Note: Photos by Adam Pap and Laura Elizabeth Photography have water marks in the bottom right of each photo; photos with no watermarks are by Aiden Wolf Photography.
After our run down the aisle, and after I’d sucked the ring off of Brian’s poor swollen right-hand ring finger, and after greeting tons of people in an impromptu receiving line, we finally got around to taking some formal photos.
As you’ll see, everyone is looking very dapper, and shout-outs again to the talented indie artisans who bedecked our lovely wedding party:
So-Fine for the bridesmaid dresses (convertible six ways!),
Frash for the silver necklaces,
Morganna the White for Tam’s great button necklace, and
Flights of Fancy from Bombshell’s Closet for the feather fascinators (including mine). And of course, the talented Judy of
JR Creations for the boys’ tailor-made vests. Let's take a photo break before continuing below...
That soon after getting married, Brian and I were completely gobsmacked. We were barely coherent, and just kept giving each other slightly shocked looks, as if to say, “Did that just happen?” I think we would have benefitted from a ten-minute break where Bri and I could have just sat in total silence, holding hands, before swinging into hellos and photos, so consider that as our advice for other couples: get your wedding planner/maid of honor/parents to help you take your sweetie aside, and have a quick sit. Clear your head, and take the last sixty seconds to re-establish what you want to have happen with the rest of the day…because we kind of forgot. Consequently, despite our insistence from Day One that this not be the case, we ended up lining our wedding party up for photos like a line of the usual suspects. We were adamant for months that we would take no typical formal shots, instead planning to have the wedding party chase peacocks and pet horses; alas, in our dazed and brainless state, we forgot to push for that and we also—let’s be realistic—had no space in our brain for creative ideas at that point. So, advice part two: if you want to do creative photos, don’t rely on your vow-addled brain to come up with them. Plan them in advance, especially if you have a large venue with lots of good photo locations, and make sure someone reminds you that that’s what you had planned. This includes if you want photos of your guests, which was a detail that was lost in the chaos of the day; it's a little heartbreaking not to have more shots of all the happy guests, but this was a good reminder that no matter how carefully you plan, something will go awry--so just remind yourself of the most important thing the day was about: getting hitched to your besty. Regardless of the hindsight, our party looks lovely and the photos are, of course, brilliant. Another photo interlude...
While photo hour happened for us, our guests got to enjoy the tea service, the outdoor games, and explore the gorgeous grounds of
Stanley's Farm.
We were corralled by the Keeper of the Schedule,
Amy of Splendid Events, into the reception tent at the appropriate time, and as requested,
DJ Steve of 2J's Music Box welcomed the wedding party in by playing the
Rocky theme song. We were then welcomed into the tent with
Bad Things by Jayce Everett—the song I almost walked down the aisle to, before we decided it was just too irreverent. We made our way through the applauding guests to our little sweetheart table at the front of the room, and dinner was begun.
The potluck went really well. I know this was a big concern for us, and looking back I think it’s good we were so worried because it meant we were well-prepared. Mom and Amy made sure that there was plenty of ice for the foods that needed chilling, and aside from cold dishes, there were some crock pots and several incredible prime ribs: a wedding present from my Kent family cousins. The tweets from our day show that we weren’t the only ones amazed and delighted with the variety of foods that people brought, the huge quantity, and the overall delectability. I got my plate and didn’t honestly think I’d be able to eat any of it, but it was so freaking
good that I ended up eating everything I’d served myself. I loved that people put so much love and thought into contributing to the potluck, and it really added to the sense of ‘coming together’ for the occasion. I will also admit, I ate my
Geek Sweet macaron favour first.
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| Our awesome placemats with macaron favours! |
Once we’d had a good amount of our dinner, Brian and I ran outside with the photographers for a few last-minute shots before the sun went down. We ran to the swingset, got our shots there, then climbed into the playhouse. We also posed with our wedding tattoos (we love you,
Sarah Rogers!), and had a really good kissing session, ostensibly to allow the photogs a chance to get some shots…honestly, just because we felt like it. Here's some of our favourites...
Back into the tent we went, for more fun and hellos. Brian took one side of the room, visiting with the tables, and I took the other; somehow, Bri managed to get around to virtually every guest, whereas I realized at the end of the night that I’d missed easily ten tables. I felt terrible for that, but I’ve been reassured that this is pretty typical of a bride’s big night. It was still sad, though, as I really felt like this whole magical day had been the love and work of so many of our guests, and I wanted time enough to share that with each one of them. I'm going to work really hard to make some time for all those people in the next while.
