Planning a wedding is no small feat. For months your life consists of spending, calling, planning, canceling, ordering, reordering, dieting, arguing, and creating lists that never get shorter. There is so much tension around such a sentimental event that the underlying essence is lost. The elation of saying “ Yes, I will marry you”, or the anxious exhilaration of the asking “Will you marry me?” is long forgotten; buried under flowery invites, seating arrangements, and ‘who said what’ arguments concerning each others families. It truly is a mess. An organza and lace nightmare.

But then the day comes. There is no more planning to be done. The dominos are set, they will fall wherever they will, and you have 2 choices: laugh or cry at all that will inevitably not go as planed! Jonathan and I chose to laugh!

On the eve of our bright and fantastic union, we set up the tent we rented. It was dirty, patched, smelt like a hobbit’s hole, and the sides did not fit the top. After hours of frustration, we got it up and standing, with gun tape holding the 3 sides up. It took over 200 white balloons, 60 yards of streamers, and ½ a bottle of vodka to hide our handy work. In the end it was lovely. Second only to the collapsed wedding cake in the fridge. It was evidently put together too quickly and melted, causing it to lean to one side. Quickly I grabbed the roses next to me and stuck them into the side of the cake, creating a wonderful petal and flower waterfall effect. I stepped back, not bad, not bad at all. Then I realized all the flowers I used were from the bouquets for the wedding. Did I mention Dominos?

The morning of the big day, I fought with the hair dresser who decided to ignore my requests and went for a Fran Dresser feel, the bakery did not make the 4 special desserts I ordered, I broke three nails, my dress snagged and ripped in two places, my sister forgot my ‘something old’, I forgot my wedding shoes in Calgary, and the bartenders didn’t have ice for the bar…and we were about to get started!

In the end, I walked down the isle with my little wild flower bouquet with a smile on my face and all the hope and love of the world in my heart. We exchanged vows under the Victoria evening sky beneath a pergola lavished in flowers and lights which our friends created for us. Amongst an amazing garden we laughed and danced the night away with our friends. Elvis came and performed for an hour, the champagne and chocolate was everywhere, it was glorious, all because we chose to laugh. And the best part was that our hosts of the wedding, Don and Bill, had a side ceremony right after ours, so it became a dual wedding at the last moment. A little reminder that all that planning and chaos in the beginning was never really needed!

I wouldn’t have changed a thing, sloppy tent- tilting cake – bouquet less bliss!

I love you Jonathan
K