Jordan and I were married on August 1st. It was such a lovely day with so many amazing moments… I’ve finally finished writing it all down! You can click this link to an album with all of the rest of the beautiful pictures.
Jordan and I started our big day with a quiet, early-morning walk to the nearby Starbucks. Triple grande caramel macchiato for the groom, triple grande skinny vanilla latte for the bride. Jordan left shortly after Shae arrived, and the wedding day began!
The guys:
Jordan joined Trevor and Dad in the early morning to take the alcohol and sound system up to Sea Cider, before heading over to Darling and Grandpa’s for coffee with grandparents and other close relatives. The coffee was organized so the two families could get to know each other, and several great new friendships were made! Jordan, Trevor, and Dad revisited the Surly Mermaid for lunch – Jordan managed to actually eat lunch, well done – and then the guys headed up to Jordan’s parents to start getting ready. Trevor’s exceptional full Windsor tie-tying skills were handsomely rewarded with special cufflinks from Jordan. From then, all they had to do was wait for the girls to be done getting ready…
The girls:
Mom, Shae, and I spent the morning in the condo getting ready with makeup-artist and hair-stylist extraordinaire, Erin. What a fun crew! My morning was filled with conversation about knowledge translation in health care (neeerrrrrds), fine arts and the road to becoming a makeup artist, and coordinating the finer points of the wedding. Mom had pretty curl roses put in her hair, and I got to hang out with giant pin curls for a while. Shae was delighted by her classic Regina gift of rose gold Hillberg & Berk sparkleballs, and decided to wear them for the wedding, yay! Jordan’s mom Lisa joined us over lunch to get her hair and makeup done and came away looking so glamorous. Shae and Mom took on the massive task of getting all the cat hair off my dress and steamed it to perfection. The day was so calm and sunny, with makeup out in the fresh air on the deck and coffee on drip the whole time – exactly what I needed! I only began to get nervous when Erin unrolled my pin curls and put together the last of the ‘bridal’ touches… but luckily my Dad and our photographer Kim Kalyn showed up just in time to distract me with some getting-ready pictures. It takes a whole village, and my village was super wonderful!
The first look and pictures:
A couple blocks from our Sidney condo sat an oceanfront garden called Eastview Park. We had our ‘first look’ here, down by the ocean, with a light summer breeze and not too many onlookers. The tears started for me here! Jordan looked so stunning in his suit and so happy to see me. We were able to get a few pictures together and with Shae and Trevor out on the wharf. Then we were off, with Trevor’s careful driving and Shae’s meticulous navigating to Sea Cider for bridal party portraits in the orchard!
Shae and Trevor were definitely the most capable and competent people for the bridal party job – so many little details were taken care of because of their involvement and attention. More than that, though, they are some of the funniest people in our lives. We spent the whole time laughing and joking (with some sappy moments interspersed). Kim fit into our little group so well, which made for a very relaxing and entertaining photography session amongst the apples!
After pictures I went upstairs to hide out in the Mirror Room with Shae. Jordan stayed downstairs and greeted people as they came into the wedding, which I’ve heard included a cute moment with Holly, Michelle, and their husbands. Down below in the reception tent, my incredible coordinating team were battling the elements to tie tulle in place and make paper decorations stay on the tables – Mom, Dad, Mavis, Ron, Krista, and Riley, the real MVPs of the wedding!
The ceremony:
If you’ve never been to Sea Cider, you may not know that there is a giant staircase leading from the Mirror Room to the ceremony area. As our officiant Michael introduced himself and took care of housekeeping items, Dad, Shae, and I stood at the top of the staircase just out of sight. We kept catching each other’s eyes in the ‘one last check’ mirror and alternated between trying not to laugh too loudly at our officiant’s light opening remarks and trying not to collapse from nerves (okay – maybe just me).
The first notes of Bloom began and Shae started our processional. It’s hard to describe the emotions of the moment, but suffice to stay I started crying about halfway out the door. It was so wonderful to walk down the aisle with Dad and be given away by both my parents. And then there was Jordan with his heart in his eyes. A poem, some very emotional vows, and an even more emotional ring ceremony later, I was a wife and Jordan was my husband.
