Post-Wedding Tribute

I would have posted this yesterday had I not been enduring a crazy post-wedding hangover fueled by a lack of sleep and having to drive for six horribly long hours.  Such a combination seemed entirely incompatible with writing, even once I made it home. 

My sister's wedding at the Hillside Resort in Golden, B.C. was a success, of course, with only a very few minor hiccups.  I eloped when I got married so there was no fanfare, little planning and zero stress.  My sister planned an amazing getaway and reception that was beautiful in its apparent simplicity.  I say apparent because if you've done this already, you know there's a lot more to it. 

Originally, she was going to have no children in attendance.  She changed her mind once they realized there would actually be room for them. The bridal party met up at 8:00am for breakfast and then we headed upstairs to begin getting our hair and make-up done. We busied ourselves while others were at the chairs and took our turns when they were empty.  It was quite the procession.  As the moment neared, we got our pictures taken as we helped the bride into her dress, which took three of us simply because we had to help get it over her hair.  She pinned the corsages on Mom and Nana.

On the walk to the ceremony location they had put together some memory boards.  The first was my sister from baby to young woman, the second was her husband to be.  The third was from 2007 when they first began dating and detailed the timeline of what they had done each year until this one, ending Saturday, their wedding day.  It was a thoughtful and wonderful thing to see especially for those who had not been part of each year in between. 

Ethan was walking Nana down the aisle and Ocean and another niece were taking care of the signing table and guest pictures.  Aaron was super tired and had difficulty waiting for the hour to arrive. He and another nephew of hers were ring bearers.  They dressed up in bear costumes.  Get it?



 Even though we'd gone through the rehearsal, the boys forgot the direction they would be heading and when we corrected them during the ceremony, it almost looked like they were going to keep walking, in the other direction.  We got them back and everything else went as planned. 

My mom walked my sister down the hill and along the path.  Her husband to be looked at her with such longing as they made their way it brought tears to my eyes.  Mom was going to take a spot up front with us as she apparently forgot her rehearsal as well, but we managed to get her seated and the ceremony could begin.

They managed their vows without incident though my sister rushed through the presentation of the ring.  She was nervous in front of the crowd to say the least.  We hadn't set up a designated signing table either so they each signed before they could walk away and I actually decided that I liked that idea better.  When they took each other's hand, they did it fully and completely as husband and wife.  She relaxed immediately after and he did as well.  It was done, just like that. 

Of course, the day was busy from there with pictures and readying of the reception location, which was a beautifully decorated quanset on the furthest end of the resort.  The tables were set, the desserts were ready, the caterers had arrived to set up the buffet.  The bar was fully stocked and the bartenders were preparing their stations.  Clockwork.

We all walked in and the bride and groom held their first dance before dinner.  We were treated to a mouth-watering choice of salmon, chicken and prime rib and I had a little of everything.  The service was immaculate - not once did the head table run out of water, which was a very good thing.  She incorporated a multiple choice guessing game for the other tables to see which would go up after us and that made the line move efficiently while giving the guests something to do while they waited.  They had also left a scratch ticket at each adult setting to while away the time.

Speeches began shortly after we had finished eating and they were each enjoyable.  First the maid of honour, then the groomsman, and the mothers from each family to officially welcome the newest member to the family.  The bar was open and we cleared some space for dancing.  Outside, we had a fire going and family members gathered in this space or that to catch up and just relax in one another's company.  The big day had come and everything was as it should have been - perfect.