captioned the photos to give you some highlights. It was a lovely day with lovely people and we felt like royalty. Well, I felt like royalty...Brian felt, to his utter joy, mad as a hatter.

The very popular bubble chair!

Brian surveying his kingdom.

Brian was in cupcake heaven.

His new favourite hat!

awesome signage.

Amazing munchies from the wedding party.

Jon Hudon's amazing art!

What an adorable venue.

Beautiful cake by Erin

Flights of Fancy fascinator!

Maggie brought a hat with special sentimentality.

A super huge thanks to Vivien of Holloway for my dress.

And super love to Judy Ruggles for altering it for my figure!

My crino, from Hopes & Dreams

Kisses.

My mom and I.

Koko Chocolates gave us treats for prizes!

More cupcakes..so many! mmmm

My creations: tea cup cake stands.

Me and Sir Tam. She earns her knighthood daily.

Cutting the cake. The practice was good...

Hopefully we'll be better at it on the wedding day.

Another Flights of Fancy by Kate

Tam had me searching for paper clips on Brian.

Opening gifts...

Every gift was so thoughtful,

...beautiful...

and special....

And it was great to see family!

Amazing gifts, incl. our wedding night stay at a hotel--thanks, Mom and Dad!

Tam's handmade treasures!

My very own jersey with my newlywed name...

...from Brian's brother. Made me cry.

Silly to cry over a macho gift like this, but it just hit home: Kent-Baas!

Our wedding invites, by Fran Baas!