We signed the marriage license on the deck overlooking the orchard and the ocean. The Vitamin String Quartet cover of Yellow played in the background while Sea Cider staff handed out glasses of cider to guests for a toast. For the record, I did manage to stop crying by this point, but Holly set me off again when we came back into the ciderhouse and were introduced by Michael to our guests. Jordan and Samantha, husband and wife! I stopped crying again between the recessional and the toast, but then KATE set me off! These girls of mine, I tell you what.
The hour after the ceremony of mingling, cider tastings, and family photos flew by. Sunny memories include Mavis, a bubble gun, and a very delighted Boone; hugs with girlfriends, cousins, uncles, and aunts; Jordan showing off his ring; a big group photo in the ciderhouse; and our sweet niece Sadie, who was equally delighted by cider and my bouquet and brought out truly genuine smiles for family pictures! Afterwards, Jordan and I managed to catch a moment to ourselves in the Mirror Room. There were a few more tears as we took in the importance of our wedding and our commitment. Jordan’s first act as a husband was to help me buckle up my practical white sandals! Happy feet, happy wife.
The reception:
Dinner was catered by The London Chef, and I swear I will never eat a better chimichurri sauce as long as I live. Check out this menu!
My uncle Brian was our emcee and coordinated the buffet dismissal according to “best cider pun,” the worst (best) of which I really should have predicted… but what was I going to do, call the cops?! We had some great moments at the head table while the buffet line was going, including pretty selfies, super complicated puzzle toys, and patting myself on the back for my excellent table seating arrangements.
The speeches at our wedding were the best speeches I’ve ever heard at any wedding ever. You may be tempted to think I’m being facetious. I promise I’m not – our guests were raving about the speeches all night. With an all-star line-up like we had, is anybody really surprised?
Trevor started off with an ode to the groom, detailing the long and winding road behind his relationship with Jordan.
Shae followed that act with the most heartfelt and adorable toast, where she did a remarkable job talking through the tears and describing the tamest, but happiest, friendship there ever was.
Bob spoke about how we prioritize each other’s academic goals and happiness, and how our compromises make us strong and cohesive.
Finally, my Dad shared some super cute stories about my more precocious moments, finishing by saying that our individually strong personalities work out perfectly as a couple. Not a dry eye in the house!
Jordan and I went last for a little thank-you speech, where I was relieved that Jordan clarified to Trevor that he would be coming home with ME after the wedding. :)
Between dinner and cupcakes Jordan and I were able to visit with so many of our guests. I was really happy that we were able to stick side by side for most of the reception… I’ve heard so many stories of brides not eating and not seeing their husbands, but I got to do both of those things AND enjoy some cider! We each got to meet the few family/friends that hadn’t been introduced yet. At one point we went to the bar to fill our glasses and just marveled at how wonderfully our guests were coming together, with people who had just met socializing like old friends. We were happy that we got to spend some quality time with our friends who traveled so far… from Grande Prairie to Saskatoon to Regina to Halifax, by plane and car and boat, just for us. We’re such lucky people!
Once the last of the sun had set and the tent lights were shining, we were treated to some wonderful entertainment. Darling shared some cherished stories, from tomato picking to tea parties. Trevor, who brought me into his musical world this year, sang us Proud Songsters by Finzi with only the striking acoustics of the ciderhouse as accompaniment. And then: cupcakes! Espresso, coconut, and coral-frosted vanilla… all with a glass of cider to warm the soul!
At the end of the evening, after all the love and the congratulations, the quality conversation and the genuine laughter, the greeting of old favorites and the delighting in new friends, it was time to say goodnight.
Imagine a perfect West Coast night, sweet and warm. Imagine the welcoming glow of fairy lights against a backdrop of summer stars. Imagine your nearest and dearest, holding up sparklers and cheering as you dash off to the waiting limo and into the night. Can two hearts be more full?