Speeches were a huge hit. Uncle Larry Emcee'd, and we were so happy to have our biggest supporter as part of our day. Brian’s best man (and brother) Eric started off the evening with an incredibly lewd tale that I cannot repeat, but was strangely complimentary to the bride at the end. Sir Tam gave a speech that made us both tear up, with particularly sweet words about what a good job I’d done for my girls when I was a roller derby coach. My cousin Suzie talked about her role in helping me rescue Brian from Calgary, and Brian’s sister shared some emotional well-wishes. And my dad, always a consummate speaker, regaled the audience with a tale of the bride’s near-suspension from school for defending another girl from a gang of bullies…by kicking them each in the groin. People loved it. Brian said a few heartfelt words of gratitude, and then it was my turn. (Some more photos first...)
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| Jon on the laptop, making magic. |
I stood up and asked for a moment to just drink it all in. I looked out at the sea of faces, some old friends, some family…some new friends, and so many people who helped make this wonderful day happen. I was moved with how much gratitude I felt for everyone there. I shared a story (a really good one) about Brian convincing me to go ziplining in Mexico on the trip that my parents gave us as an early wedding gift (read the
original blog entry here); then I ended off with my special project that I’d been working on for weeks. The lights dimmed, Beyonce’s
Halo started up, and a slide show began. Each slide was a photo of a different person, holding up a sign, each displaying a different reason why I love Brian. The sign holders were colleagues, P:P vendors, strangers off the street, and even local celebrities like Stuntman Stu. Many of the shots, I’d managed to convince people to take with their phones and send to me over Twitter. Brian had earlier refused to admit that he’d cried during the ceremony, but there was no denying his wet cheeks now. We held each other and watched the whole thing, and kissed to resounding applause at the end. A lot of people went out of their way to praise the slideshow afterwards, saying how moving and special it was; I’ll admit, I didn’t think it was
that big of a deal, as it was such a tiny effort, and a tiny way, to show Brian the ginormous way that I love him. Cheesy…but true.
So I have to confess, the exact order of events gets a little muddled here in my mind, but the rest of evening was comprised of the following, though not necessarily in this order:
-The candy buffet, donated by the incredible
Candy Store in Westboro Village, was opened. It was swamped with people until the candy was all gone. It was probably the most favourite part of the evening for most people, with compliments on its gorgeous appearance as well as the tastiness of the treats. The Candy Store had managed to arrange favourites of both the bride and groom: gourmet malt balls and apple cotton candy for me, sour fruit and salted liquorice for Brian, and numerous other goodies as well. Thank god we sent our usher Sienna to secure us two bags of treats, because we were pulled out of line for another activity and we totally would have missed out. Unfortunately, the little boule of green cotton candy I squirreled away to eat at the hotel got trampled and when I went to eat it, found it completely deflated back into green sugar. Tragedy! I hear it was delicious, though.
-The cake was cut, and what a cake it was. It was everything that Brian and I had imagined. Isabelle Crowe, the baker who created this treasure for us, is to be commended for her skill and her flexibility. When we asked her to create a purple-white-green-orange wedding cake, with retro folkart woodland animals all over it, she could have told us we were nuts. Instead, she took the mix of half-baked (haha) ideas and made a masterpiece. Adorning the front of the cake was the motto we’d requested—‘A Deal’s A Deal’—and perched atop the cake was the owl cake toppers that Brian and I had made by hand. I fell in love with the cake, and after our initial cut, had to walk away as the crew began to dismantle and serve it. Special love and thanks goes out to Shakira of
Little Cakes, who helped us out by transporting and cutting this behemoth, because we would truly have been lost without her. I managed to save a handful of little toadstools, and knowing that they would dry solid and inedible, took them home as a keepsake. I tried to save several animals and the motto sign, but alas, it was not meant to be. Luckily, we have wonderful photos to cherish forever.
-Dad and I took our traditional spin around the dance floor. My mother, the queen of sap, chose our song for us—
Cinderella’s Dancing by Steven Curtis Chapman. I figured that Dad and I would goof around on the dancefloor just like we’d joked our way down the aisle; but instead, Dad told me how proud he was of me and how much he loved me. I melted down into sobby tears, muttering about how mean he was, but he was relentless. It wasn’t just his words, though, but his proud and admiring gaze that reduced me to a soggy mess. I still can’t look at the video or the photos of this dance because I get so choked up. Several guests reported that, after the dance, they had to reapply their mascara in the bathroom. I knew that it would be a special moment, dancing with my dad at my wedding, but I was totally unprepared for its impact on me. It felt like another major part of the ride of passage that is getting married. And I think that’s all I’ll say. You can see the photos for yourself, so here's another montage...
-Brian and I had our first dance, but it was our second dance we really enjoyed: after the garter toss, where Brian shimmied up my leg in full dramatic glory to the sonorous voice of Barry White singing
Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, we danced the twist to the same song Uma Thurman and John Travolta dance to in
Pulp Fiction. We also got to show off our swing dancing lessons throughout the night, and we even succeeded in doing a lift! The garter toss (with gorgeous garter by
BridalGarters.ca) had a special ‘everything comes full circle’ vibe to it, though, which I really liked: last summer, Brian caught the garter at my Aunt Debbie’s wedding, so flinging mine away felt…almost a little spooky. Some more photos...
By about eleven o’clock (remember, it was a Monday night), most people had headed home and teardown began in earnest. Brian and I found ourselves trying to help but mostly being useless as our heads were still quite empty and we didn’t know the plan. Eventually we gave up and let the many, many volunteers do their work, while we danced with our wedding party some more. We cuddled in close for a few verses of another favourite song (
Angel Eyes, Jeff Healey) before being ushered out the door. To my utter joy, Amy had managed to get all the sparklers lit and in people’s hands, and we had a canopy of glowing sparklers over our pathway as we ran out to the car. My eternal gratitude goes out to
Amy, who managed to pull off this little activity…a small detail, but one I’d really wanted to have happen. Given that people had wrapped up so early, I had given up hope of the sparkler path, but Amy made it happen and it was exactly as I pictured it. There was no photos taken of this, but we really don’t need one; I remember the moment exactly, the golden glittering sparks lighting up the grinning faces of our friends and family as we ran through an otherwise velvety black night.
A huge thank you goes out to the many people who put time into setting up and tearing down the venue setup for our big day. Family and friends pitched in, which is maybe not surprising to some of you, but it meant the world to us. As well, donors of various items made time to help with the work, well beyond that related to their own product or service, and Amy herself had a team of killer volunteers who worked their butts off from start to finish. At one point I noticed that a woman named
Krista, jeweler and mastermind behind many of the annual craft shows (and the new
Urban Craft monthly shows) was one of the volunteers that had come with Amy. It was surreal to have this local VIP tying aisle markers to chairs. I had to stop myself from running up to her and apologizing, offering her a seat, and taking her roll of tape away. Please, everyone, know that your efforts were noticed and appreciated, and that you have our eternal affection and gratitude.
We held hands in the back of Dad’s car as he drove us to the hotel that night. There was nothing but happy things to say, and happy moments to review. I felt the last of the tension draining from me as I recalled a moment I had at the reception, when a friend said, “So…it went well?” and I said, “Yeah, it totally…went…well!”, and we both gave conspiratorial giggles of surprised relief. I looked at Brian, still completely shellshocked but happier than I knew I could be. My sweetheart was by my side, sworn to remain there; my dad was driving us off into the (long-gone) sunset; I’d spent the night at a party decorated, fed, and made beautiful through a community…a community we’d somehow managed to bring together through crazy things like Twitter and Facebook and email. I felt like we’d done something truly unbelievable, and I felt nothing but excitement to see what we’d do next. Because nothing is impossible when you do it with love.
WHAT'S NEXT?
We will be continuing to update the blog with a few special entries, covering great photos by Laura Elizabeth Photography (and the boys) of the many details and special parts of the day. Some outtakes, bloopers, and advice is coming your way, too, so stay tuned.
As well, we're inviting brides-to-be, and recently married couples out there to submit your stories to us: if you had a wedding incorporating COMMUNITY, DIY, and/or COST-FRIENDLY-EARTH-FRIENDLY options, we want to hear about it! Send us an email and we'll share some questions and ask you for some photos. There are plenty of Priceless couples out there, and we want to hear from them! So stay tuned for some more coverage of our special day, and get ready for some future coverage of other weddings!
CAN'T GET ENOUGH JORDAN AND BRIAN?
The day went perfectly, with the rain disappearing just before the ceremony, and everyone having a wonderful time. It was a good dress, I gotta say. I felt cute and fun but also dressed to the nines. But probably the best part of the whole dress?
